With high-scoring games and controversial decisions, this is how the teams have fared
THE Six Nations has been littered with plenty of drama and excitement, but after two rounds of fixtures, this is how each team is faring.
Wales
In their first two fixtures the Welsh side have managed just one win which puts them fifth in the table going into the third round of fixtures.
Against a strong Irish side, Wales were outplayed in their first game and lost 29-7 in Dublin.
Wales started slow and conceded four tries in what could have been their first Six Nations game without scoring a point since 1998.
Fortunately, they were able to secure seven points thanks to an interception and try by flanker Taine Basham which meant they avoided ending that 24-year-old record.
However, the Welsh side turned their fortunes around the following week against a Scotland side who were up for a battle.
The game went down to the wire in a 20-17 thriller in Cardiff and the home-side came out on top.
Wales supporter, Dave Price, 42, said: “I went to see them against Scotland, and they seemed a far better side at home, the effort from all of the squad was really great to see.”
Next up, Wales have the injured Taulupe Faletau back in the squad to face old rivals England at Twickenham and they will be hopeful for a win to move up that table.
Scotland
Scotland sit in fourth place in the Six Nations table after one win and one loss so far.
In their opening game against England in the Calcutta Cup, Scotland secured a history-making 20-17 win in Edinburgh.
This game had its fair share of drama, which all came to a head when it was deemed that England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie had deliberately knocked on.
The referees awarded a penalty try to Scotland, making it 17-17 for the last 10 minutes.
The game was secured when Finn Russell dispatched a penalty in the dying minutes.
In their second fixture, the Scottish side lost out closely in a tight game in Cardiff and this weekend they face an incredibly strong France side at home.
England
So far in the tournament, England have lost one game, won one game and with two bonus points, they sit in second.
Losing out in the Calcutta Cup was a bitter pill to swallow first up, however against a weaker Italian side, England ran riot and secured a 33-0 win.
England player Harry Randall said: “It’s awesome to play in the Six Nations and pleasing to keep them to zero. A few frustrations but overall, a good performance.”
Next up they face Wales at home and will want to get maximum points against their fierce rivals at Twickenham.
France
After the first two fixtures, pre-tournament favorites France sit in top spot of the Six Nations table and will be looking to continue their winning run against Scotland this weekend.
In their opener against Italy, they managed to muster more than 30 points against a struggling Italian team.
Then, in a tough encounter against Ireland in Paris, the home side nudged over the line in a thrilling 30-24 win which has secured their spot at the top of the table.
Ireland
The Boys in Green sit third in the table after the first two round of fixtures.
In their opener, they overcame an out-of-touch Welsh side and showed that they are contenders for the title in a 29-7 win.
However, they were not able to replicate the same performance on their trip to Paris.
Next up, the Irish side face Italy and they will be hoping to get back to winning ways and show more of this strength that overcame Wales.
Italy
So far in the tournament, Italy have struggled against the strength of their opening two opponents.
After losses to two of the world’s best sides in France and England, Italy will be hoping to show why they deserve a place in the tournament against Ireland this Sunday.
That is not to say the Azzuri have been without any highlights so far.
In their opening game, they took the lead against France courtesy of a try by Tommaso Menoncello who at 19 became the youngest try scorer at the tournament for 55 years.
- All Six Nations games can be viewed on BBC or ITV and details of how to access the games can be found here.
