At the Olimpico, the atmosphere is that of San Denis first and then the Millennium Stadium. The underdog, the disadvantaged, seems to be able to overturn expectations and win a historic result. Here too the constant is the balance between the teams, both new and in need of breaking in. Of the two, however, England is the more embarrassed and who mismanages the lesser possession granted to them. In spite of this, however, the red roses manage to bring an action born from a static phase to the goal.
The Azzurri, on the contrary, seem well organized and are well guided by an inspired Canna (our point guard No. 10) who has all the right intuitions. Something is wrong in the fulfillment of ideas which, however, are the kind of ideas that change your day if you manage to implement them. The first 40 stop at 9 to 11 for the British, whose faces reveal a sensitive concern for an afternoon that is not going around as expected.
Dreams, however, are such because they only rarely come true. For the first quarter of an hour of the second half the result didn't move, then we didn't take advantage of the opportunity to go over and finally we made an unforgivable mistake in our 22m which cost us an interception try. From there begins the English descent and the more tiring climb for the Azzurri, who never recover.
Finally, the match ends on 9 to 40 for the guests, who are starting to have the gears of this new machine well oiled. Masterful conduct of the impeccable Eddie Jones who makes no mistakes, setting this England up for great future results.
FRANCE VS IRELAND
On paper there should have been no story. There are many variables influencing the field. Above all, the home factor: France, after all, plays again at the Stade de France, this time well filled by the French who seem to be no longer influenced by terrorist threats. Secondly, the rain in Paris narrowed the technical gap between the two teams, allowing the French to remain better anchored to the otherwise unattainable skills in the open game of the Irish goblins.
The whole first half, therefore, flows in an almost complete balance. Ireland holds almost all of the ball possession, yes, but fails to monetize it to the fullest, collecting only nine points. All, among other things, from the foot of a Sexton (Irish opening, fulcrum of the greens) more nervous than ever – also due to the many shots on the edge that were reserved for him by the very attentive defense biscuit. Another variable, in fact, is precisely the competitive malice of the French, which yielded two Irish substitutions due to injury in the first forty minutes and countless descents into the field of medical personnel.
For the first 25 minutes of the second half, the scoreboard did not move and the bulletin from the infirmaries remained constant, especially the Irish one. Four minutes of scrum under the leprechauns' posts lead to a wonderful goal by the French full-back Medard, thanks to a great tactical invention by the halfbacks: keeping the focus on the first eight, letting people think they're standing there fighting to the bitter end, to get out quickly the oval and mark in the first phase.
In the remaining ten minutes the Irish are unable to get back up the field. France brings home a historic result for what were the premises and is a candidate for the conquest of the Grand Slam. Ireland, on the contrary, as reigning champion and maximum favorite that it was, finds itself having to face a situation that sees it almost unable to win the final.
WALES VS SCOTLAND
On paper there should have been no story. There are many variables influencing the field. The prologue doesn't change at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff where the Welsh Dragoons host the Scottish Highlanders. The balance, here too, is constant and is broken only thanks to a sensational referee error that gives the first try of the match to a still good run by the Welsh halfback – the result, however, of a clearly visible yet undetected offside.
Immediately afterwards, Scotland began their symphony of bagpipes, playing little out of tune and putting in a practically perfect multi-phase for a goal finish after a kick over the five-metre limit. The battle then proceeds mainly in melee and in the meeting points – both phases not always well managed by the match director. The first forty ended with the Scottish advantage 13 to 10, an excellent synthesis of the things seen on the pitch.
The second half starts again in balance, broken by the Welsh equalizer and by the subsequent overtaking, always at the foot, of the bagpipes. In the sixty-fifth minute another gross referee error in a scrum closed under the Scottish posts, gives the Welsh overtaking with heavy marking. Doubts about the management of the match begin to arise, if not for an unproven partisanship, at least for a clear and guilty incompetence - not forgivable at these levels.
Five minutes later, the North wing carried the oval behind the posts passing the Scottish defense – disorganized and demoralized – definitively closing the game and rendering useless even the splendid closing goal of the Scottish center. It ends, 27 to 23 for the reds, of which the decisive points all scored in the last ten minutes.
A match in which, however, a bitter taste remains in the mouth due to a missed opportunity – yet another – for Scotland. This time it cannot be their fault, at least not completely, as the first two Welsh tries – strictly speaking – were non-existent.
