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Six Nations round three preview: England face Wales as Scotland take on France

1 year ago
| BY News Team

The Six Nations returns this weekend after a two-week hiatus, with Ireland and Scotland both looking to maintain their perfect starts.

We preview all three fixtures below.

Italy vs Ireland – Saturday 14:15

Italy surprisingly don’t find themselves bottom after two games after they secured a bonus point in their remarkably tight opening encounter against current champions France. Kieran Crowley will also be content with his side’s spirited loss to England at Twickenham a fortnight ago, though Saturday’s game will undoubtedly be the steepest hurdle they’ll need to overcome if they are to avoid an eighth consecutive Wooden Spoon. The Italians will start this weekend’s clash as huge 9/1 outsiders, with the 10/11 handicap a massive +23 points.

Ireland consolidated their position as Six Nations favourites with a barnstorming 32-19 win over France in Dublin, meaning Andy Farrell’s men are 1/4 frontrunners to lift their first title since 2018 and also odds-on at 8/13 to complete just a second Grand Slam since 2009. Saturday’s contest could be a bloodbath, with the visitors 57-6 victors in this game last year – the largest winning margin of the tournament – and they correspondingly find themselves huge 1/25 favourites to make it three wins on the bounce. You feel Italy would have to move heaven and earth to prevent that from happening.

Wales vs England – Saturday 16:45

Wales have experienced a nightmare start to their Six Nations campaign thus far, with last round’s 35-7 thrashing at the hands of Scotland, meaning Warren Gatland’s men possess a -52 PD after just two games. It seems to be a stale period for Welsh rugby, and it’s highly unlikely they’ll better their fifth-placed finish from last year, but a win against fierce rivals England might just provide the side with a bit of momentum for the final two matches and beyond. They are 2/1 outsiders to beat England for a second consecutive game in Cardiff, having romped to a 40-24 victory the last time these sides played here in 2021.

England recorded their first tournament victory with an unconvincing but ultimately sufficient 31-14 win over Italy last week to give Steve Borthwick his first victory as head coach. The Red and Whites still look a tad disjointed following Eddie Jones’ dismissal in December and succumbed to a humbling defeat by Scotland in their tournament opener, but you feel a win in front of a partisan Cardiff crowd could turn the tide for their remaining competition fixtures. They seem a tad undervalued here at 2/5 for victory, with winger Max Malins leading the anytime try scorer market at 6/4.

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France vs Scotland – Sunday 15:00

Arguably the match of the week rounds off the third round of Six Nations action, as Scotland make the daunting trip to Paris to take on a wounded France side. The French came up short in their bruising defeat to Ireland two weeks ago – their first Six Nations loss in two years – to go alongside an iffy tournament opener against Italy. Having said that, there can be no mistake of the quality that Fabien Galthié’s side possess, and they start Sunday’s clash against an unbeaten Scotland team as 2/7 favourites, which perhaps undersells how close of an encounter this promises to be.

Scotland continue to develop as a side, adding a resounding 35-7 win over Wales last week to their Calcutta Cup success against England in their tournament opener. Gregor Townsend’s men look a shoo-in to improve on their fourth-placed finish last year and are second in the outright betting at 4/1 – realistically providing the only competition to runaway favourites Ireland. If they are to make good on that threat to the Irish then they’ll have to overcome a French side who stuck six tries past them at Murrayfield last year, and will enter the game as 13/5 outsiders to do so.

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