2015 Six Nations Championship
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| 2015 Six Nations Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 6 February – 21 March 2015 | ||
| Countries | |||
| Tournament statistics | |||
| Champions |  Ireland (13th title) | ||
| Matches played | 15 | ||
| Attendance | 1,040,680 (69,379 per match) | ||
| Tries scored | 62 (4.13 per match) | ||
| Top point scorer(s) |  George Ford (75) | ||
| Top try scorer(s) | Jonathan Joseph (4) | ||
| Player of the tournament | Paul O'Connell[1] | ||
| Official website | Six Nations Website | ||
| |||
The 2015 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2015 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 16th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union tournament. It was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Including the competition's previous incarnations as the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship, it was the 121st edition of the tournament.
Ireland retained their title from the previous year, their 13th triumph in the competition.[2] This was the first time that Ireland had retained their title outright since 1949, having shared the 1983 championship with France after winning in 1982.[3] They were the first team to be awarded the redesigned Six Nations trophy introduced for 2015, which featured six sides as opposed to five.[4][5]
Participants[edit]
| Nation | Stadium | Head coach | Captain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home stadium | Capacity | City | |||
| England | Twickenham Stadium | 82,000 | London | Stuart Lancaster | Chris Robshaw |
 France | Stade de France | 81,338 | Saint-Denis | Philippe Saint-André | Thierry Dusautoir |
| Ireland | Aviva Stadium | 51,700 | Dublin |  Joe Schmidt | Paul O'Connell |
 Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 73,261 | Rome | Jacques Brunel | Sergio Parisse* |
 Scotland | Murrayfield Stadium | 67,144 | Edinburgh | Vern Cotter | Greig Laidlaw |
 Wales | Millennium Stadium | 74,500 | Cardiff | Warren Gatland | Sam Warburton |
* Parisse did not play in Italy's final match at home against Wales after an injury sustained in their round four match against France. Leonardo Ghiraldini took his place as captain.[6]
Squads[edit]
Table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 119 | 56 | +63 | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | England | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 157 | 100 | +57 | 18 | 8 |
| 3 | Wales | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 146 | 93 | +53 | 13 | 8 |
| 4 | France | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 103 | 101 | +2 | 9 | 4 |
| 5 | Italy | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 62 | 182 | −120 | 8 | 2 |
| 6 | Scotland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 73 | 128 | −55 | 6 | 0 |
Source: RBS 6 Nations Table (accessed 21 March 2015)
Fixtures[edit]
The 2015 Six Nations Championship commenced with a Friday night fixture, once again held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, this time between Wales and England.[7][8]
Round 1[edit]
| 6 February 2015 20:05 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Wales | 16–21 | England |
| Try: Webb 7' c Con: Halfpenny (1/1) 8' Pen: Halfpenny (2/3) 1', 23' Drop: Biggar (1/1) 40' | Report | Try: Watson 14' m Joseph 43' c Con: Ford (1/2) 45' Pen: Ford (3/4) 31', 61', 78' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 73,815 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Welsh captain Sam Warburton earned his 50th cap for Wales.[9]
| 7 February 2015 15:30 CET (UTC+1) |
| Italy | 3–26 | Ireland |
| Pen: Haimona (1/1) 40' | Report | Try: Murray 64' c O'Donnell 66' c Con: Keatley (1/1) 65' Madigan (1/1) 67' Pen: Keatley (4/4) 6', 20', 35', 57' |
| Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 57,700 Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Marco Barbini made his international debut for Italy.[10]
- Seán O'Brien was set to return to the Irish line-up after injury, but was replaced by Tommy O'Donnell in the starting XV following injury in the pre-game warm-up.[11]
| 7 February 2015 18:00 CET (UTC+1) |
| France | 15–8 | Scotland |
| Pen: Lopez (5/6) 2', 16', 37', 49', 78' | Report | Try: Fife 39' m Pen: Laidlaw (1/1) 13' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 78,191 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Loann Goujon made his international debut for France.[12]
