Records & Facts: 2022 Six Nations Round One
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The opening round of the 2022 Six Nations saw wins for Ireland, Scotland, and France over Wales, England, and Italy respectively.
We take a look at key facts and records from the opening round.
Here is how the #GuinnessSIxNations table looks after R1️⃣!
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 6, 2022
Where does your team sit? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/VNrblb3b1a
Key Opta Facts:
- Ireland have won their last five home games against Wales in all competitions, their best ever run against Wales on Irish soil; those five victories have come by an average margin of 14.8 points.
- Ireland have won 28 of their last 30 Tests at the Aviva Stadium (L2), including their last seven in a row, winning each of their four games against Wales during that run
- Jonathan Sexton is just the third player to surpass 500 points in the Championship since 2000 (also Ronan O’Gara and Owen Farrell) and the fourth to reach 500 in the Five/Six Nations overall (also Jonny Wilkinson).
- When Scotland last completed back-to-back wins against England, the Scots went on to win the 1984 Five Nations title.
- Scotland have won six of their last seven Tests (L1), with their only defeat in that run coming against world champions South Africa in November.
- England have lost their opening game in each of the last three editions of the Six Nations, as many round one defeats as they had suffered in their first 20 campaigns in the championship.
- Scotland's Hamish Watson made 14 of 14 tackles against England and has now made 163 tackles in a row in this competition, surpassing Lionel Nallet (154) for the longest run of tackles made without a miss in Six Nations history.
- Marcus Smith slotted his first three kicks at goal before failing with a conversion, ending a run of 25 consecutive kicks at goal without missing for England, a run which began on his Test debut against the USA.
- Since the beginning of 2020 there have been just four instances of a team missing six tackles or fewer in a Six Nations match, with Scotland responsible for each of those efforts (5 v England in 2020, 6 v Wales in 2021, 6 v Italy in 2021, 6 v England in 2022).
- Scotland's Darcy Graham beat six defenders, the most of any player and as many as the entire England team combined
- France have won 24 of their 25 home games against Italy in Test rugby, including their last 15 in a row, while they’ve won 21 of their 23 meetings in the Six Nations, including the last nine on the bounce.
- France led 18-10 at half-time in this match, meaning they have not trailed at the break in any of their last 20 home games in Test rugby (ahead 18 times, level twice), while they have led at half-time in each of their last 19 meetings with Italy, last going in behind at the break against the Azzurri in 2006.
- Gabin Villiere scored three tries against Italy, just the second hat-trick by a France player in the Six Nations, with Vincent Clerc the only other player to manage that for Les Bleus back in 2008 against Ireland.
- Gregory Alldritt made 21 carries for France against Italy, just the third time a France player has made more than 20 carries in a Six Nations match, after Maxime Medard in 2019 (22 v Wales) and Alldritt himself against Italy in 2020 (21).
