England beware - funny things can happen when the biggest prize in Northern Hemisphere rugby is on the line...
2000: Scotland 19 – 13 England
England were fully expected to seal the first Grand Slam of the Six Nations era when they arrived at Murrayfield for the final game of the newly-expanded tournament in 2000.
Scotland had, after all, lost all four of their previous games – including a 34-20 humbling in Rome first up against newcomers Italy.
A Lawrence Dallaglio try had put England ahead but then midway through the second half the heavens opened to make a disjointed affair even scrappier.
Having already kicked all of Scotland’s points to give the hosts a narrow lead, a huge rumbling drive by the forwards set Duncan Hodge up to dart for the line with four minutes to go.
The fly-half then converted his own score to seal Scotland’s first win over their old enemy in a decade, and break English hearts in the process.
With steaming bodies in the teeming rain, enormous driving mauls and plenty of brawls – this was old-school rugby at its very best.
2005: Wales 32 – 20 Ireland
During the first five Six Nations, Wales had failed to finish higher than fourth place – with a wooden spoon in 2003 marking the lowest moment for a country who had produced some of the best sides the sport had ever seen.
Just two years later, however, Mike Ruddock’s side would defy expectations to win the greatest prize in Northern Hemisphere rugby with a first Grand Slam in 27 years.
In truth, Wales best moments had come earlier in the tournament – with a late Gavin Henson penalty out by the touchline downing England in the opening game and a magnificent comeback victory in Paris providing the pinnacles of an excellent campaign.
Yet it was only the last game – a 32-20 victory against Ireland on a beautiful sunny day at the Millennium Stadium – that meant what was described on commentary by Eddie Butler as a “spiritual reawakening of Welsh rugby” could finally be realised.
2013: Wales 30 – 3 England
England had the chance to claim a first Grand Slam in 10 years when they headed to the Millennium Stadium for the final match of the 2013 tournament.
A win by more than seven points for their opponents, however, would see Wales – coached by Rob Howley in the absence of Warren Gatland who was preparing for a Lions tour to Australia – retain the crown for themselves.
In a crackling atmosphere, a rousing rendition of Land Of My Fathers – with both Alun Wyn Jones and Leigh Halfpenny visibly brimming with emotion – provided an early warning that Stuart Lancaster’s side were not to be the main protagonists of the evening.
Some desperate defence meant the visitors were still in touch at the break, but a dominant Wales soon scorched out of sight in the second half with two Alex Cuthbert tries guaranteeing a twist in the title plot.
2003: Ireland 6 – 42 England
Before 2003, England had won all but one of their matches in the tournament for the last seven years.
Worst of all, three of those failures had been at the final hurdle – the most recent of which in 2001 had been against Ireland at Lansdowne Road.
So when Clive Woodward’s team arrived in Dublin with a Grand Slam at stake once again, yet another failure for the No. 1 side in the world was unthinkable.
The sense that this was a tougher, unflinching England was confirmed before kick-off when captain Martin Johnson refused to move from Ireland’s lucky left-hand side, leaving Irish president Mary McAleese to greet her players on the grass rather than the red carpet.
And so it proved, with a five-try rout for the visitors seeing them finally tear up their tag as chokers and pave the way for them to go on to become the first Northern Hemisphere team to win the World Cup eight months later.
2009: Wales 15 – 17 Ireland
Yet few waits for a Grand Slam had stretched on as long as Ireland’s when they arrived in Cardiff one game away from a clean sweep that would end six decades of disappointment.
Two tries in two minutes at the start of the second half – the first by Brian O’Driscoll burrowing over from a yard out and the second brought about by a sumptuous cross-field kick that bounced perfectly into Tommy Bowe’s hands – had seen them pull away.
But the boot of Stephen Jones kept Wales in the game, and when the fly-half sent a drop goal tumbling over to give the hosts the lead with four minutes to go it looked as if Ireland had missed their chance.
Yet the visitors quickly rallied – going up the other end and setting Ronan O’Gara up to respond in kind and put Ireland two points ahead with two minutes on the clock.
There was still time for a Jones penalty from just inside his own half to fall heart-stoppingly short of the posts as the timer ran out, but this time there was nothing that could stop Ireland’s golden generation from finally claiming the ultimate prize.
Mike Tindall appears in the latest episode of the Betway Insider Podcast, discussing England’s Grand Slam success and how Eddie Jones’ side can improve post-Six Nations.
READ: Mike Tindall: Forget France spoiling the party – Paris is not a place to fear playing anymore
