Men’s preview – 6-7 February, 2021 jon Men’s preview – 6-7 February, 2021 MEN’S INTERNATIONALS – 6-7 FEBRUARY, 2021 SIX NATIONS 2021 ITALY v FRANCE – STADIO OLIMPICO, ROME – KO 15:15 (14:15 GMT) Head to head Played: 44* – France leads 41-3 Points for: France 1,341 / Italy 508 (avg. score: France 30-11 Italy) Highest score: Italy 40 (40-32 on 22 March, 1997) / France 60 (60-13 on 26 March, 1967) Biggest winning margin: Italy 8 (40-32 on 22 March, 1997) / France 47 (60-13 on 26 March, 1967) * Only capped matches for both teams First met: 22 April, 1935 – France 44-6 Italy – Rome (non-cap match for France) Last met: 28 November, 2020 – France 36-5 Italy – Stade de France Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU) Test debut: 14 March, 2015 – Portugal 8-19 Spain Tests: 19 • The two sides were drawn in Pool A for Rugby World Cup 2023 last December • France have won their last 10 meetings with Italy, dating back to a 23-18 loss in February 2013 • The smallest margin in these 10 meetings was two points in 2016 (23-21), the largest 31 points (36-5) in 2020 • France have won 24 of their last 26 meetings with Italy, losing in 2011 and 2013 in Rome • France won seven of nine tests played in 2020, losing to Scotland in the Six Nations and England after extra-time in the Autumn Nations Cup final • Italy lost all eight tests played in 2020 under new coach Franco Smith • Italy have lost their last 27 Six Nations matches, dating back to a 22-19 defeat of Scotland at Murrayfield on 28 February, 2015 • Italy’s last Six Nations win on home soil was 22-15 against Ireland on 16 March, 2013 • Since 2004, Italy have only won once on the opening Six Nations weekend, 23-18 over France in 2013 • Italy become the only side not to score in a Six Nations match on the opening weekend in 2020 with a 42-0 loss to Wales • France need six penalties to bring up 100 against Italy in test matches • Antoine Dupont became the first Frenchman to be named Six Nations Player of the Championship in 2020 • France had the top point (Romain Ntamack, 57) and try (Charles Ollivon, 4) scorers in the 2020 Six Nations • France have not won the Six Nations since 2010 – their last Grand Slam • France’s record for most tries in a match against Italy is 11 (60-13 win in Toulon, March 1967) • That match is also France’s highest tally and biggest winning margin (47) against Italy • Italy’s best is four tries against France in 1997, 2000 and 2003 but only one was a victory – 40-32 in Grenoble in March 1997 • That victory is Italy’s highest tally against France and their biggest winning margin (8) • Italy kicked two drop goals in their last victory v France, 23-18 in Rome on 3 February, 2013 • Three players from France’s last outing in December will start against Italy – Matthieu Jalibert, Brice Dulin and Gabin Villière • Italy hand Juan Ignacio Brex, a former Argentina U20 player, his debut at centre – the 11th new player capped since Smith took charge 1 Men’s preview – 6-7 February, 2021 ENGLAND v SCOTLAND – TWICKENHAM STADIUM – KO 16:45 GMT Head to head Played: 138 – England leads 76-43 with 19 draws Points for: England 1,687 / Scotland 1,231 (avg. score: England 12-8 Scotland) Highest score: England 61 (61-21 on 11 March, 2017) / Scotland 38 (38-38 on 16 March, 2019) Biggest winning margin: England 40 (43-3 on 3 March, 2001 / 61-21 on 11 March, 2017) / Scotland 27 (33-6 on 15 February, 1986) First met: 27 March, 1871 – Scotland* 0-0 England – Raeburn Place, Edinburgh Last met: 8 February, 2020 – England 13-6 Scotland – Murrayfield, Edinburgh * Scotland won by one goal Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Debut as referee: 10 June, 2017 – Canada 0-13 Georgia Tests: 12 • England are the defending Six Nations champions after taking the title on points difference from France in October 2020 • England became the first team to lose first match and win the title since Wales in 2013 • England have only lost their opening Six Nations fixture on four occasions (2005 and 2008 v Wales, 2014 and 2020 v France) • Scotland by contrast have only won three of their 21 opening matches in the Six Nations, the last a 33-20 defeat of Italy in 2019) • England have the best record for the opening round – an 81 per cent win rate (17/21), Scotland and Italy have the worst at 14 per cent (3/21) • England are on an eight-match winning run since that 24-17 loss to France in February 2020 • The oldest fixture in international rugby, it celebrates its 150th anniversary on 27 March • England need two tries to bring up 250 in tests against Scotland • Scotland’s first try will be their 175th in tests against England • England need 20 points to bring up 7,000 in the history of the Championship • England beat Scotland 15-9 in Eddie Jones’ first match as head coach in 2016 – the last time the Calcutta Cup was at stake in round one • The sides last met at Twickenham on 16 March, 2019 in an incredible 38-38 draw. England led 31-0 