With three rounds within the books, the 2025 Guinness Ladies’s Six Nations desk is beginning to take form.
On present kind, all roads result in a Grand Slam decider in Twickenham on April 26.
England stay prime of the standings, with an ideal 15 factors from 15 following a bonus-point victory in Eire that was tougher – for half-hour not less than – than the 49-5 scoreline suggests.
That consequence got here after France laboured to a 42-12 win towards winless Wales in Brive, which retains Les Bleues in touching distance, one level adrift of the Pink Roses.
Eire stay in third whereas Italy jumped as much as fourth following their spectacular 25-17 victory towards Scotland in Edinburgh.
As we head into the penultimate week of the championship, listed below are 4 issues we discovered from spherical three.
England’s opponents have to be good
For 33 minutes or so within the Cork sunshine there was a touch that one thing particular could be about to occur.
Amee-Leigh Costigan’s Twenty fourth-minute attempt was deserved reward for a first-half efficiency during which Eire suffocated the life out of the world’s No.1 facet.
England seemed unusually ragged, harried into errors and compelled onto the again foot by a mix of ferocious tackling and Dannah O’Brien’s booming left boot.
If Erin King, who wore the expression of a lady very happy to tackle the Pink Roses on her personal, didn’t get you then Brittany Hogan, Neve Jones or Dorothy Wall in all probability would.
That England had been near full power solely made the Irish efficiency in that opening half an hour extra spectacular. But the seeds for the Pink Roses revival had been sewn lengthy earlier than Morwenna Talling powered over for the primary of seven English tries.
To beat this England group, you must be good and Eire, for all their endeavour weren’t – particularly on the set piece.
Ireland’s struggles at scrum time – where they conceded four penalties in the first half alone – gave their visitors a foothold and denied themselves a chance to breath and reset in the midst of their oxygen-sapping defensive work.
It was a similar story at the lineout, which meant England had a surefire way to exert pressure on their hosts. It was little surprise when the Red Roses opted to take a scrum instead of a shot at goal shortly after Niamh O’Dowd was sent to the sin bin.
Slightly more shocking was the Irish decision to confront that scrum with only seven players. Within a minute Zoe Harrison stretched the Pink Roses’ result in 9 factors they usually had been quickly out of sight.
High two have quite a bit in reserve
One more reason for England’s dominant second-half efficiency at Virgin Media Park was in fact their capability to ship on world-class reinforcements to alter the momentum and course of the match.
Natasha Hunt not having her typical affect? Ship on Lucy Packer. May the pack do with some power? No hazard right here come Rosie Galligan and Maddie Feaunati.
Want a spark in assault? Inform Holly Aitchison and Helena Rowland to get heat.
But the real kick in the teeth for Ireland’s front row would have come in the 52nd minute, as they looked up and saw Amy Cokayne, Kelsey Clifford and Sarah Bern getting ready to return on.
You’ve simply spent the most effective a part of an hour getting pushed in all instructions and might then solely watch on as that trio come on, recent. Against this each beginning Irish props, O’Dowd and Linda Djougang, had been required to play 70 minutes in Cork and it has an impression.
Unsurprisingly, Bern excelled in her Cork cameo, scoring two tries whereas Clifford additionally acquired on the scoresheet – for the primary time in a Check – and Aitchison notched a late conversion.
It’s the sort of depth that solely France can get near mirroring within the championship, and it was the same story in Brive, the place Les Bleues needed to dig deep earlier than having fun with a comparatively comfy victory towards Wales.
France were able to bring on the brilliant tighthead Assia Khalfaoui at half-time, had an all-new entrance row by the hour mark and had emptied their bench with 10 minutes to go.
Lea Champon and Lina Queyroi had been among the many replacements who helped regular the ship and steer the hosts in direction of a win that retains them on track for a Grand Slam decider at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in a fortnight.
The explanation why John Mitchell, Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have such deeper squads than their Six Nations rivals are manifold and ingrained however what can’t be ignored is how a lot of a bonus it provides the highest two.
Italy present well timed reminder
Happily for the championship, beneath the highest two issues seem like fairly aggressive.
Eire will rightly really feel their eight-try demolition of Italy in Parma in spherical two and their efficiency towards France maintain them on the head of the chasing pack, no matter what occurred within the second half towards England.
Definitely, the age profile of the beginning line-up towards the Pink Roses, which consisted of just one participant (Fiona Tuite) who’s over 30 and had a mean age of 25, would counsel they’re on an upward trajectory.
One group that was stated to be heading in the wrong way, earlier than spherical three, was Italy however the Azzurre supplied a well timed reminder in Edinburgh on Sunday that they continue to be a harmful outfit.
It is six years since Italy recorded their highest championship finish, claiming second place as England won the Grand Slam in 2019.
There have been encouraging moments since, especially at Rugby World Cup 2021 and in each editions of WXV 2, however their ends in the Six Nations had contributed to a sense the Azzurre had been a group on the decline.
Italy do nonetheless depend on quite a few abilities from that 2019 group – Beatrice Rigoni, Michele Sillari, Aura Muzzo and Elisa Giordano chief amongst them – however they possess sufficient high quality to be a risk when all of it clicks. Throw within the ending instincts of Alyssa D’Inca and as they showcased at Hive Stadium, they’re greater than a match for Scotland and Wales specifically.
The Azzurre finish the championship with back-to-back house video games towards France and Wales, after which we should always have a better understanding of precisely the place Fabio Roselli’s group stands in World Cup 12 months.
Self-discipline is essential
As Roselli prepares his facet to face France in Parma on Saturday he’s positive to spend a big portion of his time on self-discipline.
It was a yellow card to Scotland centre Lisa Thomson that helped shift the momentum within the Azzurre’s favour in Edinburgh as tries from Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi and D’Inca helped flip a 12-10 deficit right into a 20-12 lead.
In doing so, Italy grew to become the third group of the weekend – after France and England on Saturday – to take advantage of an opposition participant’s 10 minutes within the sin bin to the fullest.
France additionally struck twice, should you embody the penalty attempt awarded alongside Maisie Davies’ yellow card, to take the match away from Wales as soon as and for all in Brive.
Whereas there was an inevitability about each O’Dowd’s yellow card early within the second half in Cork and the 2 England tries that adopted when she was sat on the sideline.
It’s exhausting sufficient enjoying the Pink Roses with 15 gamers however the stress they put you underneath on and off the ball coaxes errors. Bryan Easson might be preaching the same message to Roselli as Scotland head to Leicester this weekend.
