Thomas Ramos drilled a nerveless 50-metre penalty through the Paris night with the clock in the red to secure France back-to-back Six Nations titles in one of the most extraordinary championship deciders ever witnessed. In a match that defied logic and exhausted emotions, England’s heroic comeback fell agonisingly short as Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s four-try masterclass helped Les Bleus edge a 94-point thriller 48–46 at a delirious Stade de France.

The victory, France’s eighth Six Nations title since the tournament expanded in 2000, came at Ireland’s expense after Andy Farrell’s side had earlier beaten Scotland to go top of the table. For England, despite producing their finest performance of a wretched campaign, the defeat extended their losing streak to four matches and confirmed their worst Six Nations finish in history.

Key moments

7 mins – TRY FRANCE: Louis Bielle-Biarrey latches onto Thomas Ramos’s grubber kick to open the scoring after Elliot Daly steps up in defence, allowing the ball to bounce kindly for the French winger. Ramos converts. (France 7–0 England)

10 mins – TRY ENGLAND: Immediate response as slick handling sees the ball move through Fin Smith and Elliot Daly to Tom Roebuck, who finishes well in the corner for his third try of the tournament. F Smith misses the conversion. (France 7–5 England)

13 mins – TRY FRANCE: Matthieu Jalibert’s perfectly weighted grubber kick allows Bielle-Biarrey to collect and score his second. Ramos converts. (France 14–5 England)

18 mins – TRY ENGLAND: Ben Spencer’s grubber kick causes chaos as Théo Attissogbe spills under pressure, allowing Cadan Murley to pounce and score. F Smith misses the conversion. (France 14–10 England)

22 mins – PENALTY FRANCE: Ramos slots from in front of the posts after England are penalised for offside. (France 17–10 England)

26 mins – TRY ENGLAND: Ollie Chessum powers over from close range after England’s 13-man driving maul rumbles 20 metres downfield. F Smith converts. (France 17–17 England)

34 mins – TRY ENGLAND: Chessum’s offload releases Alex Coles to score England’s bonus-point try down the blindside. F Smith’s conversion falls off the tee but he calmly drop-kicks it through the posts. (France 17–24 England)

38 mins – PENALTY ENGLAND: F Smith slots an easy kick in front of the posts. (France 17–27 England)

40+6 mins – PENALTY TRY FRANCE: Ellis Genge is shown a YELLOW CARD for collapsing the maul on the French try line. Penalty try awarded. (France 24–27 England)

Half-time: France 24–27 England. A breathless first half sees England secure a bonus point inside 35 minutes despite trailing early. Ollie Chessum and Ben Spencer outstanding for the visitors, while Bielle-Biarrey’s double keeps France in touch. England will start the second half a man down with Genge in the sin-bin.

42 mins – TRY FRANCE: With England down to 14, France’s attack clicks immediately. Antoine Dupont’s looping pass finds Bielle-Biarrey who dots down in the corner for his hat-trick and France’s bonus point. Ramos converts. (France 31–27 England)

48 mins – TRY FRANCE: Dupont takes a quick tap penalty and fires a pass to Attissogbe who scores in the corner. Ramos converts. (France 38–27 England)

51 mins – TRY ENGLAND: Chessum produces the individual moment of the match, intercepting Jalibert’s pass inside his own half and galloping 55 metres to score his second. F Smith misses the conversion. (France 38–32 England)

57 mins – TRY ENGLAND: Marcus Smith, on for his 50th cap, darts through a gap after sustained pressure and converts his own try to put England back in front. (France 38–39 England)

65 mins – TRY FRANCE: Bielle-Biarrey chases Dupont’s kick over the top, wins the race from 60 metres and scores his fourth try of the match to break his own championship record with nine tries in a single tournament. Ramos converts. (France 45–39 England)

72 mins – YELLOW CARD FRANCE: Demba Bamba shown yellow for driving early at the lineout as French discipline crumbles under sustained English pressure.

77 mins – TRY ENGLAND: With France down to 14, Tommy Freeman picks a perfect line to crash through the French defence and score under the posts. M Smith converts to put England ahead with three minutes remaining. (France 45–46 England)

80+2 mins – PENALTY FRANCE: With the clock in red, France win a penalty near halfway for a high tackle. After Maro Itoje is penalised for a deliberate knock-on attempting to kill the play, Ramos steps up from 50 metres and drills the kick through the posts to win the championship. (France 48–46 England)

Full-time: France 48–46 England

Match report

Where had this England been? The question hung in the Parisian air as Steve Borthwick’s side, unrecognisable from the team that had stumbled to defeats against Scotland, Ireland and Italy, took France apart for long stretches of a contest that will be spoken of in reverent tones for decades.

After an elaborate pre-match ceremony featuring riders on horseback, pyrotechnics and laser projections to mark 120 years of Le Crunch, the two teams served up a spectacle worthy of any era of their storied rivalry. France emerged in a specially designed pale blue jersey commemorating the anniversary – a decision that created something of a kit clash with England’s white shirts but added to the sense of occasion.

The tone was set within seconds. England signalled their intent early when Seb Atkinson grounded the ball from Daly’s bobbling grubber kick in the opening minute, only for the try to be chalked off after a knock-on was spotted in the build-up from Tommy Freeman. It was a reprieve France immediately exploited.