after as many minutes, but needed a last-gasp George Ford converted try to salvage a draw • Stuart McInally, Darcy Graham (2), Magnus Bradbury, Finn Russell and Sam Johnson scored Scotland’s six tries in a 38-point unanswered run • Scotland last beat England at Twickenham on 5 March, 1983 by 22-12 – in the 18 matches at the venue since, Scotland have drawn two and lost 16 • England have twice scored seven tries v Scotland – in 2005 (43-22) and March 2017 (61-21) • Scotland have twice scored six tries v England – in 1931 (28-19 win) and 2019 (38-38 draw) • They have twice suffered 40-point defeats v England at Twickenham, in 2001 and 2017 • Owen Farrell needs four points to bring up a century against Scotland. He ranks second for England behind Jonny Wilkinson (114) • Farrell needs six penalties to match Wilkinson’s England record of 23 against Scotland • Farrell is also 31 points away from becoming the second player to score 1,000 test points for England after Jonny Wilkinson (1,179) … with his Lions points he is on exactly 1,000 • Ben Youngs faces Scotland for the 11th time – three shy of Jason Leonard’s England record • Cameron Redpath played for England at U20 level but will make his debut for Scotland • David Cherry could also make his debut off the bench, taking Scotland’s World Rugby U20 Championship graduate tally to 60 • England have named the uncapped Beno Obano on the bench • Richie Gray could make his first appearance for Scotland since 17 March, 2018 v Italy 2 Men’s preview – 6-7 February, 2021 WALES v IRELAND – PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, DUBLIN - KO 15:00 GMT Head to head Played: 131 – Wales leads 69-55 with seven draws Points for: Wales 1,601 / Ireland 1,528 (avg. score: Wales 12-11 Ireland) Highest score: Wales 34 (34-9 on 21 March, 1976) / Ireland 54 (54-10 on 3 February, 2002) Biggest winning margin: Wales 29 (29-0 on 9 March, 1907) / Ireland 44 (54-10 on 3 February, 2002) First met: 28 January, 1882 – Ireland 0-0 Wales* – Lansdowne Road, Dublin Last met: 13 November, 2020 – Ireland 32-9 Wales – Aviva Stadium, Dublin * Wales won by two goals Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) Debut as referee: 24 June, 2006 – Fiji 23-20 Samoa Tests: 93 • Referee Wayne Barnes will equal Nigel Owens’ record of most Six Nations matches refereed (21) • Wales last played at the Principality Stadium on 22 February, 2020, losing 27-23 to France • The stadium was transformed into the Dragon’s Heart field hospital to support the COVID- 19 response in Wales, before decommissioning began in December • Ireland won their last meeting on Welsh soil, 22-17 in a RWC 2019 warm-up match • Ireland’s last Six Nations victory in Wales was a 30-22 success on 2 February, 2013 • Try-scorer Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls all played in that opening day victory in 2013 and start in the 2021 meeting • Wales have six players from that loss in Ken Owens, Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Dan Biggar, George North and try-scorer Leigh Halfpenny • Ireland need three tries to bring up 200 against Wales in test matches • Wales’ first try will be their 230th against Ireland in test rugby • Wales won only one match in the 2020 Six Nations, 42-0 against Italy in round one – this was the first time a team has failed to score on a Six Nations opening weekend • Wales won three of their nine matches in 2020, against Italy (twice) and Georgia • Ireland and Wales drew 16-16 in 2016 – the first time a round one match has ended in a draw in Six Nations history • Ireland’s 54-10 defeat of Wales in 2002 is the biggest win on the opening weekend of the Six Nations • Ireland haven’t won their opening match in successive Six Nations since 2014 and 2015 • Defeat for Wales would be their 200th loss in the history of the Championship • Alun Wyn Jones has made the most Six Nations appearances of any current player with 58 – 11 behind record-holder Sergio Parisse • Johnny Sexton will face Wales for the 16th time – second only to Rory Best (18) • Alun Wyn Jones is also set for his 16th test against Ireland – a Welsh record • Sexton is Ireland’s leading point scorer against Wales with 108, having moved ahead of Ronan O’Gara during their Autumn Nations Cup victory in Dublin • Jordan Larmour and Tadhg Furlong are named on the bench, having both last played for Ireland against England on 23 February, 2020 • Dan Lydiate wears the Welsh jersey for the first time since a 9-6 defeat of Australia on 10 November, 2018 • Lydiate last played in the Six Nations in March 2016, in a 67-14 defeat of Italy • Hooker Ken Owens and scrum-half Tomos Williams also return, having last played for Wales against England on 7 March, 2020 3 Men’s preview – 6-7 February, 2021 RUGBY EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP 2020 Romania v Belgium match has been cancelled after the Belgian government would not permit the team to travel to Romania to play.