- Sam Hidalgo-Clyne made his international debut for Scotland.[13]
Round 2[edit]
| 14 February 2015 14:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
| England | 47–17 | Italy |
| Try: B. Vunipola 23' m Joseph (2) 26' c, 60' c B. Youngs 54' c Cipriani 63' c Easter 68' m Con: Ford (3/4) 28', 55', 62' Cipriani (1/2) 63' Pen: Ford (3/3) 20', 45', 57' | Report | Try: Parisse 3' m Morisi (2) 49' m, 78' c Con: Allan (1/1) 79' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 82,061 Referee: John Lacey (Ireland) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Giulio Bisegni made his international debut for Italy.[14]
- Nick Easter, aged 36, became the oldest English player to score a try in a test match.[15]
| 14 February 2015 17:00 WET (UTC+0) |
| Ireland | 18–11 | France |
| Pen: Sexton (5/5) 13', 18', 32', 38', 67' Madigan (1/1) 50' | Report | Try: Taofifénua 70' m Pen: Lopez (2/3) 16', 35' |
| Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 51,200 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
| 15 February 2015 15:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Scotland | 23–26 | Wales |
| Try: Hogg 9' c Welsh 79' c Con: Laidlaw (1/1) 10' Russell (1/1) 79' Pen: Laidlaw (3/3) 17', 44', 54' | Report | Try: Webb 33' c Davies 63' c Con: Halfpenny (2/2) 34', 64' Pen: Halfpenny (4/5) 6', 19', 31', 48' |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Round 3[edit]
| 28 February 2015 14:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Scotland | 19–22 | Italy |
| Try: Bennett 7' c Con: Laidlaw (1/1) 8' Pen: Laidlaw (4/4) 1', 15', 26', 66' | Report | Try: Furno 9' m Venditti 36' c Penalty try 79' c Con: Haimona (1/2) 37' Allan (1/1) 80' Pen: Haimona (1/2) 17' |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 62,188 Referee: George Clancy (Ireland) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Enrico Bacchin and Michele Visentin made their international debuts for Italy.[16][17]
- Ben Toolis and Hamish Watson made their international debuts for Scotland.[18][19]
- Italy got its first Six Nations win since beating Ireland 22–15 in 2013, and its second away win since beating Scotland 37–17 in 2007.[20]
| 28 February 2015 18:00 CET (UTC+1) |
| France | 13–20 | Wales |
| Try: Dulin 67' c Con: Lopez (1/1) 68' Pen: Lopez (2/4) 17', 48' | Report | Try: Biggar 59' m Pen: Halfpenny (5/5) 7', 28', 51', 64', 73' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 78,814 Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Brice Dulin's try was France's first try against Wales since their 2011 Six Nations fixture.[21]
- Wales captain Sam Warburton equalled Ryan Jones' record of 33 Tests as captain.[22]
- George North became the youngest player to earn 50 international caps (47 for Wales, 3 for the British and Irish Lions) at the age of 22, surpassing Australia's Joe Roff, who was 24.[23]
| 1 March 2015 15:00 WET (UTC+0) |
| Ireland | 19–9 | England |
| Try: Henshaw 52' c Con: Sexton (1/1) 52' Pen: Sexton (4/5) 1', 8', 29', 47' | Report | Pen: Ford (2/3) 58', 67' Drop: Ford (1/1) 11' |
| Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 51,200 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Nick Easter earned his 50th cap for England.[24]
- Ireland reclaim the Millennium Trophy for the first time since 2011.[citation needed]
Round 4[edit]
| 14 March 2015 14:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Wales | 23–16 | Ireland |
| Try: S. Williams 61' m Pen: Halfpenny (5/5) 2', 7', 11', 13', 74' Drop: Biggar (1/1) 33' | Report | Try: Penalty try 68' c Con: Sexton (1/1) 69' Pen: Sexton (3/4) 17', 29', 36' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 73,950 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)[nb 1] |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- With this Welsh win, no team could win the Grand Slam or the Triple Crown.[26]
- Rob Evans made his international debut for Wales.[27]
- Wales captain Sam Warburton captained his country for a record 34th time, surpassing Ryan Jones' record of 33 Tests as captain.[28]
- Paul O'Connell became the fourth player to earn 100 test caps for Ireland.[29]
- Johnny Sexton and Cian Healy earned their 50th caps for Ireland.[29]
| 14 March 2015 17:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
