
RBS 6 Nations 2016: 5 Noteworthy Moments from Matchday 4
England claimed their 2016 RBS Six Nations title on Sunday after Scotland's 29-18 win over France meant their victory against Wales on Saturday was sufficient to clinch the competition crown on Matchday 4.
Coach Eddie Jones' side defeated their Welsh counterparts 25-21 despite their Twickenham guests getting two tries on the board in the final 10 minutes, and a 2016 Grand Slam is now almost within reach.
Ireland also exploded onto the scene after collecting their first win of the tournament in style, dispatching Wooden Spoon winners Italy 58-15 and notching nine tries in the process.
Unexpected try-scorers, untimely player comments and refereeing slip-ups all feature as we compile the top moments from Matchday 4.
1. England's Late Scare
1 of 5James Haskell's grimace painted a picture on Saturday as the substituted England flanker looked on from the home bench through grated fingers and watched as his side tried to survive a late assault at Twickenham.
George North and Taulupe Faletau bust through enemy lines to bring a game that for so long looked like a drubbing down to just four points' difference, and all of a sudden, a Wales comeback was on.
One could feel it in the air at Twickenham as the home fans, who had so much reason to rise in volume earlier, swiftly became more sullen. That, combined with the fact Wales can never be ruled out as an underdog, made for a climactic Six Nations finish.
As we know, Wales coach Warren Gatland's men were unable to finish off the job, and England were permitted to complete their Triple Crown, but Wales' fitness strengths were once again on full display.
2. Scotland End Decade of Blues in Sizzling Style
2 of 5Scotland played host to France on Sunday having lost their last 10 previous meetings to their continental competitors, their worst-ever run of bad form against Les Bleus, stretching back to 2006.
How pleasing it was, then, to see captain Greig Laidlaw beaming in his post-match interview, having so often cast a downtrodden figure following losses to England, Wales and of course Australia at last year's World Cup.
Full-back Stuart Hogg was rightly elected man of the match for his performance, but this was a 15-man display of huge proportions, and the Sunday Times' Stephen Jones hailed the much-improved Scots.
England may have grabbed the headlines in Matchday 4 while Ireland's hammering of Italy dazzled, but Scotland were the most enjoyable team to watch of the lot, and it showed among the players at the final whistle.
3. Craig Joubert's Questionable Twickenham Ending
3 of 5
Sounds like a case of deja vu, doesn't it?
Five months after making a controversial call led to the official sprinting off the Twickenham turf following Scotland's World Cup exit at the hands of Australia, Craig Joubert was back causing a stir in London on Saturday.
Just as Wales were gathering a head of steam, having scored two tries in the last 10 minutes and looking to seal a match-winning third, winger North was adjudged to have gone into touch while flicking the ball back in play.
It was an audacious effort, and images provided by Metro proved a sufficient one, too, as North had in fact released the pass before going out of bounds, and Wales' upheaval should have been allowed to continue.
Wales can only dwell on the moment for so long, of course. After all, their defeat was made up of many moments less controversial than that one, but Joubert doesn't appear to have much fortune at English headquarters.
4. Sean Cronin Shows a Clean Pair of Heels
4 of 5Amid all the Irish tries and passages of fluid play that coach Joe Schmidt had been hoping to see weeks prior to now, it was Sean Cronin's 54th-minute score that was perhaps the best of the bunch at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.
Building through the passages, a blurry green figure eventually cut a line any top-class centre would be proud of, except this one was finished by none other than speedy Leinster hooker Cronin, showing a surprising gallop en route to the line.
It wasn't the only time Cronin got up to full sprint in Dublin, either, as he eventually finished the match with 67 carrying metres to his name, per ESPN Scrum, a figure only three of his team-mates could best.
5. Joe Marler's "Gypsy Boy" Remark
5 of 5Among the numerous unfortunate incidents that unfolded at Twickenham on Saturday, England prop Joe Marler's "gypsy boy" comment to Wales counterpart Samson Lee was among the most memorable.
Marler was close enough to referee Joubert to be caught on his microphone and heard by the masses, leading Shay Clipson, a campaigner for the Traveller community, to insist the loosehead must be banned, per BBC Radio 5 live.
The technological advances of today mean players are more closely watched than ever, and things get said in the heat of the match that otherwise wouldn't cross a player's mind. This is evidenced by the fact BBC Sport were told by the RFU that Marler apologised to Lee at half-time during Saturday's clash.
Marler's absence would be a major loss for England if he were to be missing for their Grand Slam-deciding Week 5 trip to Paris due to suspension.

.jpg)







