We've rounded up the best of social media from the opening weekend of the 2018 Six Nations
The best Six Nations tweets of the week
We’ve trawled through Twitter to bring you the best Six Nations tweets of the week from the opening week of the 2018 championship.
Wales started their Six Nations campaign with a stunning 34-7 victory over Scotland in Cardiff.
Against the odds, Wales blew Scotland away in the first match of this year’s championship and the moment of the match was possibly this fantastic ‘superman’ finish from Steff Evans to secure the bonus-point win:
Despite the heavy defeat, Stuart Hogg swapped shirts with opposite number Leigh Halfpenny and had a chat as they walked off the Principality Stadium pitch – a moment of shared respect:
24 points for Wales 🏴 followed by a shared moment of respect. Spirit of Rugby on show.
🤝👏 #ScrumTogether #WALvSCO pic.twitter.com/nzIbBnfZ6m
— Dove Men+Care (@DoveMen) February 3, 2018
In the second game of the weekend, Ireland played France in Paris and won their opening game 15-13 thanks to a sensational last-minute drop-goal from Johnny Sexton.
But before the drama at the death and the debate surrounding HIA calls, France wing Teddy Thomas scored an early contender for try of the tournament:
Check out this try from @TeddyThoms – possible contender for try of the Championship already! https://t.co/6b3sYJZUBw
— NatWest 6 Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 3, 2018
In the 83rd minute and after more than 40 phases, Sexton then slotted a fairytale 42-metre drop-goal to win the match for Ireland – and the Dublin Fire Brigade were hoping for a quiet evening:
Let this man be the only thing on fire tonight. #JohnnySextonsOnFire #FRAvIRE #6Nations2018 pic.twitter.com/lHfxkomDOC
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) February 3, 2018
Johnny Sexton was hailed as the Irish saviour on social media afterwards:
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/iWPnQp1bCW
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) February 3, 2018
Hundreds of people turned to Twitter to express their thoughts on Sexton’s nerves of steel, including former England wing Ugo Monye:
Jonny Sexton right now 👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/60SGRoDlob
— ugo monye (@ugomonye) February 3, 2018
The man himself tweeted a series of photos of the celebrations that followed the kick – in the third pic Sexton is under there somewhere:
Despite the perfect finish for Ireland in Paris, the game was overshadowed somewhat by the controversy surrounding the HIA protocol, with two France players sent for head injury assessments by the independent match doctor when they also had knee injuries:
Just burnt my hand making French toast.
I'm off for a HIA.
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) February 4, 2018
Brian O’Driscoll doesn’t pull any punches with his thoughts on the matter:
Just because we won with an INCREDIBLE 42 METER drop goal that HIA decision shouldn’t get swept under the carpet. It was nothing short of a disgrace!!!
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) February 3, 2018
England got their Six Nations campaign up and running with a seven-try win against Italy. Double try-scorer and Man of the Match Anthony Watson got a visit from James Bond, aka Daniel Craig, after the game:
007 was sporting an uncharacteristic double-denim ensemble:
Sam Simmonds sparkled on his Six Nations debut, bagging two tries, and Alec Hepburn also came off the bench to win his first England cap: