Did they really win a 2-0 series in New Zealand against the All Blacks last summer? Odds to win the World Cup have lengthened from 5-1 to 8-1. Odds to win the World Cup started at 33-1 but have dropped only to 25-1 which suggests that many still believe the Scottish revival little more than a trick of the light.France's lot has plunged. Scotland's success in disrupting 's gameplan may bring relief to southern hemisphere sides who have been studying 's progress with considerable dismay.Such success was totally unexpected - back in January you could have filled an old people's home with the number of ex-players queueing up to lambast their descendants. We proved in Paris, we are capable of beating any team on the day. I don't think we can win the World Cup, though" Gavin Hastings"After the rain always comes fine weather" Pierre Berb-izier after the Scottish defeat"Emile N'Tamack (above) may become the next David Campese of world rugby"Nick Farr-Jones"We can do nothing about our height and our weight, but we must improve our individual and collective performances in the key areas" Mick Doyle, former Ireland coach"The neutral observer might have been justified in asking for his money back" coach Gerry Murphy after the Wales game"The state of Welsh rugby is depressing, the worst I`ve known in 15 years" Barry John"Some of our strength seems to have deserted us" Robert Norster, Wales team manager"We'll bounce back" NorsterWorld standingOdds to win the World Cup have dropped, in two months, from5-1 to third favourites at 3-1.
They will have to play 20 times better than they did at Twickenham last Saturday" Geoff Cooke"It was a disgrace and made you want to turn around and kick them" Brian Moore on Scotland's gameplan last week"Moore's post-match comments were despicable ... No idea of the best half-back combination.No wit or invention; a pedestrian midfield which failed to feed the apparent strengths on the wings - though there were signs that Ieuan Evans is also below his best; a pack which lacked any real bite; far easier to score against than last season. Overriding impression that consistency in selection policy led to complacency on the field.Comments"If are to make a realistic challenge for the World Cup they will have to get a lot fitter and faster" Gregor Townsend"They are not a great side yet but they are still on course for the World Cup ... Worst of all,attempts to instill discipline appeared to shackle the nation's natural exuberance.A hokey-cokey selection policy whereby youngsters were picked and then dropped. Burke was in, out and then in again; the hugely promising hooker, Keith Wood, was in and out, weakening a front row that had the makings of a very effective weapon.
Were injury to strike Hastings...No apparent gameplan; a number of players lost their form, particularly Laurent Cabannes, so much so that he was dropped by his club; weakness at half-back; considerable unrest in the side over attitudes to paying players. Neil Jenkins, as ever, was masterful with the boot - but was criticised for anything he did with his head or his hands.MinusesKyran Bracken: possibly misjudged in his attempt to reconstruct his pass as his whole game appears to have been affected; still little evidence of the instinctive and unconventional in the threequarter line; total incompetence in all efforts to find a pair of shorts to fit Victor Ubogu.Poor defence against Wales; the nagging suspicion that without Gavin Hastings (left), Scotland would still be back in the world of the wooden spoon. And, of course, Big Gav.Hard to find: a good, tight front five; the ability - still - to score from any part of the pitch; a level of discipline against that did not resemble "15 Eric Cantonas" (Brian Moore's words).Improvements came individually rather than collectively: Tony Foley, Gabriel Fulcher and Jonathan Bell all showed promise Mullin (above) was a welcome return to the backs.Very few Only Robert Jones shone. Davies became the fifth Welshman to be sent off in an international and received a 60-day ban.PlusesMike Catt (left), adding an element in attack that the two previous Grand Slam sides lacked; having Carling back to his sharpest; improved quality of line-out possession; total self-assurance whenever they take the field.The success of A team men at the higher level, particularly David Hilton and Eric Peters; the balance in the back row; the improvement of scrum-half Bryan Redpath; return to form of Craig Chalmers; steady growth in confidence in the midfield; successful transition from rigid rucking game to a more fluid game. A tragic start to the Irish campaign.Dismissal of John Davies, the Welsh tight-head prop (left), in the match against. Pierre Berbizier, the French coach, dropped Merle and threatened to sue Cooke.Losing their captain, Michael Bradley, for the opening match against when he pulled out following the death of his new-born son.