With England’s backline rushing up in defence, tight and narrow, Ramos stabbed a kick through for Bielle-Biarrey to chase. The ball bounced perfectly for the France wing, who stepped Cadan Murley with ease to score and complete his remarkable feat of a try in every championship match for successive Six Nations campaigns. At just 22 years old, the Bordeaux Bègles speedster was already rewriting the record books.

But unlike in previous rounds, where early setbacks had led to collapse, England responded with ferocity and ambition. Attacking down both touchlines with a pace and purpose absent from their earlier performances, they struck back within three minutes. A well-judged grubber kick pinned France back, and when possession was recycled, Fin Smith attacked the line before Elliot Daly swung a long pass wide. Tom Roebuck, on his third start of the tournament, finished expertly in the corner despite the attention of Bielle-Biarrey.

The match had found its rhythm – or rather, its lack of one. Both teams seemed committed to attacking with abandon, defensive solidity sacrificed at the altar of entertainment. Jalibert dropped the ball onto his left foot from a right-hand scrum, and as England again honey-potted towards him, Bielle-Biarrey was over for his second. Two shots, two kills for the French winger.

France targeted Murley again with a kick into the corner, the ball bouncing awkwardly. The Harlequins wing almost lost it to Jalibert, both men having hands on as the ball was grounded. The French thought it was a try; the referee disagreed and play was brought back for a penalty, kicked by Ramos to extend the lead to 17–10.

England’s response demonstrated the character Maro Itoje had demanded in the build-up. Ben Earl and Ellis Genge drove them deep into French territory with powerful carries, before Ben Spencer turned France with a short kick around the fringes. Théo Attissogbe spilled the ball as he hit the deck, and Murley swooped to touch down – a predatory finish that brought Steve Borthwick, in a rare display of emotion, slamming his hand down on his desk in celebration.

For the first time in the championship, England’s pack began to snarl. The decision to recall Ollie Chessum at blindside flanker, adding extra heft in the back row and providing an additional lineout option, paid immediate dividends. England launched two monster mauls, driving France back onto their own try line. After the second drive rumbled 20 metres downfield with 13 players involved, Chessum spotted a gap and crashed over from close range to level the scores at 17–17. A rendition of Swing Low Sweet Chariot went up from the English contingent as Smith’s conversion sailed through. The Stade de France had been stunned into silence.

England’s forwards went mauling again, picking up another penalty advantage. But they didn’t need it. Quick ball saw them attack the short side, a floated wide pass finding Chessum who popped an inside ball to the supporting Alex Coles. The lock trundled over on the blind side for his first international try – England’s fourth of the half, securing the bonus point inside 35 minutes.

What happened next epitomised England’s newfound composure. As Smith lined up the conversion, the ball toppled from the tee. Without hesitation, the young fly-half picked it up and calmly drop-kicked it through the posts. A further penalty made it 27–17. Against all expectation, England led by 10 points with half-time approaching.

Yet the ill-discipline that has plagued England throughout this championship reared its head once more. France advanced down the left touchline, and with a penalty under England’s posts, they took the decision to kick for the corner and flex their own mauling muscles. Referee Nika Amashukeli judged that Genge had illegally collapsed the French maul a metre from the try line, awarding a penalty try and dispatching the prop to the sin-bin. It was England’s ninth card of the campaign – equalling the Six Nations record held by the Italy side that lost every match in 2002. Borthwick was visibly exercised by the decision as his coaching staff headed back to the dressing room.

The start of the second half vindicated his concern. France, sensing blood with England down to 14 men, immediately clicked into gear. Within 90 seconds of the restart, the hosts had carved the visitors open through the middle. Dupont’s looping pass found Bielle-Biarrey, and the winger dotted down in the corner for his hat-trick – and France’s crucial bonus point.

With England still down to 14 and visibly rattled, France pressed their advantage. The hosts won a penalty at the first Genge-less scrum, and from the quick tap, Dupont fired a long pass to Attissogbe, who cruised in on the right wing. Ramos’s conversion made it 38–27. Including the penalty try, France had scored 21 points while England were down to 14 men.

Lesser teams would have folded. Instead, Chessum produced the individual moment of the match. Reading Jalibert’s pass brilliantly, the Leicester flanker intercepted inside his own half and galloped clear with the pace of a back, covering 55 metres before touching down. Instead of turning to score under the posts, he gave it the big celebration and touched down in the corner – a decision that would prove significant when Smith’s conversion drifted wide.

The introduction of Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jack van Poortvliet from the bench brought fresh energy, but it was Marcus Smith, entering for his 50th cap to rapturous applause from the travelling support, who proved transformative. After patient build-up play through multiple phases, the Harlequins playmaker spotted a gap and danced around Demba Bamba before touching down and converting his own try. England led 39–38 with 25 minutes remaining. In Dublin, Irish supporters dared to dream.

But France still had their trump card. The passage that led to Bielle-Biarrey’s fourth try would prove among the most controversial of the match. England believed they had penalty advantage after François Cros slapped down Van Poortvliet’s pass; the players were told as much on the pitch. Smith therefore played loosely, dabbing a kick through the French defence which Ben Earl subsequently knocked on.

What England didn’t know was that the TMO had changed the call to knock-on advantage. When they kicked the ball, they lost that benefit. Ramos and Dupont kept the ball alive, and the French captain launched a huge left-footed kick downfield. From 60 metres out, Bielle-Biarrey chased it down with devastating pace, winning the race to score his fourth try and break his own championship record with nine in a single tournament. Ramos’s conversion made it 45–39.

