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The sun is out, so you can enjoy a walk in the Women’s Six Nations. England and France are each rewarded with bonus points.
Records were broken, the underdogs challenged and the favorites shook off some of their rust.
These are the four main points of discussion from the first round.
Is rustiness the deciding factor?
Simon Middleton is England’s coach he was left frustratedHis side’s performance against Scotland was remarkable, despite Scotland winning in Edinburgh 57-5.
Middleton called England “rusty”, describing their handling of the game. They made many mistakes in the game and looked less fluid than when they won back-to-back records against New Zealand in autumn.
France beat the Black Ferns twice in France last year, but they had to work hard. opening Six Nations win against ItalyTheir attack was not fluid enough until the end of the game.
The title will likely be decided by Les Bleues hosting England on the final weekend. The team that can shake off the rust the most by April end may win the trophy.
Records fall as fans pour in
For the second year running, the Women’s Six Nations will be played in a separate window to the men’s tournament. The move appears to have paid off.
The opening match between England and Scotland attracted 3,988 people to Edinburgh’s DAM Health Stadium on Saturday – a record for a Scotland Women home match.
Later in the afternoon, Irish women’s rugby reached new heights with 6,113 spectators. Wales winAnd set a record attendance for a single Women’s Six Nations match in Ireland.
Has a Welsh renaissance begun?
Wales will be playing in the first tournament since 12 members of their squad left. offered full-time contractsThe first Welsh Rugby Union.
Many believed it would be too late to see the results of partial professionalism. But, an increase in training time and recovery may have played a part in their late victory over Ireland.
The visitors led for the first time, with Ireland dropping to 14 players within the final six minutes. They scored again to win 27-19.
Wales has ended their seven-game losing streak of the Women’s Six Nations. Now they hope to be able to reach new heights when they host Scotland in round 2.
Scorelines don’t reflect difficult fixtures
This may sound like a common refrain for losing sides, however the opening weekend proved to be more competitive than the scores suggest.
Italy made France hard work for their victory of 39-6 in front Grenoble. The Azzurre may have walked away with more had they not stopped their own attacks with loose passes.
Similar resistance was shown by Scotland against an England side that was fully professional and stocked with talent.
Heather Lockhart, a former forward for Scotland, agreed to the statement. BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rugby Union Weekly: “Last years it was 52-10 [in this fixture]It is now 57-5. While it doesn’t look like a huge improvement, there are signs of significant improvement in certain spells.
“Scotland will be disappointed that they didn’t take some chances. However, they upped their physicality in second half and their line-out was exceptional.”
It is a competitive and entertaining Six Nations for Women, with such committed play from Italy and Scotland, and a tight encounter between Ireland & Wales.