2023 Six Nations Championship
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| 2023 Six Nations Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 4 February – 18 March 2023 | ||
| Countries | |||
| Tournament statistics | |||
| Champions |  Ireland (15th title) | ||
| Grand Slam | Ireland (4th title) | ||
| Triple Crown | Ireland (13th title) | ||
| Matches played | 15 | ||
| Attendance | 1,010,930 (67,395 per match) | ||
| Tries scored | 91 (6.07 per match) | ||
| Top point scorer(s) |  Thomas Ramos(84 points) | ||
| Top try scorer(s) | Damian Penaud (5 tries) | ||
| Player of the tournament | Antoine Dupont[1] | ||
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The men's 2023 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the men's national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It was the 129th edition of the competition (including all its previous incarnations as the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship). France entered the tournament as defending champions, having won the Grand Slam in 2022.
Ireland won the tournament for a 15th time, along with a 13th Triple Crown and a fourth Grand Slam; it was also the first time they won the title in Dublin.[2] In beating England in their final game on 18 March, Ireland completed a full set of consecutive victories over all the other tier-one international sides.[3] In total 91 tries were scored in the Championship, a Championship record.[4]
Participants[edit]
| Nation | Stadium | Head coach | Captain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home stadium | Capacity | Location | |||
 England | Twickenham Stadium | 82,000 | London | Steve Borthwick | Owen Farrell |
| France | Stade de France | 81,338 | Saint-Denis | Fabien Galthié | Antoine Dupont |
| Ireland | Aviva Stadium | 51,700 | Dublin | Andy Farrell | Johnny Sexton |
 Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 73,261 | Rome |  Kieran Crowley | Michele Lamaro |
 Scotland | Murrayfield Stadium | 67,144 | Edinburgh | Gregor Townsend | Jamie Ritchie |
 Wales | Millennium Stadium | 73,931 | Cardiff | Warren Gatland | Ken Owens |
Squads[edit]
Table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | GS | TB | LB | Pts | IRE | FRA | SCO | ENG | WAL | ITA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 72 | +79 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 27 | — | 32–19 | 29–16 | ||||
| 2 | France | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 174 | 115 | +59 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | — | 32–21 | 41–28 | ||||
| 3 | Scotland | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 118 | 98 | +20 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 7–22 | — | 35–7 | 26–14 | |||
| 4 | England | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 100 | 135 | −35 | 13 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10–53 | 23–29 | — | 31–14 | |||
| 5 | Wales | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 84 | 147 | −63 | 11 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 10–34 | 10–20 | — | ||||
| 6 | Italy | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 89 | 149 | −60 | 9 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20–34 | 24–29 | 17–29 | — |
Source: [citation needed]
Table ranking rules[5]
- Four points are awarded for a win.
- Two points are awarded for a draw.
- A bonus point is awarded to a team that scores four or more tries, or loses by seven points or fewer. If a team scores four or more tries, and loses by seven points or fewer, they are awarded both bonus points.
- Three bonus points are awarded to a team that wins all five of their matches (a Grand Slam). This ensures that a Grand Slam winning team would top the table with at least 23 points, as there would otherwise be a scenario where a team could win all five matches with no bonus points for a total of 20 points and another team could win four matches with bonus points and lose their fifth match while claiming one or more bonus points giving a total of 21 or 22 points.
- Tiebreakers
- If two or more teams are tied on table points, the team with the better points difference (points scored less points conceded) is ranked higher.
- If the above tiebreaker fails to separate tied teams, the team that scores the higher number of total tries (including penalty tries) in their matches is ranked higher.
- If two or more teams remain tied after applying the above tiebreakers then those teams will be placed at equal rank; if the tournament has concluded and more than one team is placed first then the title will be shared between them.
Fixtures[edit]
The tournament's fixtures were announced on 20 April 2022.[6] There were no Friday night fixtures. Other than the final weekend, the three kick-off time slots were the same each weekend of the tournament.
