After back-to-back victories over France and Scotland, England has now won two out of three matches in this year’s Six Nations Championship, setting the stage for an exciting finish to the competition.

Here’s what stood out to me from round three…

Time for Marcus Smith to Play in His Best Position

With George Furbank sidelined due to injury, I’ve been backing the combination of Fin and Marcus Smith as England’s playmakers.

It’s worked well, and England has come out on top in both of their recent games.

But the Calcutta Cup clash highlighted an issue – Marcus Smith is a No. 10 playing out of position at full-back.

While he’s doing an okay job there, it’s not his natural role.

At 26, Marcus is in his prime, and it’s becoming clear that he needs to be playing in the position that suits him best – fly-half.

If Furbank is fit for the Italy and Wales matches, coach Steve Borthwick will face a tough decision about whether to pick Fin or Marcus as the No. 1 playmaker.

For me, Fin has grabbed his opportunity and shown he can handle pressure. That might mean Marcus has to start on the bench, even though he’s versatile.

Wales Show the Power of Good Coaching

I really enjoyed watching the Wales vs. Ireland match.

Wales, under Warren Gatland, had looked short of ideas and confidence in their first two matches.

But after just four training sessions with interim head coach Matt Sherratt, they were completely transformed.

Wales gave Ireland a real challenge. While they didn’t win, their performance would’ve lifted the spirits of their players ahead of upcoming games against Scotland and England.

I don’t know Sherratt personally, but I have to applaud him.

He proved that a top coach can make a huge difference in a short amount of time. Selection and a fast-paced game are key, and Sherratt nailed both.

Well done to him and to Wales for showing what good coaching can do.

Scotland’s Weakness Exposed by Finn Russell

Scotland is a team full of attacking talent, and they certainly outplayed England with the ball at Twickenham.

I love watching them play – they have exciting moments.

However, they still struggle to combine that with a strong forward performance, which is crucial for consistently winning big matches.

Finn Russell, at No. 10, is undoubtedly a gifted player, but his inconsistency reflects Scotland’s broader issues.

Like the team, he can deliver brilliant moments of attack but also make errors.

For example, the three missed conversions against England didn’t help, even though they weren’t the sole reason for Scotland’s loss.

Had Russell nailed those kicks, the game could’ve unfolded differently.

But they were just another example of the challenges Scotland faces.

Ireland’s Confidence Grows After Narrow Win

Ireland faced a real challenge in Cardiff but came through with a victory, and that will give them plenty of confidence.

With so many young players on the field, they’ll be feeling even more assured ahead of their next crucial match against France.

This game will determine if they can complete a Grand Slam, and they’ll be confident about their chances.

Simon Easterby must have been relieved after leaving Principality Stadium, knowing his team is the best in the tournament.

Now, they need to prove it by clinching a clean sweep.

France Left to Regret Twickenham Defeat

France put on an impressive performance against Italy, dismantling them with ease in Rome.

The Azzurri weren’t at their best and were too easily breached in defence.

But France’s attacking strength was simply too much for them, with Antoine Dupont pulling the strings as usual.

I also have to mention young full-back Leo Barre, who looks like a real talent.

Watching France at the Stadio Olimpico made me think about how wasteful they were in their earlier loss to England. That was a game they should have won.

Had they done so, their upcoming clash with Ireland would have been a Grand Slam decider, adding even more weight to the fixture.

That defeat at Twickenham will likely haunt France for a long time.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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