France may have claimed the Grand Slam but the biggest winner of this season’s Six Nations was the tournament itself.
Before it began, many feared that the 2004 edition would be yet another England-France carve up — the two nations have monopolised the title ever since Scotland won the last Five Nations in 1999.
True the Championship did indeed come down to a Stade de France climax, after the fixture list had been manipulated by television chiefs, but it was only France who were going for the Grand Slam.
Then came another twist. France’s 24-21 win and Ireland’s 37-16 victory over Scotland earlier in the day in Dublin, which gave them the Triple Crown for the first time since 1985, meant world champions England finished the tournament in third place — another hole in the case of all those who predicted a ”dull” tournament.
England coach Clive Woodward repeatedly stressed the need to ”draw a line” under the World Cup.
That was equally true for France who felt they had something to prove to themselves after their lacklustre display in a 24-7 World Cup semifinal defeat against England.
”It’s just a great, extraordinary feeling, and with a Grand Slam at the end of it all,” said France flanker Olivier Magne.
”And even more so when we beat the world champions on our own territory. Now the World Cup is behind us.”
England, though, were not as strong as they had been in Australia. Woodward’s men were weakened by the Test retirement of inspirational captain Martin Johnson and the absence of star goalkicker Jonny Wilkinson for the whole of the tournament with a shoulder injury.
”There are bound to be some difficulties when there is a change of personnel,” England captain Lawrence Dallaglio said.
But where once Six Nations wins and losses were significant events just in themselves, now they were all seen within the prism of the World Cup.
”No one is worried about where we’re going,” said England scrumhalf Matt Dawson. ”It’s a long, long road to 2007 and we’re going to win games and lose games along the way.”
An England player being philososphical in defeat was not the only sign of a rugby cliché ripped to shreds in the Six Nations.
Ireland, for example, were no longer ”plucky”; they were very good and but for a 35-17 opening round defeat in Paris might have been celebrating only their second Grand Slam in history to go alongside their 1948 triumph.
Ireland’s pack rarely let up but while their forwards were a known quantity their backs were a revelation, generally eclipsing the ”flair” of the French, the Williams wing wizardry of Wales and the class of England’s World Cup-winners.
Coach Eddie O’Sullivan’s inspired decision to pair Gordon D’Arcy in the midfield alongside superstar skipper Brian O’Driscoll suddenly gave defences a whole new set of problems.
D’Arcy ran England ragged at Twickenham and cut through Scotland last weekend to cap a memorable season by scoring his first two Test tries.
Little wonder O’Sullivan was optimistic about Ireland’s chances of winning the title in the near future.
”This is the second year in a row we’ve won four games out of five. I think we are knocking on the door. If we can continue to improve we can get through the door.”
Wales gave coach Steve Hansen a rousing send-off with a 44-10 win over Italy, who finished second from bottom in the table.
Their other win was against wooden spoonists Scotland and, after all the euphoria of their run to the World Cup quarterfinals, fourth place was a fair reflection of Wales’s current standing.
But Hansen urged supporters to keep faith with a youthful side.
”Slowly but surely we are getting that right and as younger players come through the more professional systems with regional rugby, we will become a very good team.”
Scotland coach Matt Williams, formerly in charge of Irish province Leinster, similarly pleaded for patience after his fledgling side lost all five matches on their way to the wooden spoon.
The Australian said Ireland had provided a template for his side to follow.
”Ireland are on a five-year project. We are on that path. I said when I took this job on that there would be a hard 18 months ahead of us.”
Meanwhile it was a measure of Italy’s progress that their 20-14 win over Scotland was not considered a ”shock” result.
Now the goal for the Azzuri is to claim an elusive first Six Nations away victory and if a French team can be disciplined, Italy can certainly win on their travels.
Proof of how redundant stereotypes were becoming came from France coach Bernard Laporte after the England game.
”Tonight we were strong in defence, in the scrum and in the lineout. It was a logical victory,” said Laporte of a French team where the forwards carried their much-vaunted backs.
A French coach talking about ”logic” – clearly nothing was nothing sacred in the Six Nations anymore. — Sapa-AFP