Today's rugby news as Wales face injury crisis amid major fears over star
Here are your rugby headlines for Sunday, February 2.
Wales face crisis after Wainwright injury
Wales are facing an injury crisis at No. 8, with Aaron Wainwright suspected to have fractured his cheekbone.
The Dragons back-row had a scan on Saturday after being forced off early in Friday's 43-0 defeat. Wainwright had left the field in Paris with blood pouring from his face and there are fears he has suffered a fracture.
READ MORE: France v Wales winners and losers as Adam Jones makes difference but Gatland on the brink
READ MORE: Tonight's rugby news as Warburton expects Gatland to fly in shock omission and Scotland beat Italy
If that is the case, he would miss the rest of the Six Nations.
The news comes as a blow with Taulupe Faletau having already missed the opening match with a knee problem.
The 34-year-old, who hasn't played Test rugby since October 2023, did not take part in the warm-up in Paris, unlike other members of the squad not involved in the matchday 23.
Wales are hopeful Faletau will be fit for the must-win clash with Italy, but understandably there are doubts.
Were both unavailable, James Botham - having filled in at No. 8 against France - seems the likely option to start there against Italy.
Warburton accuses Ntamack of 'revenge' mission on Thomas
Ex-Wales captain Sam Warburton believes Romain Ntamack was on a "revenge mission" when he committed the high tackle that led to his red card against Wales in the Six Nations opener.
During the match Ntamack was given a 20-minute red card for hitting Ben Thomas in the head with his shoulder, a decision that Warburton thinks was correct.
Warburton points to an earlier incident where Thomas made a strong, legal tackle on Ntamack, followed by a scuffle on the ground, suggesting that Ntamack took this as a personal slight and subsequently sought revenge.
"Romain Ntamack got a red card. Now this, I think, is the absolute correct decision," Warburton said. "He is bolt upright, there’s force and it’s to the head, a senior coach will be completely annoyed by this."
Warburton also thinks Ntamack showed a "complete lack of composure" and that this incident could be a significant setback for France's Six Nations campaign.
"The precursor to that was this shot from Ben Thomas. I think it is actually a great shot but it’s the bit of afters on the floor that Ben Thomas does, which you always do in international rugby," he added. "I think Romain Ntamack has taken it way too personally for what Ben Thomas did and then this looks like a revenge mission to me."
Ireland begin title defence with win over England
By Ed Elliot, PA, Dublin
Ireland increased pressure on England boss Steve Borthwick by launching their quest for an unprecedented third consecutive Guinness Six Nations title with a 27-22 bonus-point win in Dublin.
Tries from Jamison Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan helped the back-to-back champions come from behind in their first match under interim head coach Simon Easterby.
Borthwick's gamble to go with a fleet-footed back row was on course to pay off at the Aviva Stadium when his side led 10-5 at the end of a first half in which Marcus Smith was sin-binned.
But England were unable to substantially build on Cadan Murley's debut score and a penalty and conversion from Smith as their championship opener ended in defeat ahead of next weekend's tricky clash at home to France.
Fly-half rivals Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley kicked three and four points respectively for the hosts in front of onlooking regular head coach Andy Farrell before late tries from Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman made the final score more respectable from an English perspective.
England lost seven of 12 Tests during a disappointing 2024, albeit they ultimately denied Ireland successive championship Grand Slams courtesy of a last-gasp 23-22 Twickenham win in March.
Head coach Borthwick sprung a selection surprise on the back of an unsuccessful autumn by naming twin brothers Tom and Ben Curry either side of Ben Earl in a mobile back row, while lock Maro Itoje began his captaincy after taking over from Jamie George.
The visitors struck first amid a chaotic opening in which Ireland temporarily lost wing Mack Hansen to injury.
A fine break from Ollie Lawrence culminated in Henry Slade's perfectly weighted grubber kick releasing Test newcomer Murley to cross in the left corner, with Smith nailing the tricky conversion.
Ireland thought they had hit back in the 16th minute but Ronan Kelleher's score, following sustained pressure, was disallowed due to Beirne holding on to Itoje at the ruck.
England's line speed was causing plenty of problems, while their dogged defence frustrated a stuttering home side guilty of poor passing and frequent fumbles.
Visiting fly-half Smith was yellow carded for a cynical infringement in the 25th minute and, just before he returned, the high-tempo hosts finally broke through.
James Lowe wriggled clear of Alex Mitchell on the left wing and then teed up Gibson-Park to sidestep Freddie Steward and dive over.
