Saturday, 14 March 2015

RBS 6 Nations Week 5 WAL 23-16 IRE & ENG 25-13 SCO

WAL 23-16 IRE

Wales ended Ireland's hopes of claiming the Grand Slam with a thrilling 23-16 win at the Millenium Stadium this afternoon.
Leigh Halfpenny kicked three early penalties to put Wales into the lead, the third of which was a colossal effort from half way.
Halfpenny's boot then extended his side's advantage further after Samson Lee had been stretched off the field, beforeJonathan Sexton, who was winning his 50th cap for Ireland, pushed his first effort at goal wide of the posts.
Sexton made amends with his second penalty as he pulled Ireland back into contention in an intriguing first half that was low on try-scoring action but high on suspense.
The tide appeared to have turned in Ireland's favour when saw Sam Warburton was sin binned, but Wales managed their numerical deficit superbly, holding onto the ball and probing the Irish defence before Dan Biggar boomed a drop goal between the posts shortly before the break.
Ireland came roaring out of the blocks at the start of the second half, and only some superb defensive play from the hosts kept their opponents out.
Bloodied and bruised but with their lead still in tact, Wales then began to push forward and scored the first try of the game when Scott Williams collected Biggar's pass and skipped beyond Tommy Bowe to touch down just after the hour mark.
Ireland came surging back, however, and Sexton's decision to kick for touch when faced with an easy three points was vindicated when Ireland were awarded a penalty try after Wales were penalised for collapsing the maul following the lineout.
Another Halfpenny penalty sent Wales a score clear on 74 minutes, but Ireland were given hope when Jonathan Davies was sent to the sin bin in the dying minutes.

However, Wales survived a late Irish onslaught to hold out for the win and keep alive their hopes of winning the Six Nations.

ENG 25-13 SCO
England kept their Six Nations dreams alive with victory over Scotland at Twickenham, lifting the Calcutta Cup in the process.
England got off to a flying start, with Jonathan Josephscoring his fourth try of the tournaments, finding a gap in Scotland's defence following George Ford's pass.
The home side maintained a strong tempo, and Mike Brown, returning to the side after suffering concussion against Italy, was tackled just yards from the try line after angling a run from the left wing.
Scotland made the most of their first period of pressure, with Mark Bennett going over before a touchline conversion from Greig Laidlaw.
George Ford's penalty gave England the lead, but it was Scotland who headed into the break 13-10 in front after two kicks from Laidlaw.
After Wales ended Ireland's Grand Slam hopes earlier in the day, England knew they would have to raise their level in the second half to overcome a resurgent Scotland.
And just four minutes into the half, Bath fly-half Ford broke the line with a dummy pass to score under the posts, before converting to give England a four-point lead.
Ford's boot then extended England's lead to seven points, as the pack tried their utmost to wear down Scottish defence.
A forward pass from James Haskell on the 10m line denied Mike Brown a try after the full-back ran under the sticks, with referee Roman Poite referring the decision to the TMO.
Ford's 40-yard penalty effort bounced off the post and England consequently pounced on the ball before passing out wide, with winger Jack Nowell claiming his second try in seven internationals.
England ran down the final minutes to secure a valuable victory, leaving them level with Ireland and Wales, but ahead on points difference, with just one round of fixtures remaining.

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