A look at yesterday’s Women’s Six Nations rugby match between England and Italy and a splendid photo gallery.
The Women’s Six Nations rugby got underway this weekend. Yesterday saw England facing Italy.
A MATCH OF TWO HALVES
England have not lost a Womens Six Nations fixture since 2018, and last year they kept Italy scoreless. The first half hour of the match continued this pattern, and by that stage England had already secured the bonus point for scoring four or more tries. One of those was 35 year old Emily Scarratt’s 55th international try. Rosie Galligan had a try chalked off for not being fully in control of the ball, but the replay also showed an earlier Italian infraction which caused the referee to award a penalty try (seven points, since one of the rules governing penalty tries is that they are always considered to be converted, without the kick having to be taken) and send the Italian offender to the sinbin for 20 minutes. Near the end of the first half Italy did actually score, with Francesca Sgorbini touching down, but that made little difference to the overall score line, which reflected England’s dominance.
The second half was very different, with Italy fighting like tigers. Sgorbini briefly thought she had her second try of the match but it was chalked off bu the TMO. England also had a try disallowed. Over half an hour into what was threatening to be a scoreless half Amy Cokayne scored an undisputed try. The final score was England 38 (six tries, three conversions and the automatic extra two points for the penalty try) Italy 5 (Sgorbini’s unconverted try) and England fully merited their win, but Italy deserve credit for the fight they showed in the second half, when they might have caved an allowed an absolute monster score to be posted against them.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off (don’t forget that you can view images at larger size by clicking on them)…
My sister had booked a table at this establishment for Sunday dinner last night.A redshank near the Nar outfall (as you will see I took several photographs of this bird).two for one on bees!Close up emphasising the two bees.The full picture…from which this (one spider, two bees and some purple flowers)……this one (close focus on the two bees)……this one (focus on the smaller bee, with the spider also on the image)……and this one (the bumblebee the solo star) were all extracted.
A look back at the final day of the Six Nations rugby and a huge photo gallery.
Yesterday saw the final round of the Six Nations rugby. This post looks back at how events unfolded.
THE SCENARIOS
The final fixtures, in order of playing, were Ireland v Italy, Wales v England and finally France v Scotland. Ireland, England and France all had chances to win, with the latter in pole position, Scotland were sure to finish fourth, with the wooden spoon between Wales and Italy. Ireland needed a bonus point win to have any serious chance of lifting the trophy. England could then displace them, a bonus point win putting them ahead at the top of the table outright and a win putting them ahead on points difference unless Ireland racked up a really huge score. Even a bonus point win for England was likely to leave France needing only to win the final match to clinch the title. A bonus point is awarded to teams scoring four or more tries in a match for the record.
THE FIRST TWO MATCHES
Ireland did get their bonus point win, but the margin was small, largely because their kicker, while good in open play had a nightmare when kicking at goal, only putting one such kick over in the entire match. In Cardiff it was one way traffic, with England racking up over 60 points. This included two tries for 20 year old debutant Henry Pollock. With that it was over to Paris for the final instalment of the tournament, with the home side knowing that any win would be enough.
THE GRAND FINALE
France started out dominating, but it took 17 minutes for their dominance to show on the scorecard, when in quick succession a penalty and a converted try put them 10-0 up. From here Scotland mounted an impressive fightback, the remainder of the second half being their best period of the match and quite possibly of the entire tournament. The French had a temporary numerical disadvantage that probably have been a permanent one when Mauvaka was yellow carded for a vicious headbutt on Ben White. Since the incident was off the ball, and not part of a tackle it has hard to seen any excuse for it being a yellow rather than a red card, but such was the verdict. On the stroke of the interval Scotland grounded the ball for what they, and everyone else, believed was a try giving them a half time lead. However, the video technology ruled it out on the ground that Blair Kinghorn had been in touch before Jordan grounded the ball. Thus at half time it was France 16 Scotland 13. That was the last sight Scotland had of victory, and thus the last sight England had of the title. The French went 10 points clear early in the second half. Bielle-Biarrey put himself into the record books with his try, which meant that a) he had scored in every round round of the tournament, something no one else had ever done, and b) he had scored a total of eight tries in the tournament, a new all time record. Scotland’s resistance was broken, and two more tries followed, and even with the previously immaculate Ramos failing to convert the final try that made it France 35 Scotland 16, 19 points ahead with 18 minutes left in the tournament. France did not add to their points tally after that, but neither did Scotland add to theirs. France had scored 30 tries in the tournament, another new record, beating the 29 scored by England in 2001. That England side announced itself in that tournament and went on to win the 2003 world cup. This French side have announced themselves in this tournament, and there is a world cup in 2027. Wales ended with a second straight wooden spoon, and Italy were equally clearly the second worst side in the tournament. Perhaps the time has come to make places at northern hemisphere rugby’s top table a privilege rather than a right by introducing relegation, with whichever side finishes last being replaced in the following year’s tournament by the next highest ranked northern hemisphere side.
