In a show of the quality that was on display at the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations, four players moved their way up the list of the Top 10 top point scorers in the Championship’s history.
They include the man who inspired Ireland’s Grand Slam triumph, Johnny Sexton, while the form of Wales full back Leigh Halfpenny means he retains his position as the fifth-most prolific kicker.
Ireland’s Ronan O’Gara remains out in front by a considerable margin as the top NatWest 6 Nations points scorer with 557.
Click here for the final 2018 NatWest 6 Nations table
The most famous three of these are unquestionably from the last-minute drop goal he kicked against Wales to secure the Irish’s previous Grand Slam in 2009.
O’Gara is followed by legendary England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson on 486 points that includes two NatWest 6 Nations records from 2001 – most points in a game (35 v Italy) and most points in a single Championship (89).
Third-placed Stephen Jones is the highest Welshman on the list, with 467 points, and he is followed by Scotland’s Chris Paterson, a hugely consistent kicker that finished with a tally of 403 points.
Halfpenny is the highest active player in the Top 10, with his 388 points placing him fifth.
The 29-year-old finished as the second-highest points scorer of the 2018 Championship with 49, just one point behind France’s Maxime Machenaud, and his tally included two tries against Scotland in Wales’ opening game.
Sexton remains sixth after he added 44 to his tally this year to move up to 357 points, with his most memorable kick being the 45-metre drop goal that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for Ireland against France.
He wasn’t able to inspire England to a Championship victory this time, but Owen Farrell remained a reliable source of points, as his 39 this year moved the 26-year-old up to an overall total of 343.
The final active player to make an appearance on this list is Scotland’s Greig Laidlaw, with 269 points, and his boot was twice the difference between winning and losing in this year’s Championship.
First, he kicked six penalties in the second half against France to help the Scots to a 32-26 victory, before a late kick at goal allowed them to beat Italy 29-27 on the final day.
Completing the Top 10 is former France scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili with 217 points and O’Gara’s predecessor as Ireland fly-half, David Humphreys, with 195.