Round 1[edit]
| 4 February 2023 14:15 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Wales | 10–34 | Ireland (1 BP) |
| Try: L. Williams 46' c Con: Biggar (1/1) 46' Pen: Biggar (1/1) 14' | Report | Try: Doris 2' c Ryan 9' c Lowe 21' c Van der Flier 73' c Con: Sexton (3/3) 3', 10', 22' Byrne (1/1) 73' Pen: Sexton (2/2) 19', 28' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 74,500 Referee: Karl Dickson (England) |
| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) was originally named at full-back, but he was replaced by Liam Williams ahead of the match, after suffering a back spasm in training.[7]
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland) was originally named at scrum-half, but withdrew on the day of the match due to injury. He was replaced in the starting line-up by Conor Murray, whose place in the bench was taken by Craig Casey.[8]
- Cian Healy (Ireland) was originally named among the replacements, but withdrew on the day of the match due to injury. His place was taken by Dave Kilcoyne.[8]
- Ireland won at the Millennium Stadium in a Six Nations match for the first time since 2013.
| 4 February 2023 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) |
| (1 BP) England | 23–29 | Scotland (1 BP) |
| Try: Malins (2) 24' m, 38' m Genge 48' c Con: Farrell (1/3) 49' Pen: Farrell (2/2) 43', 65' | Report | Try: Jones 15' c Van der Merwe (2) 29' m, 74' c White 51' c Con: Russell (3/4) 16', 53', 76' Pen: Russell (1/1) 69' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 81,545 Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Ollie Hassell-Collins (England) made his international debut.[9]
- Scotland retained the Calcutta Cup.
- Scotland won three consecutive games against England for the first time since 1972, and registered successive away wins against England for the first time since 1909.[10]
- With this win, Scotland moved up to fifth in the World Rugby Rankings, equalling their highest position, last set in May 2018.[11]
| 5 February 2023 16:00 CET (UTC+1) |
| (1 BP) Italy | 24–29 | France (1 BP) |
| Try: Capuozzo 32' m Penalty try 51' Pen: Allan (4/5) 14', 23', 40+2', 62' | Report | Try: Flament 5' c Ramos 19' m Dumortier 27' c Jalibert 67' c Con: Ramos (3/4) 6', 28', 68' Pen: Ramos (1/2) 47' |
| Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 41,232 Referee: Matthew Carley (England) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Edoardo Iachizzi (Italy) and Ethan Dumortier (France) made their international debuts.[12]
- France retained the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy.
Round 2[edit]
| 11 February 2023 14:15 WET (UTC+0) |
| (1 BP) Ireland | 32–19 | France |
| Try: Keenan 8' c Lowe 21' m Porter 26' c Ringrose 71' c Con: Sexton (2/3) 10', 26' Byrne (1/1) 73' Pen: Sexton (1/1) 40' Byrne (1/1) 59' | Report | Try: Penaud 17' c Con: Ramos (1/1) 18' Pen: Ramos (3/4) 4', 14', 32' Drop: Ramos (1/1) 61' |
| Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 51,700[13] Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter and James Ryan (all Ireland) earned their 50th international test caps.[14]
- Prior to this game, Ireland were ranked 1st in the men's World Rugby Rankings and France were 2nd, the first time that a Six Nations Championship match had brought the world's top two teams together.[15][16]
- This was Ireland's 13th consecutive win at home, their longest consecutive run of home victories.[17]
- Ireland brought to an end France's 14-match unbeaten run dating back to November 2021.[18]
| 11 February 2023 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) |
| (1 BP) Scotland | 35–7 | Wales |
| Try: Turner 29' c Steyn (2) 50' c, 57' m Kinghorn 70' m M. Fagerson 78' m Con: Russell (2/5) 31', 52' Pen: Russell (2/2) 8', 14' | Report | Try: Owens 33' c Con: Biggar (1/1) 35' |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Rhys Davies (Wales) made his international debut.[19]
- Stuart Hogg (Scotland) earned his 100th international cap (98 for Scotland, 2 for the British & Irish Lions).[20]
- This was Scotland's biggest win over Wales, surpassing the 25-point winning margin set in 1924.[21]
