2018 Rugby 6 nations Championship round 3 results

NatWest 6 Nations: Scotland 25-13 England, Ireland 37-27 Wales, France 34-17 Italy

In Rugby Six Nations round three, England lost to Scotland 25-13; Ireland defeated Wales 37-27, and France won 34-17 over Italy. Round Four of the 2018 Six Nations Championship kicks off on Saturday, March 10th with Ireland v Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The action then moves to Paris, where France and England will meet for 'Le Crunch' at Stade de France. On Sunday, Wales will take on Italy at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Great seats and Six Nations Rugby tickets for all upcoming fixtures for Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, France, and Italy are still available securely online from LiveRugbyTickets.co.uk!

Six Nations Round Three Results

Scotland 22-13 England
Ireland 37-27 Wales
France 34-17 Italy

As of February 28th, Ireland are well ahead in first place after round three with 14 points in the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations Championship followed by England and Scotland.

1st Ireland, Won 3, Draw 0, Lost 0, Points 14
2nd England, Won 2, Draw 0, Lost 1, Points 9
3rd Scotland, Won 2, Draw 0, Lost 1, Points 8
4th Wales, Won 1, Draw 0, Lost 2, Points 6
5th France, Won 1, Draw 0, Lost 2, Points 6
6th Italy, Won 0, Draw 3, Lost 0, Points 0

Scotland 25-13 England in Calcutta Cup upset

Scotland
Tries: Jones (14, 37); Maitland (30)
Conversions: Laidlaw (15, 38)
Penalties: Laidlaw (2); Russell (67)

England
Tries: Farrell (44)
Conversions: Farrell (43)
Penalties: Farrell (14, 17)

Fans thoroughly enjoyed the captivating 138th installment of rugby's oldest international fixture, and from the start it was Scotland who produced most of the fireworks in the 2018 edition of the Calcutta Cup. Arch-rivals Scotland and England clashed head-to-head in a third round Rugby 6 Nations match at Murrayfield Stadium. After a hard-fought battle in the first 40 minutes, the Scots went into the interval with a 22-6 lead, courtesy of two tries from Huw Jones and one from Sean Maitland. Russell kicked a penalty with 13 minutes left to seal a 25-13 victory.

Scotland won their second match in a row of the 2018 NatWest Six Nations with an exciting victory against arch-rivals England in round three, as England fell to their first defeat, losing to the Scots at Murrayfield. The Grand Slam dream is over for England who suffered their biggest upset of Eddie Jones' regime as Scotland lifted the Calcutta Cup for the first time in a decade. Match hero Huw Jones scored a brace of tries in a historic win for Scotland over England. "Just another game", said England before the clash with Scotland. "We're ready for whatever they throw at us."

After Scotland's massive win, Scottish fans sang the Flower of Scotland so loudly that England coach Eddie Jones could barely hear questions from the media or hear himself speak. Drowned out by the revelry at Murrayfield, the England coach muttered a few words as England's Grand Slam hopes went up in a puff of smoke and he came to grips with the worst defeat of his tenure as England boss. "They were too good for us," said Jones. "I'm sure they'll have a great night.' Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson talked about the Scotts's surprise Six Nations victory. "Every player in that Scotland side will be remembered forever - it was that kind of game. But to have a moment that defines the game - like Huw Jones' second try - is incredible. This game will be remembered for an individual try of world-class stature. His all-around game was outstanding and England had no answer to him. Scotland have the talent, the strategy, and the execution. They played magnificently and this has to be the beginning of something. It's been a brilliant week for Gregor Townsend. He has got it spot on this week."

England were hammered at the breakdown and picked apart by Finn Russell, who set up team-mate Huw Jones for two first-half tries. What England were not prepared for was Scotland's tremendous performance as the Scottish side registered their first victory over champions England in a decade to reignite their Six Nations trophy hopes. The Scots had waited 14 years to score a Calcutta Cup try at Murrayfield. In all three tries were scored by the Scotts as Eddie Jones' England side were run ragged in an inspired Test. Scotland produced a fantastic first-half display at Murrayfield as they cruised to a 25-13 win to lift Calcutta Cup high. Huw Jones scored twice in the first 40 minutes. Sean Maitland scored Scotland's second try before Jones went over again to see Scotland take advantage. Owen Farrell gave England hope with an early second-half try before being denied his second after review.