England refused to yield. Their pressure told as French discipline crumbled, with Bamba sin-binned for driving early at a lineout. Luke Cowan-Dickie was held up over the line when England had acres of space in which to score – a moment of frustration that might have defined lesser teams.

Instead, from the restart, replacement Chandler Cunningham-South trucked the ball up and England built patiently, working wide into the French 22. Then, much like Daly’s match-winning try at Twickenham a year earlier, Freeman ghosted through a gap in the French defence and crashed over under the posts. Marcus Smith’s conversion put England ahead with three minutes remaining. The Stade de France fell into stunned silence.

What followed was pure theatre. Chessum claimed the restart and Van Poortvliet kicked long, but Jalibert summoned one final moment of magic, slicing through the English chase to pin the visitors back deep in their own territory. Under intense pressure, England conceded a penalty for a high tackle – a call conspicuous by the absence of a replay on the big screens. As France advanced into the England half, Itoje, desperate to kill the play, was penalised for a deliberate knock-on. The captain knew immediately what he had done. The championship, the hopes of three nations, now rested on Ramos’s shoulders.

The Stade de France held its breath. From 50 metres out, on the angle, the man widely considered rugby’s greatest kicker stepped up to the tee. The ball sailed through the uprights. France were champions once more.

What they said

France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert captured the emotion: “C’est beaucoup d’émotions, c’est le dénouement parfait. On s’est rendus le match compliqué, chacun a eu ses périodes. À l’entame de la deuxième période, on sentait qu’on avait pris le dessus et il y a eu ce fait de jeu, cette interception qui les remet dans le match. On a baissé d’intensité après, été trop indiscipliné, mais c’est le caractère de cette équipe. And féliciter Tom [Ramos], who has ‘des grosses c…’ as we say in the jargon.”

France head coach Fabien Galthié praised his match-winners: “We’re very, very lucky that we have maybe the best kicker around. And Louis [Bielle-Biarrey] – he’s an unbelievable weapon. His contribution has been unbelievable. I’m short of words to describe him. I’m certain he will be chosen as the best player in the tournament. He’s following in Antoine’s wake.”

England head coach Steve Borthwick could not hide his frustration: “I’m really disappointed for the players and supporters – it was so close to being a special day. We came into the tournament with high aspirations and we’re really disappointed we haven’t been able to meet those targets. I know the supporters are hurting as well. I sense a determination to make sure this hurt makes the team stronger in the future.”

On the officiating, Borthwick added: “I think some of the decisions are debatable. I thought that one against Ellis to give a penalty try – I don’t follow it. I’ll ask for it to be explained to me. The players on the pitch were told it was a penalty advantage. Unfortunately, what happened in the background is the TMO changed it to a knock-on advantage. The players were unaware of it and France go down the other end and score a try. World Rugby needs to look at that kind of situation.”

England captain Maro Itoje remained defiant: “I truly believe this team is going places. We’ve had a tough couple of games, but I think we showed the spirit of this team. In sport, you don’t want to go through the experiences that we went through over the last four games. But we will learn from our experiences and be better for it.”

Records and milestones

The 94 points scored made this the third-highest-scoring Six Nations match in history, behind only England v Italy 2001 (103 points) and Italy v France 2025 (97 points). France’s 30 tries across the championship equalled their own record set last year, while Bielle-Biarrey’s nine tournament tries broke his own record of eight from 2025.

The winger’s four-try haul made him only the second player to achieve the feat in Six Nations history after Chris Ashton in 2011. With 29 tries in just 27 internationals, and 18 in the Six Nations alone, Bielle-Biarrey has surpassed Damian Penaud as France’s all-time leading try scorer in the championship era – despite playing half as many matches.

For France, the victory secured back-to-back titles for the first time since 2006–07, and their eighth Six Nations crown since 2000 – moving them ahead of England’s seven in the same period. Thomas Ramos also became France’s all-time leading points scorer, surpassing Frédéric Michalak.

For England, the defeat confirmed their worst ever Six Nations campaign – one win from five matches, a record-equalling nine cards, and four consecutive losses for the first time in 50 years. Yet their performance in Paris may have saved Borthwick’s job, at least temporarily, ahead of a summer tour to South Africa that could prove decisive for his future.

As confetti rained down on the Stade de France and Antoine Dupont lifted the trophy alongside Gregory Alldritt, France celebrated a title thoroughly deserved despite that near-miss at Twickenham. For Ireland, watching from Dublin, and for England, left in despair on the pitch, this was a night that encapsulated everything magnificent and maddening about rugby’s oldest international championship.

Match details

France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Théo Attissogbe, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 8 Charles Ollivon, 7 Temo Matiu, 6 François Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Demba Bamba (yellow card 72), 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Mickaël Guillard, 21 Joshua Brennan, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Émilien Gailleton.

England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George, 1 Ellis Genge (yellow card 40).
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Chandler Cunningham-South, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith.

