The British and Irish Lions beat the Wallabies 27-19 in the opening Test at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Leading 24-5 early in the second half and looking like they might threaten to record one of the biggest victories in their history, the Lions fell away in the last half-hour. A Finn Russell penalty and tries for Sione Tuipulotu and Tom Curry put them ahead by 12 points at the break.
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Ireland held off a spirited Italy to secure a bonus-point win in Rome and keep alive their faint hopes of winning a third consecutive Six Nations. Hugo Keenan’s first-half score and Dan Sheehan’s hat-trick ensured a win that took Ireland to 19 points in the table, three clear of France and four ahead of England. Italy scored tries through Monty Ioane and Stephen Varney, but ultimately paid the price for ill discipline.
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Rampant France took control of the Six Nations title race as they scored 34 unanswered points to thrash Ireland in Dublin and end the home side’s Grand Slam hopes. Despite losing captain Antoine Dupont to a suspected “serious” knee injury after 30 minutes, France scored three second-half tries to move two points clear of Ireland at the top and avenge last year’s defeat in Marseille.
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Ireland scored three tries in a dominant second-half display as they launched their bid for an unprecedented third successive Six Nations title with a bonus-point victory over England in Dublin. With the hosts struggling out of the blocks, an early score from England debutant Cadan Murley helped the visitors lead deservedly at the break. However Ireland turned on the style in the second half to make amends to get their campaign off to a winning start.
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For the second year in a row Ireland have been crowned Guinness Six Nations champions on home soil, and for the second year in a row they survived a few scares along the way to seal it. Andy Farrell’s side completed back-to-back championships with a 17-13 defeat of Scotland on the final day of the campaign, overpowering the visitors in the final quarter after what had been an error-strewn first hour.
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