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 veterans Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray have confirmed they will all retire from international rugby after this year’s Six Nations. While O’Mahony and Healy, Ireland’s most capped player, will step away from club and country at the end of the club season, Murray will head overseas in the summer. All three players have won over 100 caps for Ireland and won five Six Nations titles including two Grand Slams.
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France scored 11 tries to thrash Italy in a high-scoring contest to set up a potential Six Nations decider with Grand Slam-chasing Ireland. The game, with 14 tries, broke the previous championship record of 12 tries in a match, and it was also France’s highest score in the Six Nations. In a thrilling 52-point first half, Italy opened the scoring through Tommaso Menoncello, but France scored three answered tries to regain control.
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England edged towards the business end of the Six Nations in contention for the title as Finn Russell missed a 79th-minute conversion and Scotland’s Calcutta Cup winning streak ended at Allianz Stadium. Tries from Ben White and Huw Jones gave the dominant visitors a three-point half-time lead, but England hung in the fight and got the better of the breakdown after the break. A late Duhan van der Merwe try gave Russell the opportunity to win the game but the Scottish captain fluffed his lines.
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Ireland clinched their 14th Triple Crown and remain on course for a record third successive Six Nations title after beating a resurgent Wales in a thrilling game in Cardiff. The visitors shrugged off a 20 minute red card and recovered from an 18-10 deficit, scoring tries through Jack Conan and Jamie Osborne, with fly-half Sam Prendergast kicking 17 points.
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