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Seven of the greatest Championship comebacks

Italy players celebrate after the final whistle 28/2/2015
The Guinness Six Nations is rarely lacking in high-quality drama and there have been some classic encounters over the years.

The Guinness Six Nations is rarely lacking in high-quality drama and there have been some classic encounters over the years.

Many of those have seen teams fighting back from the brink of defeat to seal a remarkable result when the odds were seemingly stacked against them.

Here we take a look at some unforgettable comebacks ahead of the 2022 Championship.

One of the biggest comebacks in Championship history saw Scotland rally from a 19-point deficit to claim a draw against Wales 21 years ago.

Neil Jenkins starred for the visitors in the first half, with his three penalties and three drop goals handing Wales a comfortable 18-6 lead at the interval.

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And just as Scotland were working their way into the match, a Mark Taylor try handed Wales what seemed to be an unassailable 25-6 lead at BT Murrayfield.

A superb 40-metre try from Chris Paterson and a Kenny Logan penalty closed the gap, though another Jenkins penalty saw Wales lead 28-16.

However, tries in the final five minutes from James McLaren and Tom Smith, who added the conversion on his try, saw Scotland draw level in the dying stages.

Despite trailing by ten points at half time, a fantastic second-half display saw Wales pick up a first win at Twickenham in 20 years in Warren Gatland’s first game as head coach.

Toby Flood’s converted try and two penalties and a drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson saw England lead 16-6 at half time, with two James Hook penalties putting Wales on the scoreboard.

A Wilkinson penalty early in the second half handed England a 13-point advantage but a stunning final 25 minutes saw Wales roar back.

Two more Hook penalties closed the gap to seven points, and Lee Byrne’s converted try in the 67th minute saw the visitors draw level.

And just three minutes later they sealed a remarkable victory, a converted try from Mike Phillips going unanswered as Wales made history.

Wales trailed to Scotland by nine points at half time in 2010, but a storming second half in front of their home fans saw them edge victory in the dying moments.

Tries from John Barclay and Max Evans in the opening 20 minutes helped Scotland control the first half, leading 18-9 at half time with Wales restricted to three Stephen Jones’ penalties.

Byrne’s 56th minute try set the ball rolling for a Wales comeback, and Leigh Halfpenny’s converted try with four minutes to go saw them move within three points of drawing level.

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Scotland had failed to create chances in the second period and had two men in the sin-bin late on when their lead disappeared in the 79th minute, Jones’ penalty levelling proceedings at 24-24.

And a last-gasp converted try from Shane Williams sealed a fantastic victory on home soil for the Welsh in the 81st minute.

Italy’s first Championship win over France came in memorable fashion just over a decade ago, as they battled from 18-6 down to prevail on home soil.

France were 8-6 up at half time with Vincent Clerc’s try and a Morgan Parra penalty giving them the edge, while Mirco Bergamasco was on hand to kick two penalties for the Italians.

However, Les Bleus led by 12 points after 50 minutes, with a second Parra penalty and his own converted try handing them what seemed a strong advantage.

The comeback started when Andrea Masi scored with just over 20 minutes to go, with Bergamasco’s conversion closing the gap to five points.

And, despite a 66th minute Parra penalty, three penalties from Bergamasco in the final 20 saw the Azzurri secure a historic win at the Stadio Flaminio.

Another memorable Italian victory came in 2015, coming from behind to edge past Scotland at BT Murrayfield.

Scotland led 16-8 at one point in the first half, with three Greig Laidlaw penalties and a Mark Bennett try cancelling out an early Italian score from Joshua Furno and Kelly Haimona’s penalty.

However, Giovanbattista Venditti’s 36th-minute try, coupled with Haimona’s conversion, saw the hosts lead by just a point after the opening 40 minutes.

A second-half penalty from Laidlaw gave Scotland a slight cushion heading into the closing stages, though the visitors did not give up and were ultimately rewarded.

A 79th minute penalty try handed Italy the lead for the very first time, and Tommaso Allan’s conversion sealed a huge Italian victory.

Wales made history in 2019 when they rallied from a 16-point deficit to defeat France in Paris in the opening match of the 2019 Guinness Six Nations.

Converted tries from Louis Picamoles and Yoann Huget and a Camille Lopez drop goal saw the hosts lead without reply at half-time, with Wales not able to get a foothold in the contest.

However, 12 minutes into the second half the visitors had cut the deficit to just two points, converted tries from Tomos Williams and George North bringing Wales back into contention.

And they took the lead for the first time in the 63rd minute through Dan Biggar’s penalty, though France edged back in front through the boot of Lopez.

A second try from North, just six minutes from time, saw Wales claim a victory which set them on the path to Grand Slam success.

England and Scotland settled for a draw at Twickenham three years ago in an astonishing contest that no one could have predicted 30 minutes in.

A rampant start saw the home side 31-0 up in as many minutes, with four converted tries and an Owen Farrell penalty handing them a comfortable lead.

Stuart McInally’s 35th minute try seemed like a mere consolation at the time, though it proved to be the start of something truly remarkable.

Four second half tries without reply saw Scotland somehow draw level, and it looked they had sealed a memorable victory when Sam Johnson scored a sixth Scottish try with four minutes to go.

Yet England managed to snatch a draw thanks to a last-gasp effort from George Ford in what proved to be an unforgettable clash.