Six Nations Results 2015: Saturday Scores, Updated Table and Sunday Prediction
Italy got their first win of the 2015 Six Nations at Murrayfield, beating Scotland 22-19, thanks to a late penalty try before Wales bagged a 20-13 win over France in Paris.
Leigh Halfpenny was once again the hero, while the French will rue their missed opportunities after Camille Lopez had an awful day kicking the ball.
Unbeaten Ireland and England will play in Dublin on Sunday, the winners putting themselves in pole position for this year's Six Nations title. Here's how the standings currently look:
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| 1 | England | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 33 | 35 | 4 |
| 2 | Ireland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 14 | 30 | 4 |
| 3 | Wales | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 62 | 57 | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | France | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 46 | -7 | 2 |
| 5 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 92 | -50 | 2 |
| 6 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 63 | -13 | 0 |
Saturday Recap
Hosts Scotland led Italy for nearly the entire match but still lost in the final minute, as a penalty try converted by Tommaso Allan put the final score of 22-19 on the board.
Mark Bennett scored his first international try and the Scots ran out to a quick 10-0 lead, thanks to the boot of Greig Laidlaw, whose 14 points kept the team in front until the bitter end. Bennett timed his interception perfectly for an easy score, via Scottish Rugby:
The Italians have showed plenty of determination so far in this year's Six Nations, and Saturday's match was no different. A fantastic maul was eventually turned into points by Joshua Furno, but Kelly Haimona put his conversion wide.
Laidlaw and Haimona exchanged successful kicks and Giovanbattista Venditti scored the final points of a great half of rugby, as the teams went into the dressing room with Scotland up 16-15.
The second half turned into a sloppy affair with numerous penalties and plenty of time spent in the scrum, as ByTheMin RugbyU pointed out:
Laidlaw converted another penalty before some late pressure from the visitors, who pushed the Scots back in their own half and kept working the ball around. Their efforts were finally rewarded inside the last minute, and Allan converted the penalty try to give his team their first win of the tournament.
Radio 5 Live's Rob Jones congratulated the Azzurri on their well-deserved win:
Captain Sergio Parisse was visibly emotional speaking to reporters after the match, via BBC Sport's live blog:
"It's fantastic for the team to win at the end. It's been very hard on the team in recent years as we lost from a last-minute drop goal in Rome last time out. The forwards did a tremendous job at the end there.
"
France dominated Wales for large stretches of the first half but failed to take advantage of their opportunities, allowing the Welsh to make the difference in the second half and escape Paris with a 20-13 win.
Dan Biggar scored the only Welsh try while Halfpenny converted five penalties, earning the praise of broadcaster Phil Steele:
In contrast, Lopez had a horrible day, missing penalty after penalty to the frustration of the home crowd. France looked far more dangerous attacking but were stopped by a superb Welsh defensive effort time and time again, highlighted when Jamie Roberts made a late match-saving tackle on try-scorer Brice Dulin.
The win puts Wales on level points with Ireland and England, who will play on Sunday, and with a head-to-head against the defending champions still on the schedule, Warren Gatland's troops are back in the mix for this year's Six Nations title.
France's hopes are dashed after an inspiring but inefficient showing, and with an eye on the upcoming World Cup, perhaps one or two questions may rise over Lopez's performance and a possible plan b.
Sunday Prediction
Ireland have not been at their best so far this year but are still sitting pretty with two wins and no losses, and the defending champions will like their chances against a young England side that has struggled with concentration at times.
Organisation and discipline are Ireland's key strengths, and the hosts will punish every single mistake. Dean Ryan pointed out how adept manager Joe Schmidt is at the tactical aspect of the game, writing for The Guardian:
Fly-half Johnny Sexton has been in excellent form, and Sean O'Brien returns to the squad, adding even more physicality to an already impressive group.
England are no slouches though, showing their determination and flair in the comeback win over Wales. The visitors have the speed out wide to stretch the field and match up well on set pieces, and in George Ford, they have one of the world's best young fly-halves.
Head-to-head with Sexton, he might be in for a rude surprise, however, and while this match has the makings of an instant classic and will likely decide this year's champion, the advantage has to go the veteran side with the championship pedigree.
Final Prediction: Ireland 22-20 England
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