RBS 6 Nations: Final Round Review

2015 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 21

ROUND 5 REVIEW –

ITALY (13) 20 WALES (14) 61, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

ITALY: 15 Luke McLean; 14 Leonardo Sarto (1 try), 13 Luca Morisi, 12 Andrea Masi, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti (1 try); 10 Kelly Haimona (1 penalty), 9 Edoardo Gori; 1 Michele Rizzo, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini (capt), 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 4 George Biagi, 5 Josh Furno, 6 Francesco Minto, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 8 Samuela Vunisa.

Replacements used: Luciano Orquera (2 conversions and 1 penalty) for Haimona (4 mins), Dario Chistolini for Castrogiovanni, Andrea Manici for Ghiraldini, Alberto de Marchi for Rizzo, Quintin Geldenhuys for Biagi (all 50), Robert Barbieri for Vunisa (69), Enrico Bacchin for Morisi (73), Guglielmo Palazzani for Gori (73).

Test debuts: None; Six Nations debut: None.

WALES: 15 Leigh Halfpenny (2 penalties); 14 George North (3 tries), 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts (1 try), 11 Liam Williams (1 try); 10 Dan Biggar (1 penalty and 6 conversions), 9 Rhys Webb (1 try); 1 Rob Evans, 2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Aaron Jarvis, 4 Luke Charteris, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton (capt) (1 try), 8 Toby Faletau.

Replacements used: Scott Williams (1 try) for Halfpenny (33 mins), Rhys Gill for Evans (52), Ken Owens for Baldwin, Justin Tipuric for Lydiate (both 55), Gareth Davies for Webb, Rhys Priestland for L Williams (both 70), Scott Andrews for Jarvis, Jake Ball for Charteris (both 73).

Test debuts: None; Six Nations debut: Gareth Davies.

Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand); Attendance: 65,827; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Alun Wyn Jones.

SCOTLAND (10) 10 IRELAND (20) 40, BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh

SCOTLAND: 15 Stuart Hogg; 14 Dougie Fife, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tommy Seymour; 10 Finn Russell (1 try), 9 Greig Laidlaw (capt) (1 conversion and 1 penalty); 1 Ryan Grant, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Euan Murray, 4 Jim Hamilton, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 Adam Ashe, 7 Blair Cowan, 8 David Denton.

Replacements used: Tim Visser for Fife, Geoff Cross for Murray (both 11 mins), Fife for Visser (21), Alasdair Dickinson for Grant (31), Fraser Brown for Ford, Tim Swinson for Hamilton (both 52), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne for Laidlaw, Rob Harley for Adam Ashe (both 55), Greig Tonks for Scott (69), Visser for Bennett (70).

Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.

IRELAND: 15 Rob Kearney; 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Jared Payne (1 try), 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Luke Fitzgerald; 10 Jonathan Sexton (3 conversions and 4 penalties), 9 Conor Murray; 1 Cian Healy, 2 Rory Best, 3 Mike Ross, 4 Devin Toner, 5 Paul O’Connell (capt) (1 try), 6 Peter O’Mahony, 7 Sean O’Brien (2 try), 8 Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements used: Martin Moore for Ross (45 mins), Jack McGrath for Healy (52), Sean Cronin for Best, Iain Henderson for Toner (both 61), Ian Madigan (1 conversion) for Sexton (70), Jordi Murphy for O’Brien (72), Eoin Reddan for Murray (79). Not used: Felix Jones.

Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.

Referee: Jerome Garces (France); Attendance: 67,225; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Sean O’Brien.

ENGLAND (27) 55 FRANCE (15) 35, Twickenham, London

ENGLAND: 15 Mike Brown; 14 Anthony Watson (1 try), 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Jack Nowell (2 tries); 10 George Ford (1 try, 7 conversion and 2 penalties), 9 Ben Youngs (2 tries); 1 Joe Marler, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Geoff Parling, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 James Haskell, 7 Chris Robshaw (capt), 8 Billy Vunipola (1 try).

Replacements used: Tom Youngs for Hartley (52 mins), Mako Vunipola for Marler, Kieran Brookes for Cole, Danny Cipriani for Watson (all 62), Nick Easter for Parling, Tom Wood for Haskell (both 67), Billy Twelvetrees for Burrell, Richard Wigglesworth for B Youngs (both 71).

Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.

