5 things we learned from the opening round of Six Nations action

Scotland and Ireland registered victories on the opening day of the Guinness Six Nations as the competition was launched in compelling fashion.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points from the round one games.

Could this be Scotland’s time? Of course, there have been false dawns in the past – not least last year’s Six Nations when they opened with a win at Twickenham and finished on a triumphant note in Paris, only to fluff their lines in between. Toppling England at Murrayfield on Saturday may have set their supporters up for a fall once more, but the ability to dig out victory against opponents who dominated lengthy spells of an engrossing Calcutta Cup clash is evidence of their resilience. The next two rounds, against Wales in Cardiff and France at home, are now key staging posts in the quest to prove their revival is build on solid foundations.

Identified pre-match as the key duel, the battle between Finn Russell and Marcus Smith did not disappoint as each departed Murrayfield with reputations enhanced. Russell’s decision making was impeccable during the critical phase of the match as he hoisted successive crossfield kicks to force England to concede a penalty try. Smith, meanwhile, proved once more he is the genuine article as he excelled on his Six Nations debut and Eddie Jones must surely regret the decision to take him off in the 64th minute so soon after he had run in a mesmerising try.

Smith’s exit from the field was curiously timed, but the reasons for England unravelling from being 17-10 ahead extend far beyond their replacement strategy. From Eddie Jones to his players, the decisive final quarter was a calamity of mismanagement. Luke Cowan-Dickie’s penalty try and the failure to bring on Jamie