France 48 (Tries: Bielle-Biarrey 4, Attissogbe, penalty try; Conversions: Ramos 5/6; Penalties: Ramos 2/2)
England 46 (Tries: Roebuck, Murley, Chessum 2, Coles, M Smith, Freeman; Conversions: F Smith 2/5, M Smith 2/2; Penalties: F Smith 1/1)
Half-time: 24–27

Venue: Stade de France, Paris (att: 78,728)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

Wales finally ended their agonising 1,099-day Six Nations winless run with a commanding 31-17 bonus-point victory over Italy at the Principality Stadium, Aaron Wainwright scoring twice in a first-half blitz that left the Azzurri shell-shocked and a crowd of nearly 70,000 delirious.

Key moments

11 mins – PENALTY MISSED Italy: Paolo Garbisi pulls his kick wide from 28 metres after Ellis Mee is penalised for offside — a miss that would prove costly as Wales immediately seized control. (Wales 0–0 Italy)

15 mins – TRY Wales: Aaron Wainwright powers through the Italian defence with a barnstorming carry, bouncing off three would-be tacklers before grounding under the posts. Dan Edwards converts. (Wales 7–0 Italy)

26 mins – TRY Wales: Wainwright doubles his tally, peeling off from the back of a driving maul and burrowing low to score in the corner after Wales win a penalty and go for the lineout. Edwards adds a superb touchline conversion. (Wales 14–0 Italy)

30 mins – TRY Wales: A textbook rolling maul from a lineout sees captain Dewi Lake driven over to score at the back after the Wales forwards, joined by several backs, create an unstoppable surge. Edwards converts from wide on the right. (Wales 21–0 Italy)

37 mins: Tomas Francis departs with injury. Archie Griffin replaces at tighthead prop.

Half-time: Wales 21–0 Italy. A dominant first-half display from Wales, who converted all three entries into the Italy 22 into tries. Wainwright outstanding with two scores, while the home pack’s physicality overwhelmed the Azzurri at the breakdown and in the driving maul.

45 mins – TRY Wales: After 13 phases of patient build-up inside the Italian 22, the ball is shifted right to Dan Edwards who identifies a gaping hole and slices through untouched to score. Edwards converts his own try to secure the bonus point. (Wales 28–0 Italy)

48 mins – DROP GOAL Wales: From an Italy goalline dropout, Edwards catches the ball beyond the Italian ten-metre line and calmly slots a confident drop goal from 45 metres. The crowd erupts. (Wales 31–0 Italy)

52 mins – TRY Italy: Italy’s rolling maul finally gains traction as replacement hooker Tommaso Di Bartolomeo is driven over from close range after Federico Ruzza wins clean lineout ball. Archie Griffin is shown a YELLOW CARD for attempting to bring down the maul illegally. Paolo Garbisi converts. (Wales 31–7 Italy)

69 mins – TRY Italy: Tommaso Menoncello makes a trademark break through midfield and offloads to Tommaso Allan, who is initially held up near the right corner. Italy recycle quickly and shift the ball left, where Garbisi finds Allan in space to dive over. Garbisi’s conversion attempt misses. (Wales 31–12 Italy)

73 mins – TRY DISALLOWED Italy: Monty Ioane appears to score in the corner, but Ellis Mee’s covering tackle forces Ioane’s left foot to graze the touchline before grounding. The TMO rules no try after multiple replays.

77 mins – TRY DISALLOWED Italy: Leonardo Marin stretches for the line after a break from the base of a ruck, but James Botham’s outstretched leg prevents a clean grounding. TMO rules knock-on.

80 mins: Aaron Wainwright named player of the match.

80+1 mins – TRY Italy: Consolation score for Italy as Garbisi finishes a short-side raid from a scrum in the Wales 22, taking Lorenzo Cannone’s offload to dot down in the corner. Garbisi misses the conversion. (Wales 31–17 Italy)

Full-time: Wales 31–17 Italy

Match report

For a crowd that has endured the leanest of times in Welsh rugby history, this was a cathartic afternoon in Cardiff. Steve Tandy’s side, so brutally exposed in opening defeats to England and France where they conceded 102 points and 15 tries, delivered the performance their recent progress against Scotland and Ireland had promised. By the 48th minute, they led 31-0 and the contest was over.

Italy, arriving in Wales having beaten England for the first time in their history just seven days earlier, looked like a side that had played their cup final the week before. Gonzalo Quesada’s men struggled to handle the aggression of the home side from the opening whistle, losing collisions at the breakdown and finding their usually reliable lineout under pressure. Their dream of winning three matches in a single Six Nations campaign for the first time was extinguished long before they mounted a late consolation fightback.

The warning signs came early. Garbisi missed a straightforward penalty in the 11th minute after Mee was penalised for offside, and Wales made them pay almost immediately. A huge relieving kick from Louis Rees-Zammit was chased tenaciously by Mee and flanker Alex Mann, forcing scrum-half Alessandro Fusco into an error that handed Wales a turnover. Edwards kicked to the corner, skipper Lake peeled around the back of the lineout and launched Mee in midfield, and from the next phase Tomos Williams picked out the charging Wainwright. The number eight played skittles with three would-be tacklers, bouncing off each before crashing over at the posts. Edwards converted and the Principality Stadium stirred to life.

Wales went to the corner again 11 minutes later after Italy were penalised at the breakdown. This time the driving maul did the damage. Ben Carter won the lineout at the front, Italy contested the throw but were brushed aside as a ferocious Welsh drive rumbled towards the line. Wainwright picked from the base with the maul halted a metre short and burrowed low to force his way over for his second. Edwards’ touchline conversion was nerveless and Wales led 14-0.