Huw Jones surprised the England defense with his power at outside centre rewarded by two of the touchdowns. A 22-6 lead had been earned by half-time, leaving Jones' pre-tournament questioning of Scotland's lateral offense and ability to deal with expectation looking a bit off in judgment. Instead, the Scottish "darlings of European rugby", as Jones described them, were surprisingly fit as the Scotts combined their eager attacks with strong resolve. Scotland dominated England throughout. Owen Farrell crossed early in the second half but it was a lone shot as Dylan Hartley marked the occasion of becoming his nation's second most capped player behind Jason Leonard with a painful loss. Breaks from Tommy Seymour and Stuart Hogg had fans at Murrayfield on their feet cheering and the hustling Scots were winning the majority of the collisions. England worked deep into home territory and were rewarded by two Farrell penalties. However, in the 16th minute Jones hacked on Finn Russell's grubber and pounced when Jonathan Joseph failed to gather the ball.

Just after the half-hour mark, the Scotts hustled a second try. Starting from inside their 22, they first tested the left wing before a long pass from Russell sent play to the opposite touchline to Jones who was clear. Good handling directed the ball back to the side where the attack began, Sean Maitland dived into the corner while carrying Anthony Watson. England's attempts to make inroads were stopped by Nigel Owens' whistle. A collapse in defense 3 minutes before half-time saw Jones run on to Greig Laidlaw's pass and maraud through the midfield to touch down as Mike Brown and Watson made desperate late tackles. England trailed 22-6 at half-time as Finn Russell orchestrated a blistering series of tries that saw Huw Jones cross twice before Sean Maitland finished a dazzling third that swept from touchline to touchline before concluding in the left corner. England replied quickly after the interval when Farrell was able to run through a large hole and they thought they had scored on two further occasions only to be pulled back by Owens. Scotland went back on the offensive when Sam Underhill was sin-binned for a no-arms tackle, allowing Russell to land a penalty that opened a 12-point lead with 14 minutes remaining in the match. That advantage remained intact at the final whistle.

"There is a lot of disappointment around. We thought we were ready and had plenty of time to prepare for what is always a very emotion-packed and passionate game for both sides," lock Joe Launchbury said. "We got behind and it was hard to reverse the momentum. Things seem to start going against you when you try so hard to catch up. We came into the tournament aiming to win as many games as we can. We lost but this is a journey and we have a lot of growth left in us. It's a huge loss but we have to look at what went wrong and put things right. It's about how you react to these losses and learn from them." Huw Jones fitness and display was head and shoulders above the rest as his Scotland side inflicted a historic defeat of their bitter rivals England. Jones put in one of the finest Calcutta Cup performances ever from a Scot. Finn Russell rose to the Murrayfield occasion with imagination and flair. England's line-out presence in Maro Itoje was a positive. Mike Brown unfortunately was on the receiving end time and again of Scottish hits.

Eddie Jones' England needed a strong result after Ireland kept up their winning fight for the Six Nations Grand Slam with a convincing win over Wales, but failed to meet the challenge of a surprisingly fit and dominant Scottish side. Chris Robshaw has warned Scotland that any dirty tricks campaign at Murrayfield on Saturday would only succeed in making England stronger as Eddie Jones' men continued their pursuit of a hat-trick of NatWest Six Nations titles in Edinburgh. Robshaw who is well versed in the potential for gamesmanship, made his first appearance as captain under Stuart Lancaster at the Scottish stronghold in 2012 and Saturday was his fourth visit there. Obstructive bagpipers, attempts to interfere with the warm-up, and the disconnecting of hot water to the visiting changing room have been used to unsettle England in the past, but the reigning champions thought they ready.

