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February 1, 2025 • 16 mins

Ireland have kickstarted their bid for a third straight Six Nations crown with a 27-22 win over England spearheaded by two New Zealand-born players.

Halfback Jamison Gibson-Park was named man of the match, while James Lowe had a hand in three tries.

England led 10-5 at halftime before Ireland caught fire, stretching to 27-10 before a couple of late consolation tries to the visitors.

Rugby commentator Martin Gillingham joined Piney to recap the match.

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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks, Edb.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Ireland has earned them a twenty seven twenty two went
over England and their six nations rugby clash in Dublin.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
A little bit slow getting to them, but it is
there now, don't she? Great times from the hook up
to James Row on Ireland, I've got to finish ship
run here?

Speaker 2 (00:37):
What the d the boles here? They trialed ten to
five at half time, but the Irish then scored twenty
two unanswered points before too late tries from England closed
the score line up. Scotland, meantime have overcome It's only
thirty one nineteen in Murrayfield, and yesterday, of course, France
demolished Wales forty three nil. Let's bring in rugby commentator

(00:58):
and journalists based in the UK. Martin, Gillingham, Martin, thanks
for joining us on Weekend Sport. Let's start with Ireland
twenty seven England twenty two. Once Ireland and did get
their noses in front in the fifty sixth minute, did
you feel us though they always had the game under control?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, I mean I got the impression really that, I
mean I felt that Island had it under control really
after about twenty minutes plucking England defense. We eventually saw
the yellow car coming the first half of Marcus Smith,
but I felt that England were already on the back
foot then be you're absolutely right. I mean, eventually they

(01:36):
broke the back of the England defense early in the
second half, and I think after that there was only
one winner and in the end the school line really
flat at England. So, I mean, let's be frank, I
don't think this is quite the quality of Ireland side
that we saw two years ago, even going into the
World Cup, which was a huge disappointment to them. So

(01:58):
I think it's an Island side which has its weaknesses,
particularly in the front row. They're very short on props,
and to to dispatch England in the end as comfortably
as they did, I think it's a great concern to
follow us of England.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
All Right, we'll talk about englantle bit more in a moment.
But the twenty two point run, the twenty two unanswered
points from Ireland between what minutes fifty two and seventy three?
Was that good from them or did English eras contribute
to that? What was the story of that twenty two
point run.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Well, I think, like most and I think that Ireland
things didn't quite click. I think the air account was
quite high in the first half. I don't think they
were as clinical as perhaps they could have been. That said,
I think the elements of the England defense which now
has has sort of moved on and adopted a different

(02:51):
method from the one that Felix Jones, who of course
departed the England management just rather under a cloud, and
I think that proved pretty effective. But I mean the
reality is Ireland started to hit their straps on about
sort of fifty minutes something like that, and in the

(03:13):
end those two late tries that you talk about from
England I think really flattered them hugely. So I think
it's a better Island performance because they were very unconvincing
over the November period. I think that you know, there's
never anything you know that there's never a bad Island
New Zealand team. But I don't think and maybe I'm

(03:34):
going to spark a bit of controversy downe in your
part of the world at the moment, you've not got
one of the great All Blacks teams, but to suffer
defeat to the All Blacks in November and be unconvincing
in the other fixtures I think suggested that this Island team,
this Island squad is a little bit over the peak

(03:55):
of the hill, which I think it was at going
to the World Cup. So I think England have got
to look at it in that respect. As for Ireland, certainly,
a much better performance in the second half is the
best we've seen from them now really, I think since
they put France to the sword in the first round
of the Six Nations Championship last year.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Let's talk abouit about England back in the last year,
the one out of Japan to finish the year, but
losses to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, couple of
narrow losses down here Midgyo, Where do you ascease where
England are right now?