The Principality Stadium was rocking now, and Wales were not finished. Another turnover — this time Rhys Carre winning the jackal and celebrating harder than he had after his wonder try against Ireland the previous week — provided field position. Another penalty, another kick to the corner, another driving maul. This time the backs joined the forwards to create an unstoppable surge, and captain Lake plunged over at the back. Edwards converted again. Three entries into the Italy 22, three tries. Clinical, ruthless, professional.

Wales lost tighthead prop Tomas Francis to injury before the break, but that was the only blemish on a remarkable half. They had smashed Italy up front, won the breakdown battle decisively, and been precise in execution. The hosts led 21-0 at the interval and Hymns and Arias rang around the ground with a gusto not heard in Cardiff for years.

Any hope Italy harboured of mounting a second-half comeback evaporated within seven minutes of the restart. Wales worked through 13 phases inside the Italian 22, the heavy artillery of Wainwright, Lake and Carre making hard yards and dragging in defenders. Williams gave the ball quick tempo, and when it was finally shifted right, Edwards spotted a gaping hole in the Italian defensive line and glided through untouched. He dived jubilantly over the line, converted his own try, and Wales had the bonus point.

Then came the moment that encapsulated Edwards’ growing confidence. From an Italy goalline dropout that the visitors had been forced to take, Edwards caught the ball beyond the Italian ten-metre line and calmly dropped a goal from 45 metres. It was audacious, it was brilliant, and it was 31-0. “You’re probably thinking ‘what are you doing?’ And then he absolutely buries it,” Tandy admitted afterwards. The Ospreys fly-half finished with 16 points — his best performance in a Wales shirt by some considerable distance.

Italy finally showed some pride in the final quarter. Di Bartolomeo was driven over from a rolling maul in the 52nd minute after Ruzza won clean lineout ball, with Griffin sin-binned for cynically attempting to collapse the maul. Garbisi converted and the Azzurri had something to cling to.

But Wales’ improved defensive work — so evident in Dublin the previous week, where they had pushed Ireland to the wire — held firm during Griffin’s absence. Carre and Botham made huge hits, Mee and Botham combined to hold up an Italy attacker over the line, and when Menoncello looked certain to score, Josh Adams produced a wonderfully defiant tap tackle to deny him.

Allan eventually crossed in the 69th minute after another break by the dangerous Menoncello, but it was mere consolation. Ioane thought he had scored moments later, only for Mee’s desperate scrambling tackle to force the wing’s foot into touch before grounding — it was so close it required numerous replays, but it was that sort of day for Italy. Marin was also denied by the TMO after Botham’s outstretched leg prevented a clean grounding.

Garbisi did cross in the final act to make it 31-17, finishing a short-side raid after Cannone’s offload, but by then the result had long been secured. The final whistle was greeted with scenes of jubilation rarely witnessed at the Principality Stadium in recent years.

Wales still finish bottom of the table for a third consecutive year, but this felt different. The wooden spoon comes without the whitewash, and the upward trajectory throughout the tournament has been unmistakable. They have found emerging talents in Edwards and centre Eddie James, rediscovered leaders in Lake and Wainwright, and shown a physicality that had been painfully absent in the opening rounds.

For Italy, the dream of their greatest-ever Six Nations fell short at the final hurdle. Two wins against Scotland and England represent genuine progress, but Quesada will know his side were outmuscled and outfought when it mattered most. They finish fourth, their highest placing since 2013, but Cardiff provided a sobering reminder of the work still to be done.

As the final whistle blew and the crowd celebrated, it was hard not to feel this was a day about more than just one result. Welsh rugby remains in turmoil off the field, with governance battles and regional uncertainty continuing to rage. But for one afternoon at least, the Principality Stadium rocked again. Cardiff is singing once more.

What they said

Steve Tandy was emotional afterwards: “It was a massively emotional day. A win in the Six Nations has been a long time coming and I am overwhelmed with pride by what this group delivered. I’ve always said it’s never been a question of desire, physicality or work ethic in this group. It’s just getting them to understand how far they can go. England was a massive lesson for us — we didn’t impose anything of what we wanted to do and panicked with our discipline. Since then the boys have grown every week, have got a bit of confidence and had a bit of cohesion as a team.”

Captain Dewi Lake, who has endured countless difficult post-match interviews, finally had happier reflections: “We hope we have restored some faith in the jersey and into what this group can do. I am overjoyed for the boys because of how hard they have worked. This group has gone through a lot of emotionally tough things recently, on and off the field. The scoreline was similar to half-time against Scotland and to come out and score first, to never give up on the moment, to stay switched on and stay in every play — that shows how we have learned.”

Player of the match Aaron Wainwright, who has been Wales’ standout performer throughout the tournament, struck a measured tone: “When you look at our first 20 minutes against England and France, that really let us down — yellow cards and penalties. Since then our discipline has been on point, we’ve been more accurate with the ball in hand. In the first half today everything fell into place. It’s not ideal to finish bottom of the table, but the growth is there.”

Full-back Louis Rees-Zammit spoke of the culture Tandy has instilled: “It’s unbelievable. We’ve trusted each other, trusted the system and the coaches. It takes time, but credit to the players, we’ve bought into every training session. We’ve got better in every game. We have an amazing culture now.”