A mention of the start of the Six Nations rugby tournament and a large photo gallery.
The title of this post borrows the tactful response of a curate served a bad egg by his vicar. It refers to England’s first match in this year’s Six Nations rugby union, which was against Ireland in Dublin yesterday.
A TOUGH OPENING FIXTURE
Ireland won both the 2023 and 2024 tournaments and are bidding to become the first side to win this tournament three times in a row. France had hammered Wales in Paris on Friday evening, and Scotland had beaten Italy earlier yesterday. England played very well in the first half and had a handy lead at the interval. In the second half Ireland found their mojo, and England wilted under increased pressure from their hosts. In the end only a late try scored long after the result was settled secured England a losing bonus point. Ireland are thus off to a winning start, while England must regroup, though the latter do have the advantage of having three home matches to play.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Today has been bright and sunny, albeit still cold (there was an overnight frost which hadn’t completely cleared when I went out for the first time, and I have a fine photo gallery to share…
Today’s photos start here.The Lynnsport Railway in service.
A look back at the final day of Six Nations 2024 action, and a bumper photo gallery, presented in three parts.
The 2024 Six Nations rugby tournament concluded late yesterday evening, with France playing England in Lyon in a match that would decide second and third spots in the final table. This match was the third match a final day and that it had no bearing on who won the tournament shows that the schedulers miscalculated somewhat.
THE EARLIER GAMES
The first match of the day saw Wales and Italy facing one another in a game that Wales had to win to avoid the wooden spoon. A win for Italy would make it their best ever Six Nations showing. It was also confirmed as a final international appearance for George North of Wales, and I suspect there may be other members of this Welsh squad who will not be seen at international level again. The Italians were 11-0 up at half time, and a converted try right at the start of the second half extended the lead to 18. At that point Wales finally showed a hint of fighting spirit, and in the end the final score was remarkably close, but Italy’s early dominance had ensured that justice was done, and that they did indeed record the win that gave them their best ever Six Nations showing.
Ireland needed only a single point from their match against Scotland to ensure that they would retain the championship that they won last year. Scotland came out fighting, making it clear from the word go that they were not just there to assist in Ireland’s coronation. Ireland proved good enough in the end, and retained their championship, underlining their status as the current dominant force in European rugby.
FRANCE V ENGLAND
This match would have no bearing on who won the tournament, but no game between these old rivals is ever meaningless, and there was plenty of pride at stake, as well as which of these sides would end up in second place. The match was an absolute belter of a game. The lead changed many times. With only a few minutes to go England got a penalty, and in the situation George Ford opted to kick for the corner hoping to set up a try rather than settle for three points. A superb kick gave England a line out just ten metres from the try line, and some slick work from that line out got them the try, and Ford, as unerring with the boot as he had been all game, duly scored the conversion to put England ahead. Then, with 38 seconds left on the clock France were awarded a penalty. For them, with three points being sufficient to re-establish their lead in the dying seconds it was a ‘must kick’ opportunity, though at 49 metres it was a major challenge to do so. Ramos, the French kicker, managed to put it over and the home crowd celebrated. There was time for the match to restart, but there was never any doubt that the French would retain possession for long enough thereafter to hang on for the win and with it second place in the table.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Yesterday was a very spring like day, and I deliberately extended my walks to and from King’s Lynn library where there was a ‘just a cuppa’ morning for autistic adults to take full advantage of it. Thus comes a gallery three parts…
Friday afternoon’s walk and the walk to the library…
The walk to the library yesterday starts here.
Lego architecture at the coffee morning…
Modification of the roof to include an overhanging observation platform.The final modification – the blue bases used here represent part of a river, with clear blocks forming a stepping stone type crossing thereof.
The walk back from the library…
A brimstone butterfly fluttering around the greenery near Kettlewell Lane (four pics)
A brief look at Ireland’s achievement in the 2023 Six Nations.
Early yesterday evening the final curtain came down on the 2023 Six Nations rugby tournament. Ireland won a clear victory over England to complete a grand slam.
IRELAND’S DOMINANCE
Ireland did not merely beat all of their opponents this tournament, they won every match by double figure margins. What may lend Ireland’s extraordinary performance extra significance is that 2023 is a world cup year. Although the big beasts of the southern hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand and current holders South Africa will all represent formidable obstacles to Ireland’s ambitions I for one would not count the Irish out – especially given that the legendary Jonny Sexton will be well aware that if he is to add the world cup to his list of wins this will be his last chance to do so – he will not still be an international force by 2027.
PHOTOGRAPHS
This photo gallery features two new bird sightings for 2023, both from today – a Mistle Thrush in The Walks and a Redshank at the mouth of the Nar…
The Mistle Thrush, near King’s Lynn library.Three shots of the Redshank.This map shows everywhere covered in yesterday’s walk .
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