"We have experienced things, whether its going to Murrayfield a few years ago or Cardiff in 2015," Robshaw said. "They're tricks and sideshows used to try and put you off, things like turning the lights off. At Murrayfield once, our coach had to enter the ground at a certain time. We weren't allowed to deviate from that time. Happily enough, as soon as we pulled in 50 bagpipers came out - pretty much crawled out in front of us. It delayed us a bit, but again we'd spoken about it. You play these mind games. It's a bit of fun. You stay together as a group and after the game you have a smile about it, but at the time it brings you closer. We've been through it before, so we're ready for it. You're prepared. What if the bus is late, what if you're having a kip when you get there, what if your boots break? If these things do arise you're ready mentally and in a good place to deal with it straight away. The anthem is always very passionate and there's the tension in the ground when we meet Princess Anne. As soon as the first whistle goes it will probably erupt as well. It's just getting used to that. Once we get there it's about not being shocked."

England's Robshaw and Owen Farrell, who made his debut there six years ago, have memories of past clashes at Murrayfield. "We watched some clips of 2012 a while ago and we watched some more of when we went there two years ago. There were a lot of younger and fresher faces then," Robshaw said. "The clips were a nice reminder. They're always close games in Edinburgh, nip and tuck matches. There's always a bit of niggle here and there and there's always rivalry between every country you play. There are areas of strength and areas of weakness in certain teams, but they're always pretty competitive. In every aspect of the game you can't give up and inch. If you do you'll expose yourself and expose your team. I'm sure they'll lift their game and we need to lift ours.

2018 Calcutta Cup Squads

Scotland
Hogg, Seymour (Kinghorn 64), Jones, Horne (Griggs 71), Maitland, Russell, Laidlaw (Price 63); Reid (Bhatti 56), McInally, Berghan (WP Nel 68), Gilchrist (Swinson 56), Gray, Barclay, Watson, Wilson (Denton 68)
Replacements not used: Lawson

England
Brown (Nowell 56), Watson, Joseph, Farrell, May, Ford (Te'o 64), Care (Wigglesworth 71); Vunipola (Marler 68), Hartley (George 56), Cole (Williams 64), Launchbury (Kruis 71), Itoje, Lawes, Robshaw, Hughes (Underhill 55)
Replacements: Jamie George (for Hartley, 55), Joe Marler (for Vunipola, 68), Harry Williams (for Cole, 64), George Kruis (for Launchbury, 71), Sam Underhill (for Hughes, 54), Richard Wigglesworth (for Care, 71), Ben Te'o (for Ford, 64), Jack Nowell (for Brown, 55).
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)

Calcutta Cup rematch scuffle update

As the teams returned to their locker rooms after the pre-match warm-up, England back Owen Farrell and Scotland forward Ryan Wilson appeared to clash at the entrance to the tunnel.Team-mates intervened as peacemakers. England and Scotland had to explain the tunnel fracas involving Owen Farrell at Murrayfield on Saturday following a request for clarification by Six Nations Rugby. The Rugby Football Union and its Scottish counterparts were asked to provide their accounts of the scuffle that took place shortly before Eddie Jones' men were defeated 25-13 in the pulsating Calcutta Cup match. Farrell, England's inside centre, and Scotland number eight Ryan Wilson ended when they were pulled apart by team-mates. "Six Nations Rugby will be writing to the unions to request clarification on what happened in the tunnel," a Six Nations spokesperson said.

England coach Jones repeatedly denied knowledge of what had taken place, as did every player from both teams when asked for their version of events. "I've been coaching a game. I've been pretty busy. Are you aware of it? You can show it to me after the press conference, then we can have a chat about it," Jones said at the post-match press conference. "In all seriousness, I don't know about it. If there was, we shouldn't let that detract from a great Scotland victory. Don't get distracted by other things. Have you got an iPhone 10? The vision's better on an iPhone 10." When asked about the scuffle and whether it was evidence that England had lost their heads, Jones replied: "Look I don't know, I don't think so. These things happen." However, Scotland and England will not have to face disciplinary action after their players clashed in the tunnel before Saturday's Six Nations match at Murrayfield after Six Nations organizers gathered evidence from both teams, the BBC and match officials. They said there was "no evidence of violent conduct".

