England - Scotland.
Probably close at half time - 3 points in it either way. England run away with the second half.
Not bad.
Based on the first weekend's games, and the abject capitulation of France, even the most red-blooded Welshman would have to admit England look by far the strongest team this year. Not counting any chickens yet, though...
Scotland will get gubbed.
I like the way that the commentary team are too polite to say this. All the pundits were saying it would be a close game.
That really annoyed me. Scotland were admittedly much better than I was expecting but the result was as much of a foregone conclusion as you'll ever get in the Six Nations.* But we've got to go to Dublin next and I suspect that is going to be a rather closer contest... Wouldn't like to predict the outcome of that, but it could prove crucial in the final reckoning.
And I regret suggesting before this weekend that O'Driscoll was over the hill. Those words could come back to haunt me. He still has that uncanny ability to unlock any defence with a moment of genius. Rory Best was another of the weekend's big stars for me. Awesome. Lucky for Ireland the game was already won by the time he was sin-binned.
d.
*much like Italy vs France...