Return to the dramatic Super Saturday of the Six Nations 2014. Whether you want to remember England’s hammering of Italy or revisit Brian O’Driscoll’s final game for Ireland, our rugby gurus have compiled overviews of each of the Six Nations games in 2014.
Read on to discover the greatest moments from the 2014 Six Nations.
2014 Six Nations Stats: Who Won the Six Nations 2014?
Six Nations 2014 Winner: Ireland
The 2014 Six Nations Championship was an action-packed tournament. Held between 1 February and 15 March 2014, the 120th Championship and the 15th Six Nations set a record: it was the first time different Home Nations teams won the outright title and the Triple Crown.
On Super Saturday, three nations were within touching distance of the Championship Trophy: England, Ireland and France. After a tense final, Ireland prevailed and claimed their 12th outright title. England finished in second place and secured their 24th Triple Crown, while France fell to fourth.
Following their victory, the Ireland squad said goodbye to the formidable Brian O’Driscoll. The Irish rugby superstar announced his retirement after the Six Nations final of 2014, concluding his rugby career with 141 caps – a record at the time.
Additionally, Johnny Sexton was pivotal to Ireland’s success. He was the Player of the Tournament, the top point scorer (with 66 points) and the Six Nations top try scorer for 2014. He shared this last title with Mike Brown – both players scored four tries.
Round One Review
Match one: Wales 23-15 Italy (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match two: France 26-24 England (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match three: Ireland 28-6 Scotland (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
The opening match of the Six Nations Championship 2014 was a record breaker. This encounter between Wales and Italy featured the most-capped starting pack of all time. However, although Italy’s pack had a combined 587 caps, Wales still prevailed 23-15.
Following Wales’ decisive victory, France and England produced a dramatic clash. England enjoyed a 24-19 lead before France turned the tide. With four minutes left on the clock, Gaël Fickou’s last-gasp try sealed France’s climactic win.
Next, Ireland produced their first win of the 2014 tournament. Their glittering performance resulted in a 28-6 victory against Scotland and they reclaimed the Centenary Quaich – they lost the trophy in 2013. Additionally, with this match, Brian O’Driscoll became Ireland’s most-capped player with 129 appearances.
Round Two Review
Match one: Ireland 26-3 Wales (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Match two: Scotland 0-20 England (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match three: France 30-10 Italy (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Round two of the Six Nations 2014 featured a disastrous result for Wales. Steered by the venerable Johnny Sexton, Ireland claimed a comfortable victory. This match was also Wales’ first tryless Six Nations loss since 2011.
Like Wales, Scotland’s second match was a shocker. While England bounced back after their first-round defeat, Scotland failed to score a single point. This left Scotland suffering their first scoreless Championship result since 1978 – a 15-0 loss against England.
The round closed with a heated encounter between France and Italy. After a slow start, France opened the second half by scoring 21 points in 12 minutes. Undeterred, a stubborn Italian side fought back. This led to a ruckus in the scrum, which saw Michele Rizzo and Rabah Slimani receive red cards – the first issued since the 2006 Six Nations.
Round Three Review
Match one: Wales 27-6 France (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match two: Italy 20-21 Scotland (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
Match three: England 13-10 Ireland (Twickenham Stadium, London)
In round three, France lost their first match of the tournament. The imperious Welsh team took the lead two minutes in and stayed in contention for the title with their 27-6 win.
Next, the 2014 Six Nations featured a closely-contested game between Italy and Scotland. After exchanging scores, a try from Joshua Furno in the 70th minute secured Italy’s lead. Fortunately, Scotland were saved by Duncan Weir, whose last-minute drop goal snatched the win.
The last game saw England edge closer to the Triple Crown. Thanks to Danny Care and Owen Farrell, England scored 10 second half points without reply and beat Ireland 13-10.
Round Four Review
Match one: Ireland 46-7 Italy (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Match two: Scotland 17-19 France (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match three: England 29-18 Wales (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Ireland were on winning form during round four. The emerald side scored seven tries and saw off Italy with an emphatic 46-7 victory. This was also a momentous match for Brian O’Driscoll. The Irish legend earned his 140th cap during this game, surpassing George Gregan as the most capped rugby player.
The second match was an edge-of-your-seat encounter. After securing a marginal 17-16 lead, Scotland were determined to hold France at bay. Unfortunately, a last-gasp penalty from Jean-Marc Doussain left Murrayfield reeling.
Round four of the Six Nations 2014 culminated in England’s triumph over Wales. Despite Leigh Halfpenny’s perfect form, the England squad prevailed and successfully claimed the Triple Crown – their first since 2003.
Round Five Review
Match one: Italy 11-52 England (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
Match two: Wales 51-3 Scotland (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match three: France 20-22 Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
The Six Nations winner 2014 was decided on Super Saturday. But first up, England ran in seven tries and hammered Italy 52-11.
Next, Wales recorded their biggest winning margin against Scotland. After Stuart Hogg’s red card, Scotland were overpowered 51-3. This 48-point victory was Wales’ largest since the 2005 tournament.
Finally, the deciding game of the tournament. Over in Paris, the formidable Johnny Sexton scored 17 points and sealed Ireland’s thrilling 22-20 win. However, Man of the Match went to Brian O’Driscoll, who hung up his boots after claiming his 141st cap.
Six Nations Table 2014
Here are the Six Nations results from 2014:
Team | Won | Lost | Points Difference | Tries For | Total Points |
Ireland | 4 | 1 | +83 | 16 | 8 |
England | 4 | 1 | +73 | 14 | 8 |
Wales | 3 | 2 | +43 | 11 | 6 |
France | 3 | 2 | +1 | 9 | 6 |
Scotland | 1 | 4 | -91 | 4 | 2 |
Italy | 0 | 5 | -109 | 7 | 0 |
The Six Nations 2014 was one of the most exciting in recent memory. As Super Saturday arrived, three nations fought to claim the title. England pinned their hopes on a France victory or a draw, while France needed 71 points to win the title.
To the dismay of England and France, Ireland beat France in the final round and claimed their 12th outright title. Although England failed to capture the Championship Trophy, they secured their first Triple Crown since 2003.
