Six Nations: Breaking down the good and bad points for all six sides

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  • England and Wales lit up the first weekend of the Six Nations with blistering wins at home and away.

    Elsewhere, Ireland needed a late drop goal from Jonny Sexton to secure victory in Paris.

    Here, we break down the good and bad points from the weekend’s action.

    ENGLAND

    One good: The instrumental Sam Simmonds – third choice No.8 – provided another reminder of the depth of talent at Eddie Jones’ disposal. The Exeter man capped off a sparkling performance with two tries.

    One bad: Scrum-half Ben Young was forced off on a stretcher after 12 minutes after sustaining a nasty knee injury. The Leicester star looks like he will miss the rest of the championship.

    IRELAND

    One good: At 13-12 down in injury time, Ireland’s patience to work through the phases with such composure was remarkable. After 40 phases, Johnny Sexton’s last-gasp drop goal attempt secured a stunning win for the visitors.

    One bad: Having the most metres in your favour doesn’t always give the advantage you want, and Ireland’s major problem was their inability to convert their chances in scorable attacking positions.

    FRANCE

    One good: Les Bleus showed pace, skill and a collective determination against Ireland – all of which have been lacking in recent years. Sets up a positive campaign for Jacques Brunel’s side.

    One bad: Injuries to exciting half-backs Mathieu Jalibert and Antoine Dupont could rob the French of creativity and pace for their clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.

    ITALY

    One good: Showed glimpses of quality in the first-half – and trailed by only seven points at the break. Matteo Minozzi and Tommaso Boni provide the X-factor that the Italians can build on.

    One bad: It is a work in progress to get the structures right for the Azzurri, but some loose passing and poor tackle reads makes it hard to see Conor O’Shea’s outfit to progress any time soon.

    SCOTLAND

    One good: It’s tough to find many positives after falling to such a comprehensive defeat to Wales, but the Scots have not registered an away win in the Six Nations – apart from Italy – since the last day of the 2010 championship against Ireland in Dublin.

    One bad: Poor handling skills and general game management cost Gregor Townsend’s side and they looked a patch of the team that won seven out of 11 matches in 2017.

    WALES

    One good: Gatland’s expansive style is class to watch – and the ability to bring in players into the attack like Leigh Halfpenny and Josh Adams unlocks pace and power out wide. If Liam Williams returns to the fray this weekend, it will be a joy to watch.

    One bad: Few weaknesses were exposed against Scotland and they looked outstanding from 1-15. Trips to Twickenham and Dublin this month should give the Dragons a firm idea of where they are as a team.

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