| England | 25–13 | Scotland |
| Try: Joseph 4' c Ford 43' c Nowell 75' m Con: Ford (2/3) 5', 43' Pen: Ford (2/3) 25', 50' | Report | Try: Bennett 21' c Con: Laidlaw (1/1) 22' Pen: Laidlaw (2/2) 29', 38' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 82,000 Referee: Romain Poite (France) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- England retained the Calcutta Cup.[30]
- With this win, and Wales' win against Ireland, Australia dropped to sixth in the World Rugby Rankings, their lowest ever position.[31]
| 15 March 2015 16:00 CET (UTC+1) |
| Italy | 0–29 | France |
| Report | Try: Maestri 45' c Bastareaud 80' c Con: Plisson (2/2) 46', 80' Pen: Lopez (2/2) 28', 34' Spedding (1/2) 40' Plisson (2/2) 41', 57' |
| Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 67,127 Referee: JP Doyle (England) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Sergio Parisse won his 112th cap for Italy, a new national record.[32]
- Noa Nakaitaci made his international debut for France.[33]
- This was the first time that Italy failed to score any points in the Six Nations since their 25–0 loss to France in 2004.[34]
Round 5[edit]
| 21 March 2015 13:30 CET (UTC+1) |
| Italy | 20–61 | Wales |
| Try: Venditti 24' c Sarto 79' c Con: Orquera (2/2) 26', 80' Pen: Haimona (1/1) 1' Orquera (1/1) 10' | Report | Try: Roberts 18' m L. Williams 47' c North (3) 49' c, 54' c, 59' c Webb 66' m Warburton 68' c S. Williams 73' c Con: Biggar (6/7) 47', 50', 55', 59', 69', 73' Pen: Halfpenny (2/2) 7', 12' Biggar (1/1) 40' |
| Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 65,827 Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Wales' 41-point margin of victory was their biggest winning margin over Italy, surpassing the previous record of 39 they set in 1999.[35]
| 21 March 2015 14:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Scotland | 10–40 | Ireland |
| Try: Russell 29' c Con: Laidlaw (1/1) 30' Pen: Laidlaw (1/1) 17' | Report | Try: O'Connell 4' c O'Brien (2) 24' c, 71' c Payne 49' c Con: Sexton (3/3) 5', 25', 50' Madigan (1/1) 72' Pen: Sexton (4/6) 9', 33', 44', 61' |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Euan Murray earned his 66th test cap to become Scotland's most-capped prop, surpassing Allan Jacobsen's previous record of 65.[36]
- Ireland required a win of at least 21 points in order to remain capable of winning the championship.
- Ireland retain the Centenary Quaich.[37]
- With this loss, Scotland were whitewashed and finished bottom of the table, winning the wooden spoon for the fourth time in the Six Nations era, and the first time since 2012.[38]
| 21 March 2015 17:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
| England | 55–35 | France |
| Try: B. Youngs (2) 1' c, 35' c Watson 30' c Ford 46' c Nowell (2) 53' c, 74' c B. Vunipola 63' c Con: Ford (7/7) 3', 30', 36', 46', 54', 63', 75' Pen: Ford (2/3) 26', 40' | Report | Try: Tillous-Borde 13' m Nakaitaci 17' c Mermoz 42' c Debaty 59' m Kayser 65' m Con: Plisson (2/3) 18', 42' Kockott (0/2) Pen: Plisson (1/3) 10' Kockott (1/1) 51' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 82,319 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
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| Man of the Match: Touch judges: |
Notes:
- Dan Cole earned his 50th cap for England.[39]
- This is the greatest number of points England has ever scored against France.[40]
- England had to win this game by 26 points or more to claim the Championship. They only won by 20, meaning that Ireland won the Championship instead.
Statistics[edit]
Points scorers[edit]
| Try scorers[edit]
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Broadcasting[edit]
In the United Kingdom, BBC One televised all the matches live, although for viewers in Scotland the week 4 match between Italy and France was shown on BBC Two Scotland. BBC Two also televised live the buildup of the opening match between Wales and England and after the match, an extra between the two sides on BBC Two but only for viewers in Wales. There was also a special Six Nations special looking ahead to the final week match on BBC Two but only for viewers in Northern Ireland. On the morning of the final week of matches, BBC Two televised classic Five Nations matches including Scotland vs Ireland in 1991 and France vs England in 1992.