Prendergast, who was preferred to Crowley from the start, squandered the straightforward conversion before a Smith penalty put
England five points ahead at the end of a breathless opening period. With Farrell watching from the stands in preparation for the British and Irish Lions' summer tour of Australia, Ireland needed to turn territory into something more meaningful on the scoreboard.
The title holders eventually led for the first time in the 56th minute. Aki bulldozed his way past Smith and then rolled Mitchell and Freeman to squeeze over on the left before Prendergast atoned for another failed conversion by landing a long-range penalty four minutes later.
Cheers from the capacity crowd greeted Farrell's appearance on the big screens and they grew significantly louder as Ireland secured some breathing space.
Lowe was again the creator, bursting on to a Gibson-Park pass to tee up Beirne for an unchallenged charge for the try line, with replacement 10 Crowley adding the extras.
Victory - and the bonus point - was wrapped up eight minutes from time. Replacement hooker Sheehan marked his first international appearance since suffering a serious knee injury during last summer's tour of South Africa by stretching for the line to cap a superb team move following another Lowe offload.
There was still time for Tom Curry to mark a historic day for his family by claiming a consolation score, prior to Freeman crossing and Smith converting at the death. Yet, despite some early promise, underdogs England were second best against the pre-tournament favourites.
Wales star out of Six Nations
Wales Women's prop Sisilia Tuipulotu is set to miss the rest of the season, including the Women's Six Nations and the remaining matches of the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) campaign, due to a hamstring surgery.
The 21-year-old tight-head shared a hospital photo on social media, announcing that her season "has come to an early end".
She vowed to return stronger, saying: "I'll be back better than before, for my family, friends and most importantly my team-mates."
During her last game, a 70-minute stint in Gloucester-Hartpury's 33-31 victory over Trailfinders on January 18, Tuipulotu's thigh was heavily bandaged. The current PWR champions have since secured their spot in the play-offs, aiming for a third consecutive title.
This injury comes as a double setback for Gloucester-Hartpury manager Sean Lynn, who is set to take on the role of Wales head coach ahead of the Six Nations. Wales will begin their campaign against Scotland in Edinburgh on Saturday, March 22.
Townsend: Overcoming Italy Test will stand us in good stead
By Anthony Brown, PA, Edinburgh
Gregor Townsend praised Huw Jones-inspired Scotland for holding their nerve to fend off an Italian fightback as they got their Six Nations campaign off to a victorious start for the fifth year in succession.
The Scots led 14-0 after 10 minutes and were 19-6 up at the interval after tries from co-captain Rory Darge, Jones and Ben White, only to be pegged back to 19-19 early in the second half following some impressive goal-kicking from Tommaso Allan and a Juan Ignacio Brex breakaway try after a loose pass from Finn Russell.
But two further scores from centre Jones, completing his first hat-trick for Scotland, took the game away from the Azzurri in the closing quarter as Townsend's side ran out bonus-point 31-19 winners.
"Well, it's positive that we started with a win, that we managed to score five tries, so you get maximum points," said the Scotland head coach. "And to go through that test when we were leading for most of the game and then go 19-19 and come through it, that's going to prepare us really well for the tests that are going to come.
"There's going to be times where opposition get momentum, opposition get scores, like today, and it didn't affect the players' belief in what they needed to do to get the win."
Townsend felt his side should have been further ahead at half-time and downplayed any suggestion they lost their way as he pointed out that most of Italy's points came from long-distance penalties and an uncharacteristic error from talisman Russell.
"I don't think it was a drop-off," he said. "Teams are going to get moments where they're in control or certainly scoring points and they're a good team, Italy, and it was a runaway try so it wasn't as if they had a lot of pressure on our line.
"But they did have pressure on our line in the last 10 minutes and I was really pleased with how the team defended and made sure Italy didn't score any more points."
Scotland host Ireland next Sunday and Townsend admitted his side will need to step their performance level up a notch if they are to maintain their winning start to the championship.
"We know the tests that are coming but that was a really good test today," he said. "Italy will be a serious opposition for every team in the championship, they were for us today, very physical, but I believe we'll have to be better than we were today to win (against Ireland)."
Townsend praised hat-trick hero Jones for his ability to get into scoring positions. "It's three tries today, but I reckon Huw's probably missed out on another five or six tries over the last few games because he's just not had the ball," he said.
"He offers himself on brilliant lines that sometimes fixes defences and other people get the space. He supports really well and today the ball found him, and it was through his work off the ball."
