Ireland's Joe McCarthy was a standout in their 38-17 win over France in Marseille on Friday night, with former player Bernard Jackman noting his superior movement compared to Eben Etzebeth. Ireland's tactical kicking was key, making 59% more kicks, 55% more kick metres, and 53% more territory from kicking than France, according to SageUK stats. France has now conceded 4+ tries in their last two home matches in the Six Nations, a feat not seen since 2006 against Ireland. Scotland's discipline was a concern as they conceded 16 penalties and 270 meters to Wales, the most in a Six Nations match since 2014, while Wales conceded 72 meters. However, Scotland achieved a 100% goal-kicking success rate with Finn Russell's performance.
🗣️ "They will need a massive step up in round two." #SCOvFRA 🏆 Five things we learnt from the opening round of the Six Nations. ✍️ @jaredwright17 #GuinnessM6N https://t.co/ilvhTg0FQY
🗣️ "It will certainly take a tremendous effort for someone to knock Ireland off their perch this year." #GuinnessM6N 🏆 Five things we learnt from the opening round of the Six Nations. ✍️ @jaredwright17 https://t.co/ilvhTg0FQY
100% - @Scotlandteam were the only team to record a 100% goal-kicking success rate in the opening round of this year's #GuinnessM6N, with Finn Russell slotting each of their five place kicks against Wales. Pivotal. https://t.co/1N6F128zwA
Round 1 Match Ratings: France vs Ireland Oval’s Match Ratings evaluate a player's contribution in a match. To calculate these, our performance data is interpreted by our ‘Player Value’ model, which supports decision making at the highest levels of the game. #poweringrugby #6N https://t.co/COMHMfzybn
R1 Match Ratings: France vs Ireland Oval’s data-driven Match Ratings evaluate a player's contribution in a match. To calculate these, our performance data is interpreted by our ‘Player Value’ model, which supports decision making at the highest levels of the game. #sixnations https://t.co/6wvJVPig2E
Wales lost five lineouts in the first half against Scotland, hence this reaction from the coaching box. In the second half, they won eight out of nine. Analysis on what changed and what England will have learned from the tape. https://t.co/0AYiR9e0H9 https://t.co/QjS0tNGl2r
Stepping into the boots of an Irish icon is no easy task, but Johnny Sexton would have privately nodded his approval as Jack Crowley made his first Six Nations start. @bensmithrugby analyses his performance after Ireland thumped France in Marseille... https://t.co/6vNGaBFz09
"The next-worse repeat offenders were Wales in 2022, when they gave away eight penalties in a row" We asked the guys at @Oval_Insights to put Scotland's disciplinary issues into context. And wow https://t.co/jQAoddd4YR https://t.co/9fXWL04ojs
16 - Scotland conceded 16 penalties against Wales, their most in a #GuinnessM6N match since 2014, when they conceded 17 against England. Infringement. ⬇️ @OptaAnalyst | @SixNationsRugby | Round 1 Review ⬇️ https://t.co/v1iWLYgswE
Analysis: Kicking to exert pressure Here's a thread on a key moment before Ireland's first try against France last weekend looking at just one of reasons teams kick in rugby and why it's valuable. 1. #FRAvIRE #RugbyAnalysis #SixNations2024 https://t.co/KlaNKEqo78
What a performance from Ireland’s Joe McCarthy against France 🔥 The second row was a standout performer for Ireland in their 38-17 win over France in round 1 of the 2024 Six Nations 💥 #rugby #ireland #SixNationsRugby https://t.co/hS0oQNBE2D
4 - France have conceded 4+ tries in each of their last two #GuinnessM6N home matches, previously they had not conceded four tries in a home game in the Championship since 2006 (v Ireland). Leaky. ⬇️ @OptaAnalyst | @SixNationsRugby | Round 1 Review⬇️ https://t.co/v1iWLYgswE
Some stats from @SageUK after round one of @SixNationsRugby : *Scottish Discipline - Territory conceded from penalties to touch Wales – 72m Scotland - 270m *Ireland made 59% more kicks, 55% more kick metres and 53% more territory from kicking than France.
How good was Big Joe McCarthy in Ireland's win over France? ☘️ "He moves way better than Etzebeth" "That profile of lock is absolute gold" @bernardjackman analysed the role McCarthy played in Friday night's win in Marseille 🏉 Get the full podcast ⬇️ https://t.co/GmRR4D4ymi https://t.co/R7RKpFhKUs