- Scotland won back-to-back matches in the opening rounds of the Six Nations for the first time.[22]
- Wales lost their opening two Six Nations games for the first time since 2007.[23]
- Scotland reclaimed the Doddie Weir Cup.[24]
| 12 February 2023 15:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
| (1 BP) England | 31–14 | Italy |
| Try: Willis 12' c Chessum 27' c George 36' m Penalty try 49' Arundell 69' m Con: Farrell (2/4) 13', 28' | Report | Try: Riccioni 43' c Fusco 63' c Con: Allan (2/2) 43', 63' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 81,609 Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Jack Walker (England) made his international debut.[25]
- Dan Cole (England) earned his 100th international cap (97 for England, 3 for the British & Irish Lions).[citation needed]
Round 3[edit]
| 25 February 2023 15:15 CET (UTC+1) |
| Italy | 20–34 | Ireland (1 BP) |
| Try: Varney 6' c Bruno 40' c Con: P. Garbisi (2/2) 7', 40' Pen: P. Garbisi (2/2) 18', 55' | Report | Try: Ryan 2' m Keenan 12' c Aki 19' c Hansen (2) 34' m, 70' c Con: Byrne (3/5) 13', 21', 71' Pen: Byrne (1/1) 64' |
| Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 51,034[26] Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Garry Ringrose (Ireland) was originally named to start at outside centre, but withdrew the day before the match due to injury. He was replaced in the starting line-up by Stuart McCloskey, who started at inside centre with Bundee Aki moving to outside centre. McCloskey's place on the bench was taken by Jimmy O'Brien.[27]
| 25 February 2023 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Wales | 10–20 | England |
| Try: Rees-Zammit 40' c Con: Halfpenny (1/1) 41' Pen: Halfpenny (1/1) 21' | Report | Try: Watson 18' m Sinckler 44' c Lawrence 74' m Con: Farrell (1/3) 44' Pen: Farrell (1/3) 9' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 74,007 Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Mason Grady (Wales) made his international debut.[28]
- England won in Cardiff for the first time since their 21–16 victory in 2017.[29]
- Wales fell to tenth in the World Rugby Rankings, equalling their worst-ever placement.[30]
| 26 February 2023 16:00 CET (UTC+1) |
| (1 BP) France | 32–21 | Scotland |
| Try: Ntamack 4' c Dumortier 7' m Ramos 18' c Fickou 79' c Con: Ramos (3/4) 5', 20', 80+1' Pen: Ramos (2/2) 35', 57' | Report | Try: Jones (2) 25' c, 47' c Russell 67' c Con: Russell (3/3) 25', 48', 68' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 80,000 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- France retained the Auld Alliance Trophy.
- Mohamed Haouas (France) became the first player to receive two career red cards in Six Nations Championship matches, his first also coming against Scotland in 2020.[31]
- This was the 100th meeting between France and Scotland.[32]
Round 4[edit]
| 11 March 2023 15:15 CET (UTC+1) |
| Italy | 17–29 | Wales (1 BP) |
| Try: Negri 42' c Brex 67' c Con: Allan (2/2) 43', 67' Pen: Allan (1/1) 15' | Report | Try: Dyer 8' c L. Williams 17' m Penalty try 33' Faletau 49' c Con: O. Williams (2/3) 9', 50' Pen: O. Williams (1/1) 6' |
| Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 61,536 Referee: Damon Murphy (Australia) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
| 11 March 2023 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) |
| England | 10–53 | France (1 BP) |
| Try: Steward 47' c Con: Smith (1/1) 48' Pen: Smith (1/1) 33' | Report | Try: Ramos 1' c Flament (2) 25' c, 56' c Ollivon (2) 40' c, 59' c Penaud (2) 71' c, 74' m Con: Ramos (6/7) 3', 26', 42', 58', 60', 72' Pen: Ramos (2/2) 6', 35' |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 82,000 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- France won against England at Twickenham for the first time since 2007, and in a Six Nations match at Twickenham for the first time since 2005.[33]
- France scored their most points against England (previously 37 points in 1972) to set a new record winning margin over England (previously 25 last set in 2006).
