Marcus Smith’s last-ditch drop-goal on Saturday saw England end Six Nations champions Ireland’s hopes of successive Grand Slams with a dramatic 23-22 win at Twickenham.
There were more than 80 minutes on the clock when replacement flyhalf Smith, making his first appearance of the tournament, landed the winning kick as England ended a run of four straight defeats by Ireland.
“I have been practicing my drop-goals and I thought why not,” said Smith after what was just Ireland’s second defeat since July 2022 following an agonizing Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to New Zealand last year.
Photo: AFP
However, Ireland can still retain their title by beating Scotland in Dublin on Saturday.
This defeat ended Ireland’s bid to become the first team in Six Nations history to win consecutive Grand Slams, with France the last team to achieve the feat in the 1997 and 1998 Five Nations.
“We have been very good at winning. We have to be good at losing,” Ireland coach Andy Farrell said.
Photo: AFP
England were 17-8 behind early in the second half when Ireland wing James Lowe scored the first of his two tries.
England hit back with tries from George Furbank and Ben Earl to lead 20-17 against an Ireland side reduced to 14 men after captain Peter O’Mahony was sin-binned.
Lowe’s second try edged Ireland two points ahead and, after England replacement Elliot Daly was just off target with a long-range penalty moments after coming on, it seemed the Irish had done enough.
Yet England, making good on captain Jamie George’s pre-match promise to “defend our home” kept playing and were rewarded with a win in front of a crowd of over 81,000 that revived their title hopes ahead of next week’s concluding match away to France.
Meanwhile, Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada beamed with pride after his team of “nutters” beat Scotland 31-29 to win their first Six Nations home match in 11 years.
Italy were 14-3 down after 12 minutes and 22-16 behind at the break in Rome as Scotland looked ready to blitz their opponents, but a thrilling second-half from the hosts gave the Azzurri a historic win.
“We have a group of nutters here, of whom the captain [Michele Lamaro] is the furthest gone... What they have is a desire and effort and they do everything at 100 percent everyday. All we need to do is give them focus,” Quesada said.
“This team has a group of leaders who do amazing things. I’m proud to have had months to try and bring this team to a win, but it’s only the beginning,” he said.
Lamaro was at the Stadio Olimpico as a boy when Italy last won in the Six Nations in the Italian capital, against Ireland in 2013.
The 25-year-old was key for Italy in the final minutes as the hosts held out for 24 phases of play as Scotland tried and failed to get the three points they needed to snatch the win.
“It felt like more than 24 phases to be honest. Defending is one thing, but not conceding a foul in those phases is the important thing there,” Lamaro said. “We have worked on the mental side for years.... It’s always the way you prepare which makes the difference.”
Italy now face Wales in Cardiff in their final match as the Azzurri attempt to avoid a ninth straight wooden spoon after moving up to fourth in the Six Nations standings.
Scotland now have a fight on their hands to finish in the top two for the first time since winning the last Five Nations in 1999.
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