"There was some evidence of pushing and shoving in the tunnel at the relevant time, but no clear evidence of violent conduct or similar against any individual player." The Six Nations said it will write to the Scottish Rugby Union and the Rugby Football Union to remind them of their responsibilities. England head coach Eddie Jones told BBC Sport: "We know these things are driven by the media so if the media makes a song and dance about it the Six Nations will look at it. "They've decided it's not an issue," said Jones. "We never felt it was, so we're pleased."

Scotland potential Six Nations champs

Scotland earned the possibility to challenge for the Six Nations title if they maintain the standards the Scotts set in a victory over England. Coach Gregor Townsend's Scotland side scored three first-half tries in a 25-13 victory at Murrayfield and currently sit third on the table. Next up for Scotland in round four is a trip to unbeaten Rugby 6 Nations leaders Ireland on 10 March and their campaign concludes in Italy. "It's definitely a tough last couple of games but, if we keep that going, we've got a chance," said man-of-the-match Finn Russell. Fly-half Russell had been criticized for below-par performances in Scotland's opening loss to Wales and their win over France. Russell orchestrated Scotland's attack and kicked a crucial second-half penalty against England, Russell's performance displayed both poise and cunning as the Scotts registered their biggest Six Nations win against England - their first since 2008. "It's unreal for us," Russell continued. "We had a game plan and we executed it really well. It's been a tough couple of weeks but I've still enjoyed all the games, especially this one."

Scotland captain John Barclay also raised his game significantly as Scotland made it 9 wins from their last 10 outings at home. "We were fuelled by the disappointment against Wales," said Scotland captain Barclay. "But, as we said afterward, we didn't become a bad team overnight. Getting the win over France was important and this blows the confidence up again." On Russell's great performance, Barclay added: "I predicted he'd be man-of-the-match, that's the nature of the guy. He plays on the line and he was outstanding today." Former Scotland captain Gavin Hastings was proud of the Scotts performance and praised them as well. "That was as good a victory Scotland have had probably since 1986 and it was thoroughly deserved. They had a game plan and executed it as close to perfection as Scotland are capable of doing."

Gregor Townsend, who won only 1 time in 10 attempts as a Scottish rugby player against England, enjoyed his first Calcutta Cup fixture as head coach. "It's a great feeling," said new Scotland coach Gregor Townsend. "We knew how important this week was going to be, what it meant to our supporters and the players played with real pride. There was also real intensity, and great accuracy, especially in the first half. We forced mistakes. We discussed opportunities we felt we could create and it was pleasing the way we took them." Looking ahead to playing their next match against Ireland in Dublin, where Scotland last won in 2010, Townsend added: "Ireland; they're pretty good. We need to improve away from home. We've done well here at Murrayfield but the job now is to put in a good performance away from home." Former Scotland scrum-half Andy Nicol chatted with the media about the win. "Everyone comes to Murrayfield expecting a win now, and that's not happened for a very long time. And I think the crowd really helped with the defensive effort in the second half. Gregor Townsend came in and everyone doubted him at first. But he's moved on from this win already, and they will analyze it and grow from it. He never gets too high or too low, he'll just look at everything and try and put things right in their away form."

Six Nations 2018 Tickets, Fixtures List, Results

ROUND 1
Wales 34-7 Scotland
Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 74,169

France 13-15 Ireland
Stade de France, Paris
Attendance: 74,878

Italy 15-46 England
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance: 61,464

ROUND 2
Ireland 56-19 Italy
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Attendance: 51,700

England 12-6 Wales
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 82,000

Scotland 32-26 France
BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Attendance: 67,144

ROUND 3
France 34-17 Italy
Orange Vélodrome, Marseille
Attendance: 50,000

Ireland 37-27 Wales
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Attendance: 51,700

Scotland 25-13 England
BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Attendance: 67,144

ROUND 4
Saturday 10th March 2018
Ireland v Scotland
Aviva Stadium, Dublin

France v England
Stade de France, Paris

Sunday 11th March 2018
Wales v Italy
Principality Stadium, Cardiff

ROUND 5
Saturday 17th March 2018
Italy v Scotland
Stadio Olimpico, Rome

England v Ireland
Twickenham Stadium, London
Wales v France
Principality Stadium, Cardiff

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