- This was England's heaviest defeat at home (43-point difference), surpassing the 36 points to South Africa in 2008, and was the most points they had conceded at home, surpassing the 42 points conceded in the same game.[34]
- This was England's heaviest defeat in any Home, Five or Six Nations match, surpassing the 43–13 loss to Ireland in 2007, and the most points conceded (surpassing the same game).
| 12 March 2023 15:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
| Scotland | 7–22 | Ireland |
| Try: Jones 16' c Con: Russell (1/1) 17' | Report | Try: Hansen 27' m Lowe 56' c Conan 61' c Con: Sexton (2/3) 57', 62' Pen: Sexton (1/1) 12' |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Luke Pearce (England) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Stuart Hogg (Scotland) became the fourth Scotsman to earn his 100th test cap for Scotland.[35]
- Garry Ringrose (Ireland) earned his 50th international test cap.
- Johnny Sexton (Ireland) matched Ronan O'Gara's record as the leading point scorer in Six Nations Championship (557 points).[36]
- Ireland retained the Centenary Quaich.
- Ireland become the first team to record 80 wins across all editions of the Six Nations Championship.
Round 5[edit]
| 18 March 2023 12:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
| (1 BP) Scotland | 26–14 | Italy |
| Try: Van der Merwe 12' m Kinghorn (3) 29' c, 43' c, 80' c Con: Kinghorn (3/4) 30', 45', 80+1' | Report | Try: Allan 61' m Pen: Allan (2/2) 7', 15' P. Garbisi (1/1) 65' |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Ben Healy (Scotland), Simone Gesi and Marco Manfredi (both Italy) made their international debuts.[37]
- Tommaso Menoncello (Italy) had been named to start but withdrew ahead of the game and was replaced by Luca Morisi and Marco Zanon replaced Morisi on the bench.
- Scotland retained the Cuttitta Cup.
| 18 March 2023 15:45 CET (UTC+1) |
| (1 BP) France | 41–28 | Wales (1 BP) |
| Try: Penaud (2) 9' c, 76' Danty 33' c Atonio 43' c Fickou 48' c Con: Ramos (5/5) 11', 34', 44', 49', 76' Pen: Ramos (2/2) 25', 29' | Report | Try: North 7' c Roberts 55' c T. Williams 65' c Dyer 79' c Con: Biggar (3/3) 7', 56', 66' Halfpenny (1/1) 80' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 78,635 Referee: Nic Berry (Australia) |
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| Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Notes:
- Taulupe Faletau (Wales) became the eighth Welshman to earn 100 test caps for Wales.[38]
- Uini Atonio (France) and Dillon Lewis (Wales) earned their 50th test caps.
- France scored their most points against Wales when at home, surpassing the 38 points scored in 2020.
- George North (Wales) surpassed Shane Williams's record of 22 Six Nations tries to become Wales' top try scorer in the Six Nations.
- France surpass their record of 18 tries scored in a Six Nations campaign set in 2006 and 2021 and surpass their own record of 156 points scored in a campaign set in 2002.
- Wales surpass their worst defensive record in a Six Nations campaign, conceding a total of 19 tries. It was previously 18 tries conceded in 2002.
| 18 March 2023 17:00 WET (UTC+0) |
| (4 BP) Ireland | 29–16 | England |
| Try: Sheehan (2) 32' c, 67' c Henshaw 61' c Herring 76' m Con: Sexton (3/3) 34', 62', 69' Pen: Sexton (1/1) 18' | Report | Try: George 72' c Con: Farrell (1/1) 72' Pen: Farrell (3/3) 7', 14', 50' |
| Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 51,700 Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) |
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