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada offered no excuses: “Not scoring early when it was 0-0 — with Menoncello’s break and then missing the penalty — conditioned the start of the game. They had great intensity in the first half and that made the difference. We played a real match in the second half but Wales were very strong and deserved the victory. No alibis — Wales did what they needed to do to win today.”

Italy captain Michele Lamaro was frustrated but philosophical: “They were maybe more courageous than us in the first half and that made the difference. We had an opportunity to complete our objective of having the best Six Nations ever for Italy, and we let it slip through some shortcomings. In a few weeks I’ll realise what a great Six Nations we’ve had — beating a great Scotland and an England who came in with twelve high-level wins in 2025 — but today I’m struggling not to be disappointed.”

Match details

Wales 31 (Tries: Wainwright 15, 26, Lake 30, Edwards 45; Conversions: Edwards 4/4; Drop goal: Edwards 48)
Italy 17 (Tries: Di Bartolomeo 52, Allan 69, Garbisi 80+1; Conversions: Garbisi 1/3)
Half-time: 21–0

Wales: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Ellis Mee (Murray 78), 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards (Evans 68), 9 Tomos Williams (Hardy 78), 1 Rhys Carre (Smith 51), 2 Dewi Lake (capt, Elias 45), 3 Tomas Francis (Griffin 38), 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 5 Ben Carter (Beard 64), 6 Alex Mann (Cracknell 71), 7 James Botham, 8 Aaron Wainwright.
Yellow card: Griffin 52

Italy: 15 Lorenzo Pani (Allan 63), 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (Marin 70), 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Fusco (Varney 54), 1 Danilo Fischetti (Spagnolo 45, Fischetti 78), 2 Giacomo Nicotera (Di Bartolomeo 45, Nicotera 62), 3 Muhamed Hasa (Zilocchi 45), 4 Niccolò Cannone (Favretto 70), 5 Federico Ruzza, 6 Michele Lamaro (capt), 7 Manuel Zuliani, 8 Lorenzo Cannone (Odiase 63).

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 69,775
Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (RFU), Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Bunker: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Player of the match: Aaron Wainwright (Wales)

Ireland claimed a fourth Triple Crown in five years with a commanding 43–21 bonus-point victory over Scotland at the Aviva Stadium, delivering their most complete performance of the 2026 Guinness Six Nations on the day that mattered most.

Key moments

3 mins – TRY IRELAND: Jamie Osborne scores under the posts after Joe McCarthy wins the lineout and Jack Crowley’s pass finds the full-back bursting through a gap. Crowley converts. (Ireland 7–0 Scotland)

7 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: Darcy Graham finishes a superb 19-phase move in the corner after Blair Kinghorn’s tip-on pass. Finn Russell converts from the touchline. (Ireland 7–7 Scotland)

11 mins – TRY IRELAND: Dan Sheehan peels off the back of a driving maul to score out wide. Crowley converts from the sideline. (Ireland 14–7 Scotland)

17 mins: George Turner leaves the field for a HIA after a collision with teammate Zander Fagerson. Ewan Ashman on.

20 mins – TRY IRELAND: Stuart McCloskey throws a magnificent 30-metre pass to Rob Baloucoune, who beats Darcy Graham on the outside and dives over in the corner. Crowley’s conversion misses. (Ireland 19–7 Scotland)

Half-time: Ireland 19–7 Scotland. A dominant first-half display from Ireland, who scored three well-worked tries to take control. Scotland’s 19-phase try through Graham showed their attacking threat, but too many handling errors and a losing battle at the lineout left them facing an uphill task.

50 mins: Tadhg Beirne leaves the field with a facial cut. Darragh Murray comes on for his Six Nations debut.

52 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: After 12 phases of pressure, Ben White’s pass finds Finn Russell, who dummies past Dan Sheehan and Jamison Gibson-Park to score. Russell converts. (Ireland 19–14 Scotland)

57 mins – TRY IRELAND: Darragh Murray powers over from close range on his Six Nations debut after a 17-phase build-up sparked by Caelan Doris. Crowley converts. (Ireland 26–14 Scotland)

61 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: Grant Gilchrist and Max Williamson combine with quick hands to send Rory Darge bursting through a gap to score. Russell converts. (Ireland 26–21 Scotland)

65 mins: Andy Farrell makes six substitutions simultaneously — Rónan Kelleher, Michael Milne, Finlay Bealham, Darragh Murray, Ciarán Frawley and Bundee Aki all enter the fray.

68 mins – TRY IRELAND: Ciarán Frawley’s superb offload finds Tommy O’Brien, who slices through to score Ireland’s fifth try. Crowley converts. (Ireland 33–21 Scotland)

72 mins – PENALTY IRELAND: Kyle Steyn catches Jack Crowley in the air, conceding a penalty. Crowley slots from in front of the posts. (Ireland 36–21 Scotland)

77 mins: Tadhg Beirne wins a crucial turnover on Ireland’s five-metre line as Scotland search for a bonus point. The Fields of Athenry rings around the Aviva.