Speaker 3 (04:31):
I mean, I think in many respects today demonstrated that
they're no further forward than they were really almost a
year ago. Yes, they came close twice against you guys,
but again they came close in November. But it's the
inability really in that final half hour to get the

(04:52):
job done. And I mean I think today in the
end was reasonably emphatic, and I know I'm repeating myself.
Despite the school line, they were well well beaten in
the end and Steve Borthwick, I mean, how much long
can the Rugby Football Union continue with this? I mean
I heard that the target was to win at least

(05:15):
four out of five matches in the Six Nations and
already that's the best they can possibly do and they've
got France coming next week. I mean, there are a
lot of off field distractions at the moment at the
Rugby Football Union. With the chief executive Bill Sweeney, it
would appear unlikely to keep his job, you know, for
much longer than this Six Nations will run. So if

(05:38):
you have an England side who lose next weekend against France,
which I think is likely, I mean, Steve Borthwick really
is walking a very fine line.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
I hadn't caught up with that about Bill Sweeney. Is
that tied mainly to the on field performance of the
England men's side or are there other factors at play?

Speaker 3 (06:01):
No, there are other factors at play, and I think
the England rugby setup is intensely political. But the reality
is that Bill Sweeney is taking home a huge salary
including his bonuses, and there is certainly a lot of
concern around the clubs who were essentially the RFU are four.

(06:22):
They're not just there for the national side, there for
the teams that to all the clubs that put out
six or seven fifteen's at a weekend in all four
corners of England, and I think that there's a lot
of disquiet about the way it's run. There was inevitably
a lot of concern about the amount of money that

(06:43):
was spent in losing Eddie Jones because there was a
huge amount of compensation about nine hundred thousand pounds I understand,
just to lose Eddie Jones and his team, but then
there was almost a similar amount to compensate Lester to
get Steve Borthwick and his support to team on board

(07:04):
as well. So people are looking at the financial position
of the Rugby Football Union which is not particularly rosy,
the amount of money that's been spent, and people are
seeing Sweeney's position really and the salary's taking home as
a reward for failure, and well, Steve Borthwick can say,

(07:28):
look what goes on in the pitch is very different,
but the reality is he reports directly the Sweeney, and
Sweeney takes responsibility for the sacking of Eddie Jones and
also the appointments Steve Borthwick. So I think Borthwick must
and probably does, realize that if Sweeney goes to the
scaffold Borthwick, if he doesn't win four or at the

(07:53):
very least three out of five matches, he'll be joining him.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
We will watch with great interest. Let's take a back
twenty four hours. You were there for France against Wales.
As you tweeted, nobody doesn't quite like the French. But
what are we going to do about Wales?

Speaker 3 (08:10):
I don't know. I mean, how long have you got
a chat? I mean, I see, I mean we could
go on for twenty four hours and still not arrive
at any sort of conclusion. It's a terrible shame. I mean,
this is one of the great rugby nations, and in microcosm,
if there's one thing that sums up at Wales, it's

(08:32):
you know, this is the country which is famed for
its mythical fly half factory, and the bloke they had
starting at fly half yesterday is actually a twelve. So
I mean that is where Welsh rugby is at the moment.
It's in deep crisis in very simple terms these days,
as it is in England, so many more kids want

(08:54):
to play football, the oval ball game, rather than rugby football,
so they have that challenge. Also we have England preying
on Welsh talents and bringing them over to that side
of the Seven Bridge, and there are a number of
cases of that. The Welsh rugby Union had in place

(09:21):
ten fifteen years ago which looked after a lot of
emerging talent that doesn't exist anymore. And again they are
short of money. I mean, why why do why do
Wales always play an additional game out of the November
window for example? They need the money and the regional

(09:45):
rugby is not really worked. One of the great things
about Welsh rugby historically with you know the clubs like
the net like Swansea, like Cardiff, like Newport Well in
the professional era whilst they exist they were you know,
now they're just basically playing local rugby and it's regional

(10:07):
clubs who just simply don't attract the interest and the attention.
The Ospreys in Swansea, yeah they're playing Swansea, but they're
not Swansea Swanse. The Scarlets playing clanette, but they're not
clinetti and I go to those grounds and they draw

(10:27):
what two three four thousand people for matches and that
just simply isn't sustainable. So you've got the Welsh regents
who in the UFC, you know, the league which has
now drawn in the South African franchises. Yeah, there's a
couple of them are doing quite well. I'm talking about
the Welsh franchises, the Scarlets and the Cardiff this season,

