Gregor Townsend keeps his cool after Scotland topple France to stay in title hunt
Gregor Townsend remained ice cool after Scotland’s exhilarating seven-try victory against France, which keeps them in the hunt for the title with one round to play, a position Scotland have never known in the Six Nations.The win was no big deal, he seemed to be saying.“There have been other games where it’s probably meant a lot to the group,” he said, “whether it was a response or to break a record – away from home in Paris or Wales, or beating England for the first time in a number of years.So they maybe are the ones that have more significance.This [win] is very significant, but just now it’s round four.
And it gives us a chance to win in round five,”Cool though he may be, the result is vindication for Townsend and Scotland, who have persevered through hideous ups and downs throughout his long tenure as coach, never losing faith in their proactive, attacking game,“A team shouldn’t be judged on wins and losses,It should be judged on performance,Our forward pack stood up in Paris last year in much more difficult circumstances [and lost].
And they stood up today and got the rewards.”Kyle Steyn, the player of the match with two tries, expects to be fit for Scotland’s final match in Dublin, the winner of whom will be clubhouse leader, with France playing England later that evening.But resources in the second row may be stretched, with Gregor Brown and Scott Cummings significant doubts, the former particularly.Sione Tuipulotu, who finished the match in the centre alongside Rory Darge, a flanker, following Steyn’s withdrawal, remains equally level-headed as he prepares to lead his team into one last challenge.Tuipulotu said: “It’s a proud day for us, but I think one we’ve been building towards and one that maybe, if you’d been on our training ground, it’s not that we expected it, but it’s one we felt we were capable of.
Today was more about us being us, and probably less about us winning or losing,It’s no different this week,We keep our feet on the ground,We know this is a good win for us, but we’ll take the confidence from it and that’s it,We just get back to the training field.
”Scotland will be aware of how they have struggled to back up great performances in the past,This is a rare run of wins for them,One more is now required,“We have momentum, definitely,” said Scotland’s captain,“The belief has been there since before the tournament.
Maybe that’s hard for you to see but I’ve been inside the training room.I’ve been in the meetings and listened to Gregor talk, listened to the other coaches.We have a very tight changing room that believes, not just after this game but before it too.We’ve got to take that into one final week.We’ve got one more job to do.
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Italy claim historic first victory over England as Borthwick’s men are rattled in Rome
Even by the Six Nations’ usual standards this has been a remarkable tournament. And to the list of stunning outcomes can now be added the biggest result in the history of Italian rugby. For the first time in 33 attempts they have beaten England at rugby union and no one could possibly claim the boys in blue did not deserve their long-awaited special day.Entering the final half hour it had seemed as though England might just leave Rome with their dignity intact. Instead, not for the first time in this championship, they were the architects of their own downfall with the momentum of the game swinging decisively after two visiting forwards, including captain Maro Itoje, were sent to the sin-bin simultaneously
Scotland 50 – 40 France: Six Nations rugby union – as it happened
What a game; here’s hoping for something as entertaining in Rome. Follow it with my colleague Dan Gallan hereHere is the full report from MurrayfieldVictorious captain, Sione Tuipulotu“Considering how this tournament started all I asked was the boys to believe, and we have put it right. I can’t thank the supporters enough for coming out to see us. We have a changing room that believes in each other; times were tough after the first round in Italy, but we’ve given ourselves a chance next week. Anything is possible, and we know the challenge Ireland is, and it makes for an awesome final week
Scotland stun France in 50-40 thriller to throw Six Nations title race wide open
So maybe France are not as good as we thought. Maybe England not as bad. Italy definitely better. But Scotland. Bloody hell
US win first medals of Winter Paralympics as Oksana Masters leads American one-two
Oksana Masters led a United States one-two finish in the women’s 7.5km sitting sprint on Saturday, winning gold to deliver the United States’ first medals of the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics. Masters crossed the line in 21:21.3 at Val di Fiemme, coming in 16 seconds ahead of teammate Kendall Gretsch, who took silver.Both Americans shot a perfect 10-for-10 on the range, leaving the race to be decided on the snow
Australia v India: one-off women’s cricket Test, day two – as it happened
A record-breaking century from Annabel Sutherland moved Australia to the brink of victory over India in the pink-ball Test at the Waca.Sutherland’s imperious 129 was her fourth century in only seven Tests, the most by an Australian woman and one short of the world record held by England’s Jan Brittin. It helped Australia to 323 all out in their first innings, a lead of 125. By the close India were hanging on at 105 for 6.The outstanding Sutherland received excellent support from Ellyse Perry, who broke an even more significant record during her innings of 76
Winter Paralympics: Russia flies flag with first medals since 2014 as Ukraine stage gold rush
Russian athletes have seized the chance afforded them by these Winter Paralympic Games, claiming two medals on their return from suspension. But as the action came to a close on the opening day, it was Ukraine who led the medal table.The return of Russia to international competition under their own colours has dominated headlines at Milano-Cortina. Bronze medals for two world champion Alpine skiers – Varvara Voronchikhina and Aleksei Bugaev – in events that are not their strongest will only increase the scrutiny. However, a dominant day in the Nordic events, including a clean sweep in the men’s biathlon sprint, means Ukraine’s pledge to “be strong” at these Games has begun in convincing fashion
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