Six Nations: Ireland impresses, France steamrolls Wales and Scotland survives in Round 1

LONDON (AP) — The Six Nations opened to expectations.

Ireland began its three-peat bid by blowing away England during 30-plus minutes of controlled aggression in the second half in Dublin for a 27-22 comeback win.

France steamrolled hapless Wales 43-0 with another maestro display from captain Antoine Dupont.

A nervous Scotland withstood an Italy comeback 31-19 thanks to Huw Jones’ hat trick of tries.

Here's the AP's takeaways from the first round.

Ireland and France have dominated the championship since 2022 and nothing in the first round suggested that will change. Although it's not a two-team race, yet. A Scotland side supposedly in its prime lies in wait for the Irish on Sunday at Murrayfield. But Scotland has to overcome the mental hurdle of losing its last 10 contests to Ireland and a mental slump that allowed Italy to rally and tie the score going into their last quarter last weekend. The rumors of Ireland's demise have not been greatly exaggerated but the Irish team shelved its decay in the autumn tests with a mightily impressive 22-point, three-try flex of power that overran an England squad which was ultimately flattered by the final score. England has another chance on Saturday at Twickenham to challenge the status quo when France visits, but Dupont's imperious talent is inspiring the French despite injuries to six front-line players and an expected suspension for red-carded flyhalf Romain Ntamack.

Losses for Italy and Wales confirmed their match on Saturday afternoon in Rome will likely determine who will be left with the wooden spoon. Wales gave no indication in Paris last Friday that it won't retain it. The injection of experience from Liam Williams, Dafydd Jenkins and Josh Adams was expected to make Wales' novice team more competitive but that wasn't the case. Game-ending injuries to Aaron Wainwright and Owen Watkin in the first 27 minutes didn't help. Wales was comfortably contained by a French team that scored seven tries without getting out of third gear. Wales' attack lacks line-breakers and imagination. Italy's only try against Scotland was from an intercept but, as has become customary, it doggedly stayed in the contest. Italy had momentum at 19-19 going into the last quarter and lost it to an incredible 70-meter break-out try by Scotland.

It's far too early to be picking the best player of this Six Nations but Dupont laid a claim to a record fourth award with his opening night performance. His cross-field kick led to France's first try, his break off a ruck and sidestep led to France's third try, and his lob pass from the base of a close-range ruck set up France's fourth try. That was all in the first half. He's the only player in the Six Nations era to assist on three tries in more than one game, according to statistician Opta. When he was replaced in the 50th minute at 28-0 to rest up for the England match this weekend, both sets of fans applauded him.

The relief and joy was obvious at fulltime in the Ireland coaches box at Aviva Stadium. There were high fives, hugs and handshakes all round. The victory over England reassured Ireland fans that Simon Easterby, who has the keys to the defending two-time champions, isn’t going to drive them into a wall while Andy Farrell is focused on the British and Irish Lions. After 67 caps as a flanker for Ireland and the Lions and 11 years in the backroom, Easterby is low key and deeply respected. But even his heart must have been pounding at halftime with England ahead. In the end, all of his big calls — notably flyhalf Sam Prendergast starting ahead of Jack Crowley — and substitutions paid off. Asked afterward by Virgin Media Sport if he was proud of his test coaching debut, Easterby typically deflected the question. “It's not really about me is it?" he said. "It's more about what the team have done today in the first round of the Six Nations and it's important that we got the five points.”

Plenty of players who haven't been Lions thrust themselves into the spotlight. At Murrayfield, outside center Huw Jones notched his first test hat trick and flanker Rory Darge was his usual busy self. Another flanker, Jac Morgan, was easily Wales' best, while England's Tom Curry, a three-test Lion starting with his twin Ben for the first time, earned three turnovers off the Irish. Ireland scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park was voted player of the match in Dublin but it was another Lion-in-waiting who really shone, winger James Lowe. A calf issue prevented him from playing for two months until last weekend, when he proved his fitness with Leinster. For Ireland, Lowe was on fire. He's not a speedster but his strength and agility to break tackles and make the last pass set up three of Ireland's four tries. He rarely has a quiet game.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Ireland's interim coach Simon Easterby watches as his team warms-up before the Six Nations rugby union match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park scores his side's first try during the Six Nations rugby union match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

