Van der Merwe shines, British shipwreck… tops and flops

Tops

Van der Merwe Cannon

The Scottish winger produced a stratospheric performance during Scotland's 30-21 win over England on Saturday, the third day of the Six Nations. The statistics speak for themselves: three tries were scored in 25 minutes of play. His yellow card in the 79th minute did not change the outcome of the match and despite his departure, he was applauded by Murrayfield as he left the pitch.

Russell is smart on the feet

Bath fly-half Finn Russell often put on a very handsome face in front of his audience. Untrammeled at foot (9/9, 15 points), he was also the author of a sumptuously decisive pass at foot, giving van der Merwe his third try in the 45th minute.

Read moreSix Nations: Van der Merwe hat-trick Scotland beat England

Failures

Tuipolodu narrowly missed

Sion Tuipolodu put in a performance below his usual level and faced tough competition. Lined up as a 3/4 centre, he looked to be struggling from the start of the match, committing several technical errors and showing himself to be lacking in his actions. His inaccuracy in passing and his difficulty in breaking through the opposition's defensive line affected his team's performance. Cameron Redpath was replaced in the 45th minute.

English is also imprecise

The XV de la Rose fell short of expectations during this match, with too many forwards, passing errors and poor accuracy in executing actions. The intensity of the game meant that players sometimes appeared overwhelmed and committed technical errors, which resulted in the loss of valuable possessions. After taking a 10-0 advantage thanks to Scotland's worst start to the tournament, England suffered a turnaround and almost gave up hope of winning the tournament.