It's all over. Wales finally looked like a grand slam team, England and Scotland took turns to capitulate and Italy's wait for a win went into another year.
At the end of another tremendous final day and good tournament Warren Gatland won his third Six Nations grand-slam, the most of any coach in the tournament's 136-year history.
So what lesson have we learned from this tournament, in particular a captivating weekend.
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The Best Team Won
One of the best things about the final day was the fact it served to cement that Wales were indeed the best side, and fully deserved their grand slam title.They do not deserve to be showered in superlatives like grand slam winners always are, but they reinforced the old adage that “defences win titles”.
Alun Wyn Jones had a strong tournament and led his troops well
In the end it was the game they’d have thought the most difficult that was their only easy victory, and the contrast of trailing France 16-0 and leading 16-0 against Ireland in half-time of their first and last games served to highlight their incredible improvement through the tournament.
They are well set for the World Cup, with a group they’re fuller capable of winning and a route to the final that seems less difficult to negotiate with each passing game they play.
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England are mentally weak and overplayed
England’s first half hour against Scotland was the best I’ve seen an international rugby team play for a long time. It was men against boys and the kind of game that if it was at schoolboy level you would consider ending it at half time.When Farrell saw his kick charged down to give Scotland a surprising score, it was more annoyance that England wouldn’t nil them than any indication of a comeback.
But, as they did in the first two tests against South Africa and after the first half against Wales, England followed up a near perfect period with a complete mental collapse.
Farrell had a poor game after a strong start
When you’re playing on the edge as England were, with fine margins setting up your tries, and that goes wrong, it can horribly wrong. The lack of a plan B or alternative approach was concerning though, it was only when England desperately needed to score again that they did, as George Ford calming influence helped them earn a much needed equaliser.
It’s great that Jones has identified the problem England have with this, and he has time to solve it. Perhaps this will prove to be a blessing, especially given the fact it exposed a variety of English weaknesses. As always, England looked fatigued as the tournament dragged on, testament to the brutal combination of week in, week out Premiership Rugby and the testing schedule of the Six Nations.
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Scotland are not to be written off
I was actually delighted to see Scotland playing the sort of rugby they’ve been threatening to all Championship. England gift-wrapped at least half their tries, but Scotland showed real resilience and quality in the record comeback.
Pandemonium ensued when Scotland battled back to lead
They ultimately finished fifth, but other than in Paris, could have won every game. They just didn’t quite have the ability to break down resilient defence and struggle to control games.
When they actually do control a game they can be astonishingly good. I doubt they’ll be able to find the consistent level needed ahead of the World Cup to challenge, but they could cause some of the big teams major problems.
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Put Relegation on the Back Burner
You’ve got to admire the way Italy have played in the tournament. For them to finish on 0 points is a dreadfully unfair reflection on their showings over the past five weeks. They led or were level with points on the board in all of their games but Scotland in round one and lost just one game by more than two scores.
What will have hurt will be the France game, a game which they dominated but failed to win. A miss from bang in front, a dropped ball over the try line and throwing the ball to the same jumper at literally every lineout just some of the inventive ways they managed to spurn missed chances, whilst letting in some incredibly easy tries in themselves.
Despite a run of 22 straight defeats they should not be relegated. Indeed I wouldn’t even support a playoff with Georgia. Italy showed they were much better than the former Soviet Republic in the Autumn and are showing tremendous improvement. They’re just unlucky that everyone else is improving too.
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Ireland and France are in All Sorts of Bother
Let’s start with France. Who let’s not forget we’re the team that came closest to beating the grand slam Champions Wales. From that ghastly collapse onwards it was always going to be hard to salvage a good tournament. But what will be really concerning is that other than that first half against Wales and another against Scotland, they allowed the opposition to dictated things throughout the tournament.
Jacques Brunel’s flatlining non-leadership has meant they seemingly no longer try to control games and just wait for a bit of space to strike. It worked against Italy, minimised damage against Ireland but left them horribly exposed throughout the tournament. Brunel will go at the end of the World Cup, then it’s time to rip it up and start again.
And how about Ireland, whose blip has come at the worst possible time for them. They were dreadful against Wales. Pitiful, woeful, pathetic (OK that’s enough, but it was a pretty chastening watch as an England fan). They just couldn’t get quick, front foot ball for pretty much the whole tournament and ultimately scored fewer points across all their games than former-oppressors England managed against France and Italy alone.
Had Stockdale scored it might have been different, but make no mistake, Ireland were dreadful
They were outplayed against England and Wales, and for a team that considered themselves amongst the favourites for the World Cup two months ago, that target seems miles away now. Joe Schmidt’s defining challenge will be how to get his team out of their current rut. He did it in 2016, can he do it again?
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Bonus Points Win Again
676 points were scored over the 15 games of this year’s Championship, with 82 tries at an average of five and a half per game. Never have more tries been scored. England’s total of 23 tries is the second most by any team in the history of the tournament, matched only by their 2001 counterparts.
Russell levelled the scores on a dramatic day at Twickenham
Bonus points were the source of great drama, England clinching one at the death in Dublin and having it snatched away from them at the last in Cardiff, them and Scotland being awarded three points for their incredible draw at Twickenham and France adding an ultimately crucial fourth try deep into overtime against Scotland, which saw them snatch fourth place.
They have enhanced the tournament and, contrary to the archaic opinions of Jeremy Guscott, I’m delighted that they are here to stay.
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