FRANCE: 15 Scott Spedding; 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Maxime Mermoz (1 try), 11 Noa Nakaitaci (1 try); 10 Jules Plisson (2 conversions and 1 penalty), 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde (1 try); 1 Vincent Debaty (1 try), 2 Guilhem Guirado, 3 Nicolas Mas, 4 Alexandre Flanquart, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (capt), 7 Bernard Le Roux, 8 Loan Goujon.

Replacements used: Benjamin Kayser (1 try) for Guirado, Rabah Slimani for Mas (both 47 mins), Rory Kockott (1 penalty) for Tillous-Borde (48), Uini Atonio for Debaty (60), Damien Chouly for Goujon (62), Romain Taofifenua for Maestri (67), Mathieu Bastareaud for Mermoz, Remi Tales for Plisson (both 71), Debaty for Slimani (78).

Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales); Attendance: 82,319; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Ben Youngs.

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TOP POINTS SCORERS:

75 – George Ford (England) (2 tries, 13 conversions, 12 penalties and 1 drop goal)
60 – Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) (3 conversions and 18 penalties)
58 – Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) (5 conversions and 16 penalties)
41 – Greig Laidlaw (Scotland) (4 conversions and 11 penalties)
35 – Camille Lopez (France) (1 conversion and 13 penalties)
26 – Dan Biggar (Wales) (1 try, 6 conversions, 1 penalty and 2 drop goals)
20 – Jonathan Joseph (England) (4 tries)
17 – Jules Plisson (France) (4 conversions and 3 penalties)

TOP TRY SCORERS:

4 – Jonathan Joseph (England)
3 – George North (Wales), Jack Nowell (England), Rhys Webb (Wales), Ben Youngs (England)
2 – Mark Bennett (Scotland), George Ford (England), Luca Morisi (Italy), Sean O’Brien (Ireland), Giovanbattista Venditti (Italy), Billy Vunipola (England), Anthony Watson (England), Scott Williams (Wales)

TOP GOAL KICKERS:

100% – Ian Keatley (Ireland) (5 successful kicks from 5 attempts), Finn Russell (Scotland) (1/1)
93.75% – Greig Laidlaw (Scotland) (15/16)
87.50% – Dan Biggar (Wales) (7/8)
84% – Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) (21/25)
80.77% – Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) (21/26)
78.13% – George Ford (England) (25/32)
75% – Luciano Orquera (Italy) (3/4), Ian Madigan (Ireland) (3/4)
70.59% – Camille Lopez (France) (12/17)
70% – Jules Plisson (France) (7/10)
50% – Tommaso Allan (Italy) (2/4), Scott Spedding (France) (1/2), Danny Cipriani (England) (1/2)
40% – Kelly Haimona (Italy) (4/10)
33% – Rory Kockott (France) (1/3)

TOP PERFORMERS –

CARRIES:

64 Billy Vunipola (England)
63 Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
59 George Ford (England)
58 Rob Kearney (Ireland)
57 Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)

METRES:

442 Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
343 Scott Spedding (France)
340 Rob Kearney (Ireland)
326 Jack Nowell (England)
325 Mike Brown (England)

CLEAN BREAKS:

9 Jack Nowell (England)
8 George Ford (England), Liam Williams (Wales)
7 Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Jonathan Joseph (England), Ben Youngs (England)

DEFENDERS BEATEN:

20 Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
16 Jack Nowell (England), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)
15 George Ford (England), Anthony Watson (England)

OFFLOADS:

9 George Ford (England)
8 Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
7 Leonardo Sarto (Italy), Luther Burrell (England), Yoann Maestri (France)

PASSES:

476 Conor Murray (Ireland)
318 Rhys Webb (Wales), Greig Laidlaw (Scotland)
297 Edoardo Gori (Italy)
280 Ben Youngs (England)

KICKS IN PLAY:

53 George Ford (England)
51 Dan Biggar (Wales)
48 Conor Murray (Ireland)
38 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)
34 Ben Youngs (England)

TACKLES MADE (MISSES):

84(1) Jonny Gray (Scotland)
82(5) Chris Robshaw (England)
79(6) Billy Vunipola (England)
74(5) Francesco Minto (Italy)
71(6) Toby Faletau (Wales)

TURNOVERS WON:

7 Blair Cowan (Scotland)
6 Thierry Dusautoir (France), Dan Cole (England), Eddy Ben Arous (France)
5 Chris Robshaw (England), Rory Best (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales)

LINEOUTS WON (INCLUDING STEALS):

25 Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
18 Josh Furno (Italy)
16 Paul O’Connell (Ireland), Jonny Gray (Scotland)
14 Devin Toner (Ireland), Luke Charteris (Wales)

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