England's Tom Curry crosses the line to score a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Scotland's Rory Darge scores the opening try during the Six Nations rugby union match between Scotland and Italy, at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Feb. 1, 2025. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)

Italy's Juan Ignacio Brex (centre) after scoring a try during the Six Nations rugby union match between Scotland and Italy, at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Feb. 1, 2025. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)

Scotland's Huw Jones on his way to scoring his third try during the Six Nations rugby union match between Scotland and Italy, at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Feb. 1, 2025. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)

Ireland's James Lowe, right, breaks the tackle of England's Alex Mitchell during the Six Nations rugby union match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

France's Antoine Dupont, right, tries to get to the line during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Wales at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost suspended his campaign for governor on Friday, just a week after he lost the state Republican Party's endorsement to Trump-backed biotech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.

In an email to supporters, Yost pledged to continue to fight for the state as attorney general until the end of his term in January 2027.

Yost, 68, did not immediately endorse his chief rival, after last week suggesting the state GOP had engaged in “a premature coronation of an untested candidate.” However, he hinted at realizing he was at an increasing disadvantage.

While praising the people of Ohio, he said it had become “apparent that a steep climb to the nomination for governor has become a vertical cliff. I do not wish to divide my political party or my state with a quixotic battle over the small differences between my vision and that of my opponent. I am simply not that important.”

Ramaswamy struck a supportive tone about the news.

“Congratulations to Dave on running a thoughtful campaign,” he said in a statement. “He has served Ohio with great dedication, and I am confident he will continue to play an important role in shaping the future of our state and our nation.”

It was not immediately clear where Yost's political career would go next, though. He will be too old to run for the Ohio Supreme Court seat that's up next year, where age limits are in place. He told supporters, however, that he will keep serving Ohioans “perhaps for quite a while yet.”

For Ramaswamy, the former co-chair of the president's Department of Government Efficiency initiative who sought the GOP nomination for president in 2024, it represents another positive development in his fast-paced campaign to lock in the lead for the state's top political office.

In a state that strongly supported Trump three times, Ramaswamy's close relationship with the president has translated into packed crowds at county Lincoln Day dinners and a successful push for the state GOP's state central committee to endorse him over Yost and Appalachian entrepreneur Heather Hill nearly a year before the primary.

Hill said Ohio Republicans should be outraged at the state party's “blatant disregard for our rights to select our next governor.”

“My heart goes out to the Republican candidates who feel forced to drop out of the race due to the RNC/GOP's unfair bias towards one candidate,” she said in a statement. “I want to reassure Ohioans that I will not give up. I will fight tirelessly every day to ensure my name is heard and that I prioritize the best interests of all Ohioans.”

Despite the early endorsement, the Republican gubernatorial field still may not be set. Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a popular former Ohio State football coach, said last week that he hasn't ruled running. The filing deadline for the race is Feb. 4.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who is term-limited, pointed out that the nearly a year before the primary is a “lifetime” in politics. He picked Tressel after appointing the presumptive frontrunner to succeed him as governor, former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, to serve the remainder of Vice President JD Vance's Senate term.

Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director who helped lead Ohio through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the only announced Democrat in the race.

She chose to attack Ramaswamy's positions on a host of issues in her statement Friday, making no reference to Yost.

“As Governor I'll fight for Ohioans who are struggling due to decades of billionaire special interests like Vivek running our state,” she said.

Yost also failed to mention Acton in his email. He did say, however, that former Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is in the midst of a “comeback attempt” that represents “a real and present danger to Ohio’s prosperity.”

“Sherrod Brown and the risky progressive ideas of his party will unwind all of the good that the last 15 years of Republican leadership has brought,” he wrote. “This is a time to protect Ohio, not a time for a family squabble.” Brown had no immediate comment.

Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Katie Seewer said Yost referencing Brown just shows that Republicans believe Democrats will be a threat next year.

She said of Yost's withdrawal: “At least he's doing what's best for Ohio.”

FILE - Ohio attorney general Dave Yost speaks during a rally for Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, in Middletown, Ohio, Monday, July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)