Who’s hot and who’s not: Ireland, Scottish defence, Tonga fundraising and Luke Cowan-Dickie

Ireland: Hopes were high following their impressive Autumn Nations Series campaign and they were right to be positive after they dismantled defending champions Wales in the Six Nations opener. The Irish were impressive in pretty much every facet, with the forwards dominating and the backline taking advantage of their excellence up front to ease to a bonus-point triumph. The encounter with France this weekend will tell us more but, on this evidence, that could well be a title decider.

Ireland open their campaign with a fantastic performance! #IREvWAL #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/IMT8KoOzxQ

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 5, 2022

Scottish defence: Gregor Townsend’s men are also in the title race after showing superb resilience to defeat their Auld Enemy at Murrayfield. England were the side in control in the first half and, to be honest, for most of the match, but the Scots’ defence, marshalled by Steve Tandy, was exceptional. They resisted several waves of attack, earning a 10-6 lead, before the hosts remained on the back foot in the early stages of the second period. This time the Scots were breached by Marcus Smith but, unperturbed, they hit back and edged to a 20-17 victory. Make no mistake, they would have lost this match in previous years, which shows how far they have progressed.

“I think it adds belief and confidence being able to produce those performances away from home" #GuinnessSixNations

Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy wants his players to use last year's Calcutta Cup victory to inspire another win.https://t.co/Bpt2dYNYAE

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 1, 2022

Gloucester: The Cherry and Whites continued with their excellent recent form when they sealed a 27-7 victory