Six Nations 2017
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@Crucial I think Percentage Eddie sees Daly as an ideal cover for centre, wing and full back, which allows him to have a back up 9 (Care) and an impact sub (Teo) as well as Nowell/Daly. This then allows him his favoured 5/3 split on the bench as Farrell can play 10 as well as 12. You could see similar thinking when Goode was the utility man that could play 10,12,13,15 or wing. The only problem being that he could play them all equally mediocrely.
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England: 15. Mike Brown, 14. Jonny May, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Owen Farrell, 11. Elliot Daly, 10. George Ford, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Joe Marler, 2. Dylan Hartley (c), 3. Dan Cole, 4. Joe Launchbury, 5. Courtney Lawes, 6. Maro Itoje, 7. Tom Wood, 8. Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: 16. Jamie George, 17. Matt Mullan, 18. Kyle Sinckler, 19. Teimana Harrison, 20. James Haskell, 21. Danny Care, 22. Ben Te'o, 23. Jack Nowell.
France: 15. Scott Spedding, 14. Noa Nakaitaci, 13. Remi Lamerat, 12. Gael Fickou, 11. Virimi Vakatawa, 10. Camille Lopez, 9. Baptiste Serin; 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Guilhem Guirado (c), 3. Uini Atonio, 4. Sebastien Vahaamahina, 5. Yoann Maestri, 6. Damien Chouly, 7. Kevin Gourdon, 8. Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: 16. Clement Maynadier, 17. Rabah Slimani, 18. Xavier Chiocci, 19. Arthur Iturria, 20. Loann Goujon, 21. Maxime Machenaud, 22. Jean Marc Doussain.
Italy: Edoardo Padovani (Zebre); Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Luke McLean (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Edoardo Gori (Treviso); Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Ornel Gega (Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Bayonne), Marco Fuser (Treviso), George Biagi (Zebre), Abraham Steyn (Treviso), Maxime Mata Mbanda (Zebre), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais Paris, capt).
Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini (Toulouse), Sami Panico (Calvisano), Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Zebre), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Giorgio Bronzini (Treviso), Tommaso Allan (Treviso), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs).
Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon); George North (Northampton), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys); Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester).
Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Cory Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins).
Scotland: 15-Stuart Hogg; 14-Sean Maitland, 13-Huw Jones, 12-Alex Dunbar, 11-Tommy Seymour; 10-Finn Russell, 9-Greig Laidlaw (capt); 1-Allan Dell, 2-Fraser Brown, 3-Zander Fagerson, 4-Richie Gray, 5-Jonny Gray, 6-Ryan Wilson, 7-Hamish Watson, 8-Josh Strauss
Replacements: 16-Ross Ford, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Tim Swinson, 20-John Barclay, 21-Ali Price, 22-Duncan Weir, 23-Mark Bennett
Ireland: 15-Rob Kearney; 14-Keith Earls, 13-Robbie Henshaw, 12-Garry Ringrose, 11-Simon Zebo; 10-Paddy Jackson, 9-Conor Murray; 1-Jack McGrath, 2-Rory Best (captain), 3-Tadhg Furlong, 4-Iain Henderson, 5-Devin Toner, 6-CJ Stander, 7-Sean O'Brien, 8-Jamie Heaslip
Replacements: 16-Niall Scannell, 17-Cian Healy, 18-John Ryan, 19-Ultan Dillane, 20-Josh van der Flier, 21-Kieran Marmion, 22-Ian Keatley, 23-Tommy Bowe.
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England to win comfortably, Wales to get over Italy and Scotland to win for 78 minutes...
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And Finn Russell kicks off and we're underway.
Woo hoo!
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First scrum after knock on in Scottish lineout.
Let's see how this goes.
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Steady first, Ireland put shove on, and Scotland come up.
Penalty to Ireland in their own half. Lineout on 30m line. Ireland win and Ireland forwards carry forwards. Scotland hassle at breakdown, and win ball from a knock on. It goes out the back immediately and Scotland attack. They make progress and move down the right hand side. But they fumble and it's an Irish scrum. Blood Injury to Fraser Brown, Ross Ford comes on.
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Murray puts in, and scrum holds steady. Then they shove, Scotland crumple and another penalty.
Furlong and McGrath turning on the heat.
Jackson kicks for lineout on 30m line. But Ireland mess up the throw and Scotland gather and advance. Out the backline and Russell kicks forward, Earls gathers but slices kick into touch between 22 and 10m line. Crowd cheer.
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Scotland take the throw and immediately out to the backs who attack down the right hand side. They make metres. Forwards up to the line. They pick and go. Gray picks and goes. Then out the backline again and Ringrose slips and misses tackle and Hogg takes and he's in.
Deserved. Laidlaw for the kick and it's over.
Scotland 7-0 Ireland after 9.5 mins
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Scotland are fierce with the tackles at the breakdown.
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Ireland track from the kickoff. They make yards down the left hand side. O'Brien makes a bullocking run and Scotland infringe in bringing him down. Penalty inside 22. Jackson kicks for touch. Ireland win the throw and Ireland maul forward. Scotland infringe and penalty through offside. 5m out. Ireland kick for lineout again.
Best throws, Toner takes. Maul. But they go accidental offside through changing lanes, and Poite calls for Scotland scrum.
13 mins
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They pack down and Laidlaw puts in. Ireland squeeze and ball doesn't come out. Polite says both sides have come up. Reset.
Laidlaw puts in and and gets it out to Dunbar. Hogg then takes and kicks out upfield. Kearney takes and carries forward.
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Scottish defence working very well and putting Ireland under pressure. Murray getting plenty of scrutiny. It's working.
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Another scrum and another Irish penalty. Jackson gets a better kick inside 22 for lineout.
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But Best misses his target and Scotland gain. Hogg relief kicks upfield. Ireland take it back up and in the next breakdown, Ireland infringe. Penalty to Scotland and they get lineout 10m inside Irish half.
Irish lineout a complete mess. Missing O'Mahony in jumping says Paul O'Connell who's a BBC pundit for the day.