Cronin, now living in France, had explained his comeback thus: "I lost some weight, probably because I now drink the excellent local wines and much less beer."Olivier Merle's headbutt on Ricky Evans which caused the Welshman to fall awkwardly beneath a ruck and suffer a double fracture of the left leg On Rugby Special, Geoff Cooke described Merle as a "hitman". On each occasion, they were subsequently blown away.Low pointIll discipline and lack of awareness by the threequarters in the opener against Ireland: Carling, Bracken and Catt were all hauled down short of the line when there were players alongside them waiting for a pass.The departure of the resurgent Damian Cronin midway through the France game with a shoulder injury which kept him out for the rest of the championship. It came from a pass inside from Phil Danaher to Richard Wallace who hit the ball at pace, shot clear of the covering defence and launched Mullin into space to score.Holding the lead against France for 20 minutes, against Scotland for half an hour and matching for 20 minutes. It wasn't a try from the end of the world, but it should have sealed the game.Brendan Mullin's try against Wales which effectively saved Ireland from the wooden spoon.
"I told them we needed to score under the posts," said Hastings - Gregor Townsend (above) duly gave a back-handed pass to Hastings speeding to his chosen spot.Saint-Andr's second try against Scotland. The French captain fielded a loose cross-kick from Townsend, neatly made room for Sadourny to take on the ball, and then came up on the outside to receive the scoring pass. But if Celtic Swing is not too good to be true, he will be the one to provide the magic.. England Scotland FranceIrelandResultsWon 4 Drawn 0 Lost 0Points for: 98 against: 39Tries (9): T Underwood 3, R Underwood 2, Clarke, Carling, Guscott, UboguTop points scorer: Andrew 5321 Jan Ireland 8 204 Feb 31 France 1018 Feb Wales 9 2318 Mar 24 Scotland 121994 (2nd): W 3 D 0 L 1 F 60 A 49Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 1Points for: 87 against: 71Tries (6): Cronin, G Hastings, Hilton, Joiner, Peters,TownsendTop points scorer: G Hastings 564 Feb Scotland 26 Ireland 1318 Feb France 21 Scotland 234 Mar Scotland 26 Wales 1318 Mar 24 Scotland 121994 (5th): W 0 D 1 L 3 F 38 A 70Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 2Points for: 77 against: 70Tries (10): Saint-Andr (4), N'Tamack (2), Cecillon, Delaigue, Sadourny, ViarsTop points scorer: St-Andr 2021 Jan France 21 Wales 94 Feb 31 France 1018 Feb France 21 Scotland 234 Mar Ireland 7 France 251994 (3rd): W 2 D 0 L 2 F 84 A 69Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 3Points for: 44 against: 83Tries (5): Mullin (2), Bell, Foley, GeogheganTop points scorer: Burke 1721 Jan Ireland 8 204 Feb Scotland 26 Ireland 134 Mar Ireland 7 France 2518 Mar Wales 12 Ireland 161994 (4th): W 1 D 1 L 2 F 49 A 70Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 4Points for: 43 against: 86Tries (1): R JonesTop points scorer: Jenkins 3821 Jan France 21 Wales 918 Feb Wales 9 234 Mar Scotland 26 Wales 1318 Mar Wales 12 Ireland 241994 (1st): W 3 D 0 L 1 F 78 A 51High momentTony Underwood's second try against France: a masterpiece combining backs and forwards starting behind a scrum, the ball moving from Richards to Rodber to Catt who came thundering up the blind side and put Underwood through in the corner.Gavin Hastings's match-winning try against France. Balanchine was the best, and the racing world is willing that she has fully recovered from the life-threatening illness that cut her season short, but she will have to be at her peak to cope with the two in France who emerged from the pack in the autumn, Carnegie (Fabre) and Tikkanen (Jonathan Pease).There are plenty of other names to conjure with - Dacha, Peace Envoy, Allez les Trois, Spectrum, Poliglote, Walk On Mix, Flemensfirth. Owington, already a Group 1 winner for Geoff Wragg's stable, is the obvious successor but there promise to be some speedy three-year-olds coming through the ranks, notably Green Perfume (trained by Paul Cole) and the imposing filly Hoh Magic (Michael Bell), who will both be tried for the Guineas but may prove better over less than a mile.Two high-class three-year-old stayers emerged last year, Barry Hill's surprise St Leger winner Moonax (another to have wintered in Dubai) and Fabre's classy Northern Spur, though the latter may be raced over 12 furlongs first.The middle-distance horses may not have been world- beaters last year but they were competitive and entertaining. Of the staying fillies, the lightly raced Moonshell, taken from Henry Cecil to winter in Dubai, is being groomed to follow in Balanchine's footsteps but the Mark Johnston-trained Jural, beaten only once in four outings, already has the experience and an admirable attitude to her job.With the retirement of Lochsong, the sprint division is wide open.