Six Nations week 5 review

Scotland 26 vs 19 Ireland

• Scotland's best day of the tournament: The Scots had registered one win which came against Wales and looked less and less impressive as the weeks went on. Other than that, it had been an unremarkable run for Scotland. That was until they pulled off a late win against Ireland to make a big statement.
• Ireland let one slip: The much-mentioned investment for the Irish team has paid off dramatically but this game was a slight blip in this rise. Ireland are still a great team but their vulnerability was shown up in this game.
• Late heroics for the Scots: Mcghie went over in the 81st minute to give the Scots a 26-19 victory after some tough Irish defending to give her side their biggest moment of the tournament.

England 43 vs 42 France

• Winners once again: England came into the 2025 edition of the Six Nations expecting to win the Grand Slam and achieved that once again. There were some hairy moments but England still were able to win comfortably.
• Too close for comfort: England managed to stay a couple of scores in front of France throughout the game - that was until the 80th minute when France scored down the left wing to put themselves just a point behind the home side. Luckily for England, France then immediately knocked the ball on from the kick off giving England the win in what would otherwise have been a nightmarish situation for them.
• Defensive frailties exposed: England have looked vulnerable in defence at various moments throughout this competition but were so dominant that they were able to get away with it. That wasn't the case so much against France who scored their record total against England on Saturday. If England are to win the World Cup, things need to improve in that area.
• Painfully close for France: They came so close to a major, game-shaking upset at the Allianz Stadium but couldn't quite pull it off due to a heart-breaking fumble in the final moments. This game will only serve to motivate them to go back to that stadium and finish things off in September.

Italy 44 vs 12 Wales

• Welsh rugby is at its lowest point: Both the men's and women's teams have failed to win a Six Nations game in 2025. Sean Lynn is a good head coach and I have big hopes for what he can do with a longer time to prepare for the World Cup later this year.
• Italians made a big statement: I may have underrated Italy at the start of this competition by overrating the potential impact of Sean Lynn. I have been proven to have been wrong consistently by this team which looks ready to cause some upsets at the World Cup.
• Clear difference in quality: What is perhaps most worrying for Wales was the chasm in ability between both sides on display in this match. That will be hard to overcome. They have a few stars but will need a whole lot more to turn things around.