The 2019 Guinness Six Nations might be over but the memories will last a lifetime from a Championship packed with drama from beginning to end.
Round Five in particular had it all. Wales secured a scintillating Grand Slam in Cardiff by beating Ireland, while France held off a spirited Italy and England and Scotland played out perhaps the best Calcutta Cup match ever.
Here is our six of the best:
GRAND SLAM GLORY
Principality Stadium was a cauldron of noise on Saturday as Wales charged to the third Grand Slam of the Warren Gatland era.
Gareth Anscombe was man of the match with six penalties, a conversion and a superb assist for Hadleigh Parkes’ early try while Ireland struggled to break down a defence that shipped just seven tries in the entire Championship.
AMAZING ANSCOMBE
The fly-half conundrum has been one of the talking points of Wales’ Championship but Gareth Anscombe showed that when the pressure is on, he can deliver.
The playmaker has kept the No.10 jersey ahead of Dan Biggar for much of the Championship and was faultless against Ireland, with his kicking particularly impressive in such tough conditions.
GATS GOES OUT ON TOP
So after ten Championships, Warren Gatland exits the same way he arrived: on top of the Guinness Six Nations.
The New Zealander has masterminded three Grand Slams, including one in his first campaign in 2008, and this was perhaps the best of them all. It was certainly a fitting way for him to bow out.
CALCUTTA CUP CRAZINESS
While Wales were celebrating the Grand Slam, England and Scotland played out one of the matches of the Championship in an enthralling Calcutta Cup.
At 31-7 up, England looked set to regain the trophy they lost a year ago in Edinburgh before Scotland fired back to take a 38-31 lead. George Ford saved England’s blushes at the death and completed one of the craziest games in Guinness Six Nations history.
SCOTLAND’S PRIDE
Twickenham is arguably Scotland’s least favourite stadium, so at the end of a first half in which they were outplayed by the hosts they could be forgiven for fearing the worst.
But Gregor Townsend’s men remained positive and attacked England where it hurt at the beginning of the second half with some delightful rugby.
It may only have been a draw in the end but it was one of Scotland’s best 40 minutes in the Guinness Six Nations.
PERFECT PENAUD
With the celebrations in Cardiff and drama at Twickenham, it is easy to forget what happened in Rome in the early kick-off.
Italy and France played out an enthralling contest and Les Bleus wing Damian Penaud was the star of the show.
With Italy, who had a man advantage, battering the France line in an attempt to score a winning try, Penaud broke clear and scampered up the field to win it for the away side. A breathless end to a breathless game.