(10:51):
but they're per forming woefully and there wasn't a single
Welsh representative in the Champions Cup, which is the elite
continental competition. So yeah, I mean, we could talk forever
on the problems of world rugby, but I suspect it's
a big moment coming up on Saturday. I'm going to

(11:12):
be there in Rome up in Italy. It's going to
be outstanding favorites to beat them. And if that happens, well,
I think there's every chance that the Welles will go
to the final day of the Six Nations in Cardiff
against England, where you may well have Steve Borthwick playing,
you know, playing for his job. Maybey then already be

(11:36):
or have waved goodbye to it I mean, what is
it now? Is it something like now seventeen out of
his last twenty five matches he hasn't won. I mean
this is the man who used to you know, deliver
Grand slams at will, but the serial winner. Certainly where
Wales is concerned, Warren Gallan has now become a serial loser.

Speaker 2 (11:55):
Just the word on front. They beat Wales and I
know it's a low bar. They haven't won the Six
Nations since twenty twenty two. What field did you get
from the French yesterday?

Speaker 3 (12:07):
I mean I enjoyed French rugby and I think that
they do perhaps remain favorites to win it this year
and even to perform a Grand Slam. I mean, the
great test is going to be It's going to be Ireland.
Big problem because Raman end to mac shown a red
card on review yesterday, he won't be involved. There's a

(12:28):
big call to be made there by Fabian Gualtier, I
mean we hang the bar high for France, and by friend,
I don't think they were that good. They there were
a lot of flat spots on Friday night in Paris.
Yet you know they put what was it forty three
points on them? Was a big home win ever against

(12:53):
Wales didn't quite touch the fifty one mill that they
beat Wales by at Wembley Stadium back in nineteen ninety eight.
But this is a France side with plenty of injuries, Okay,
I mean that's but I mean I like them and
I think that if they pick Matthias Jaliber, who is

(13:16):
an outstanding fly half, if we work on the basis
that Raman and Enter Mac is the best ten in
the Northern Hemisphere, then Matthias Jaliber, for my money, is
the second best. That's how good he is. I mean,
I I think France were I give them six out

(13:36):
of ten for Friday Night's performance. I think there's a
lot more to come from them, all.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
Right, and just a quick word on Scotland, we shall
mention them. They normally finish fourth. You reckon, I'll finish
fourth again.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
You're being more unkind than me. I think that being
without their captain on two plotu who I mean, he's
a man who's you know, got at least one foot
in the Southern Hemisphere, who really has been a revelation
and I think could be going on the Lions tour
and will be a Lion starter at twelve against the

(14:11):
Wallabies in July, so they are without him. He's a
huge loss. Finn Russell though, with the exception the two Frenchmen,
he's certainly at least the next best fly half in
in European rugby. Big game for them against Ireland this weekend,

(14:32):
I think. I think this weekend is of the three fixtures,
the biggest weekend coming up in this six Nations, no
doubt about that. And I give Scotland a bit of
a chance. I mean, they again had quite a few
flat spots today against Italy, cut the tries up very quickly,
then Italy came back into it, but bear in mind

(14:54):
I think Italy are a much improved side. So I
mean I would give Scotland a chance against the Irish weekend,
no doubt this weekend, no doubt about that, playing at Murrayfield,
and who knows so many if they were to win,
they then England, I think there's every chance will be
going into that having lost their first two. I mean,

(15:15):
who knows, could this still be Scotland's year? It is
as much as I think it's ever or not perhaps
as much as it's ever been, but certainly in recent seasons.
You can now I think still make a case for
three teams to win to win this championship, and they
are inevitably the ones who won this weekend.

Speaker 2 (15:36):
Always love chatting rugby with you, Martin. Thanks so much
for lenning us your time and you're insight. Thank you
Martin Gillingham. There apologies for the slight degeneration of signal
between here and the UK. I think you got most
of that though. So wins over weekend one of the
six nations for France over Wales, Scotland over Italy and
Ireland over England.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks It'd be weekends from midday, or follow
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