80 mins – TRY IRELAND: Sione Tuipulotu spills Russell’s pass and Stuart McCloskey gathers the loose ball, offloading to Tommy O’Brien who races 40 metres to score his second. Crowley converts. (Ireland 43–21 Scotland)

Full-time: Ireland 43–21 Scotland

Match report

In front of 51,700 supporters on a sun-drenched Dublin afternoon, Andy Farrell’s side scored six tries to extend their winning streak over Scotland to 12 matches and move three points clear of France ahead of the evening’s finale in Paris. Their title hopes ultimately fell short when Thomas Ramos kicked a last-gasp penalty to give France a 48–46 victory over England, but nothing could diminish the quality of Ireland’s display against opponents who had arrived brimming with confidence after their stunning 50–40 victory over Les Bleus the previous week.

The match exploded into life from the opening whistle with three tries inside the opening 11 minutes. Ireland set the tone with a dominant early scrum that saw Zander Fagerson penalised for standing up under pressure from Tom O’Toole. Jack Crowley kicked to the corner, and what followed was a beautifully constructed strike play. Joe McCarthy secured the lineout, but rather than setting up the expected driving maul, Ireland played off the top. Rob Baloucoune came off his wing to carry hard into traffic, and when the ball was recycled quickly, Caelan Doris pulled it back for Crowley to hit Jamie Osborne on a perfectly timed line. The full-back burst through untouched to score under the posts for his fourth try of the championship.

Scotland’s response was immediate and majestic. Working through 19 phases of patient, purposeful rugby, Finn Russell orchestrated a sweeping attack that showcased everything that had undone France the previous week. The fly-half zipped a miss-two pass to George Turner on the left touchline, Pierre Schoeman carried at pace, and when Ireland were finally stretched, Russell kept it simple. He found Blair Kinghorn with space to exploit, and the full-back’s perfectly weighted tip-on pass sent Darcy Graham racing over in the corner for his 38th international try — a new all-time Scottish record, surpassing the mark he had jointly held with Lucy Millard in the women’s game. Russell’s touchline conversion levelled the scores at 7–7 after just seven minutes.

The parity was short-lived. Graham found himself on the wrong side of the ledger moments later, penalised for straying offside, and Crowley punished the indiscretion with another pinpoint kick to the corner. This time Ireland went to the maul. McCarthy hit the front jumper, the pack rumbled forward, and Dan Sheehan — reading the defensive alignment perfectly — peeled off the back and drove through to score his 15th Six Nations try. Crowley’s difficult conversion from the touchline bisected the posts to make it 14–7.

Ireland’s third try was arguably the pick of the afternoon. From a rock-solid scrum on the left touchline, the ball came to Stuart McCloskey, who had been a constant threat all tournament. Sensing the Scottish defence drifting to cover the obvious play, the Ulster centre ripped a stunning 30-metre pass to the right touchline where his provincial teammate Baloucoune was waiting in acres of space. The winger showed electric acceleration to beat Graham on the outside, then demonstrated remarkable body control to lift his feet and stay in play as he dived for the corner. Crowley’s conversion drifted wide, but at 19–7, Ireland had their platform.

The remainder of the first half belonged to Ireland’s defence. McCloskey produced a crunching tackle on Russell that forced a turnover and stemmed Scottish momentum. When Scotland did manage to work their way into the Irish 22, winning a penalty that Russell kicked to the corner, it was Sheehan who produced the crucial intervention — diving over the ball at the front of the maul to steal possession. O’Toole and Tadhg Beirne added further turnovers as Scotland’s frustration grew. By the interval, Ireland had made 116 tackles and the visitors had managed just one turnover won. The 19–7 scoreline perhaps flattered Scotland.

Gregor Townsend’s half-time words clearly had an effect. Scotland emerged for the second half with renewed intent, winning aerial battles and edging territory. After a penalty against Doris for a high tackle on Ewan Ashman allowed Russell to kick to the corner, Scotland went to work. They pounded away through 12 relentless phases, the gains and losses measured in inches, before Russell spotted his moment. Prowling behind his forwards, the fly-half saw the smallest of gaps between Sheehan and Jamison Gibson-Park. A trademark show-and-go, a diagonal dart, and suddenly Russell was diving over for his 11th international try — passing 500 Test points for Scotland in the process. His conversion made it 19–14, and the Aviva Stadium held its breath.

Ireland’s response was emphatic. Within five minutes, Darragh Murray — the Connacht lock who had come on as a blood replacement for Beirne just three minutes earlier — marked his Six Nations debut in the most memorable fashion. Doris sparked the move with a powerful carry through midfield that knocked Scotland onto their heels. Tommy O’Brien added another surge, and after 17 lung-busting phases, Murray spotted a gap close to the posts and powered low to ground the ball on the line. Crowley’s conversion restored the 12-point cushion at 26–14.

Scotland refused to yield. A slick handling move saw the ball worked through Grant Gilchrist’s hands, and Rory Darge — timing his run perfectly — burst onto a short ball and exploded through the gap to score his seventh international try. Russell’s conversion brought the visitors back to within five points at 26–21. The match hung in the balance with 20 minutes remaining.

Farrell’s response was decisive and unprecedented. With 15 minutes remaining, he made six substitutions simultaneously — Rónan Kelleher, Michael Milne, Finlay Bealham, Murray (now permanently replacing McCarthy), Ciarán Frawley and Bundee Aki all entered the fray together. The impact was immediate and devastating.

Aki, returning from suspension for his first appearance of the tournament, carried with characteristic directness. McCloskey continued to punch holes. Then came the moment that effectively sealed the Triple Crown. Frawley ran back a Russell kick with purpose, Ireland recycled through several phases, and when the replacement found himself in space, he threw a sumptuous offload that sent Tommy O’Brien racing clear. The winger — who had endured years of injury frustration before finally establishing himself in this championship — showed clean heels to the covering defence and sprinted over for Ireland’s fifth try. Crowley’s conversion made it 33–21.

