England's Freddie Steward rests during the Six Nations match against Wales at Twickenham on February 10, 2024 (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
- In the second leg of the Six Nations, France defeated Scotland 20-16 at Murrayfield.
- England defeated Wales 16-14 at Twickenham.
- Ireland defeated Italy 36-0 in Dublin.
- For more sports news, news 24 sports cover.
Ireland beat Italy to stay on course for a consecutive Six Nations Grand Slam, France defeated Scotland in a controversial result and England came from behind to beat Wales.
Read | Scotland cry foul, France survive, Galthie saves
Below AFP Sports highlights some of the key talking points from the second round action as this season's tournament takes shape.
Ireland is one step above other countries
Ireland continued to look a class above their European rivals, beating Italy 36-0 in Dublin despite manager Andy Farrell making six changes to his starting XI.
It was the first time Ireland had held an opponent to zero in a Championship match since they beat England 17-0 in the 1987 Five Nations.
Perhaps an even more remarkable statistic from Sunday's match was that Jack Crowley's first Test try was also the fly-half's first try in senior rugby, having played 45 games for Munster.
No team has yet won back-to-back Grand Slams in the Six Nations era, but it is unclear where Ireland, who have won 17 consecutive home games in all competitions, will stall.
England stewards grow by leaps and bounds
England full-back Freddie Steward played solidly under the high ball, as JPR Williams was one of the late players given a minute's applause in Saturday's game against Twickenham. Perhaps it was appropriate to refresh the memory.
Despite this, England were still 14-5 behind at half-time. Crucially, however, it was another great Steward catch that led to George Ford's superb kick for 50-22, with the fly-half converting the penalty and the final score putting England 16-14 ahead.
“Freddie was also incredible in the air,” Ford said. “He deserves a gold medal in a match like that.”
The challenge now for both the Stewards and England is to improve their counter-attacks. This, along with his formidable defense, is a notable feature of Williams' game, a star player of the 1970s.
Patterson gives Scotland hope amid heartbreak
Scotland missed out on a perfect start to the Championship by just centimeters, losing 20-16 to France with questionable refereeing decisions at the death, but Harry Patterson's brilliant Test debut was some consolation.
Back in Edinburgh, the team wasn't even scheduled to start until Kyle Stein was absent from Saturday's game on the morning of the game to attend the birth of his child.
Patterson admitted he had a moment of “panic” when Scotland manager Gregor Townsend told him he would start at full-back, but it was only his seventh start as a professional, showing his lack of experience. It wasn't something.
“This is one of the best debuts I've ever seen,” Townsend said.
“He was great when we played against the French backline on a rainy day at Murrayfield. That kind of play was great and gives us a lot of encouragement about where Harry can go in the next few years. He gave it to me.”
Townsend's side play England at home in two weeks and Patterson faces competition from Stein and the injured Blair Kinghorn, while he currently plays retired Scotland international full-back Stuart Hogg. could become a long-term successor.