2009 Six Nations Review: Round Four

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Editor

The penultimate round of Six Nations matches left Wales chances of retaining the Championship title intact, Ireland within reach of their first Championship win since 1985, and England with something to smile about after a demolition job on France at Twickenham.

Wales 20-15 Italy
A war of words erupted in the Wales camp following a flat display against Italy in Rome on Saturday. The Welsh pursued an uninspiring kicking game with unsatisfactory results, with the talented Welsh backline rarely enjoying the opportunity to handle the ball.

The Italians responded by attempting to bore their opponents into submission by reciprocating with an endless volley of kicks into the deep. While neither side impressed, Wales had the penetration on attack to score two tries and keep their title hopes alive.

Although Wales can still retain their Six Nations title, they have set themselves the tough task of having to defeat a fired-up Ireland side by more than 13 points in this Saturday’s Championship decider at the Millennium Stadium.

Scotland 15-22 Ireland
Scotland and Ireland contested a tense match at Murrayfield on Saturday, with the Irish narrowly running out as winners, thanks largely to a big effort by their young forwards – most notably try scorer Jamie Heaslop.

The Scots were disconsolate after losing to the Irish, given the fact that the backline looked genuinely threatening on several occasions. The defeat was also a major blow to manager Frank Hadden, who had been handed the mandate of winning a minimum of two matches ahead of the tournament.

Ireland now have their best chance in decades to win the Six Nations, and could win the title even if they lose to Wales on Saturday. A win in Cardiff would seal Ireland’s first Grand Slam since 1948, and would provide deserved reward for a team that has come close to Six Nations glory several times in the last decade.

England 34-10 France
Saturday’s performance by England against France suggested that the English team have finally tired of their own excuses for underperforming and have decided to go out and play rugby instead.

The English had the match sewn up in the first half, scoring a barrage of tries to lead France 29-0 going into the break. The French launched a minor fight-back in the second half, scoring two unconverted tries. However, England piled on another 15 points to send the French back to Paris with their tails between their legs.

The result suggests that Marc Lievremont may not survive the Six Nations campaign, irrespective of how his team’s final match against Italy pans out, whilst Martin Johnson will be relishing watching his side take on hapless Scotland at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.

Summary
The 2009 Six Nations will end with the eagerly anticipated showdown between Wales and Ireland at the Millennium Stadium. Scotland will also be desperate to end the 2009 Six Championship with a win over the Auld Enemy at Twickenham, thereby saving the skin of manager Frank Hadden.