A Crowley penalty in the 72nd minute, after Kyle Steyn caught the fly-half in the air, pushed the lead beyond two scores. But the moment that truly confirmed the Triple Crown came with three minutes remaining. Scotland were camped on the Irish five-metre line, searching desperately for a bonus point of their own, when Beirne and Nick Timoney combined to win a crucial turnover. The Fields of Athenry rang around the stadium as the capacity crowd celebrated what they knew was the decisive moment.

O’Brien added the gloss in the final minute. When Sione Tuipulotu spilled Russell’s pass under pressure, McCloskey gathered the loose ball and produced another basketball-style one-handed offload. O’Brien needed no second invitation, racing 40 metres to the corner for his second try — his eighth in nine Tests. Crowley’s touchline conversion completed a 13-point personal haul and a 22-point winning margin that perhaps flattered Ireland given Scotland’s contributions to a breathless contest.

Man of the match Doris was immense throughout, his 16 carries for 46 metres and 18 tackles epitomising Ireland’s relentless work-rate. Beirne finished the tournament as the championship’s leading turnover-winner with 13, while McCloskey’s five-game run of excellence — capped by his sixth try assist of the championship — prompted Farrell to suggest he “should definitely be in the running for player of the tournament.” Baloucoune was presented with the BKT Rising Player award, recognition of his transformative impact on Ireland’s back three.

For Scotland, whose decade-long wait for a victory in Dublin continues, there was no shame in defeat. They twice closed to within one score and showed the attacking ambition that had undone France the previous week. Graham’s record-breaking try, Russell’s 500-point milestone, and Darge’s relentless work at the breakdown all offered encouragement. But Ireland’s superiority at the set-piece and breakdown, combined with their ruthless efficiency in the Scottish 22 — 4.7 points per entry — proved decisive.

“Proud as punch of everyone involved,” said Farrell afterwards. “It’s been a hell of an eight weeks. They kept banging the door down, but I thought we had a ruthless edge to us in how we defended and converted in the 22. That was the story of the game.”

Townsend acknowledged the familiar script. “They played well — they always seem to play well against us. The performances we’ve delivered, especially the three victories, is some of the best rugby I’ve seen us play. Today it’s a reminder and a lesson.”

Ireland’s Triple Crown celebrations were tempered only by the knowledge that their title hopes rested on England in Paris. When Ramos’s penalty sailed through the posts in the final seconds of a 48–46 thriller, France claimed back-to-back championships and Ireland were left to reflect on what might have been had they not lost so heavily in that opening round.

But from the wreckage of that 36–14 defeat, Ireland have rebuilt spectacularly. Four consecutive victories, 35 players used across the tournament — the most in any Farrell-era campaign — a host of successful debuts, and a Triple Crown to show for it. As Doris put it: “It’s the start of a journey, and it’s an important part along the way. We still have plenty more building to do, but we showed what we’re capable of.”

What they said

Caelan Doris (Ireland captain): “We asked for a big performance from some of our senior players and big match players and they stood up. The likes of Tadhg Beirne — some of the turnovers he got were crucial. There were some calm heads in there which was helped by the fact we had scoreboard pressure throughout from a fast start.”

Andy Farrell (Ireland head coach): “The Tom O’Toole thing is amazing. It’s amazing what he’s done at loosehead. He should be unbelievably proud of himself because it’s a tough thing to do. And Stuart McCloskey — for him to back it up five games on the trot is new, certainly in this format. He should definitely be in the running for player of the tournament.”

Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland captain): “Every time we got it back to one score, they hit back. Credit to them. Collisions are where it was won and lost. I’m proud of the way we stuck in it, but we can’t make the errors we did.”

Gregor Townsend (Scotland head coach): “The performances we’ve delivered, especially the three victories, is some of the best rugby I’ve seen us play. Today it’s a reminder and a lesson — we have to be better when we do have opportunities. If you want a perfect performance every week, you’re living in fantasy land.”

Match details

Ireland 43 (Tries: Osborne 3, Sheehan 11, Baloucoune 20, Murray 57, O’Brien 68, 80; Conversions: Crowley 5/6; Penalties: Crowley 72)
Scotland 21 (Tries: Graham 7, Russell 52, Darge 61; Conversions: Russell 3/3)
Half-time: 19–7

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Attendance: 51,700
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Damian Schneider (Argentina)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (England)

Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Rob Baloucoune (Frawley 65), Garry Ringrose (Aki 65), Stuart McCloskey, Tommy O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park (Casey 77); Tom O’Toole (Milne 65), Dan Sheehan (Kelleher 65), Tadhg Furlong (Bealham 65), Joe McCarthy (Murray 65), Tadhg Beirne (Murray blood 50–61), Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier (Timoney 54), Caelan Doris (c).

Scotland: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham (Rowe 61, Jordan 69), Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (c), Kyle Steyn; Finn Russell, Ben White (Horne 61); Pierre Schoeman (Sutherland 69), George Turner (Ashman 18 HIA), Zander Fagerson (Rae 69), Max Williamson (Craig 61), Grant Gilchrist, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey (Bradbury 61).