For all rugby fans in the Northern Hemisphere, there is one day pencilled into the diary that you cannot miss: Six Nations Super Saturdays! At the weekend it lived up to all the hype with Scotland destroying Italy, Ireland shocking England and France snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against Wales.
10/10 entertainment factor across all the games. Although where does this rate in terms of classic Six Nations Super Saturdays over the past decade?
France Grand Slam 2010
Who would have thought it would take France over a decade to win another Grand Slam, or even a Six Nations title. The chances are high for the latter next week but far from an easy task against Scotland. Back in 2010 however this was one of the great French teams, far and away the best side in the Northern Hemisphere.
Thierry Dusautoir was the captain that day with the likes of Mathieu Bastareaud, Yannick Jauzion and Imanol Harinordoquy at the peak of their powers. The game itself was one for the purists, with a masterclass from Morgan Para off the tee along with a drop kick from Trinh-Duc.
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England scores came from a Ben Foden try followed by a Toby Flood conversion. The great Jonny Wilkinson came off the bench for the first time in 3 years hitting a crucial late penalty. It was not enough as France edged it 12-10.
Earlier on in the day at Croke Park, Dan Parks hit a 78th-minute winning penalty for Scotland. Dan had one of those days with 5 penalties and a drop kick.
The star man as Scotland surprised everyone pulling out their only win of the campaign on the final day. In the early kick-off Wales dispatched Italy 33-10 (how things have not changed). This Super Saturday is remembered in terms of historic results but maybe not as a historic spectacle.
Wales record win against England 2013
In 2013 England headed to the Millennium Stadium on course for a Grand Slam but ended up leaving with nothing. Wales required a 7-point win to retain the title and they ended up doing it in style.
Recording the biggest win over England in Welsh rugby history, the demolition job included two tries from Alex Cuthbert, the second arguably one of the best in Six Nations history.
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Leigh Halfpenny and Dan Biggar’s boot ensured the margin remained wide as Wales ran out 30-3 winners. The knock-on effect meant Wales had a big contingent on the 2013 Lions Tour. The media prior to this had England making up most of the squad. Could we see something similar happen this year with England?
That was not all the drama on Super Saturday. Italy beat Ireland 22-15 to record their first double win in the Six Nations since 2007 and first win against Ireland since 1997. Current Italian fans I am sure will tell you this was their greatest campaign with wins over France and Ireland.
Conversely, there were no surprises in the other game as France beat Scotland 23-16 in the Stade de France. This Super Saturday will go down as one of the biggest surprises thrown up on the final day.
Ireland retaining Six Nations in Paris 2014
It was Brian O’Driscoll’s final game for Ireland and what a way to finish! Ireland knew a win in Paris would win them the Six Nations. England earlier on in the day had recorded an impressive 52-11 win in Rome, waiting in the wings for any slip-ups.
Early tries from Sexton and Trimble looked to have put Ireland in control but Brice Dulin responded in a high-scoring first half. Ireland started the second half strong with another Sexton try and penalty. France however would not go away with a strong final 20 minutes.
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The championship went right to the final play of the final game as France’s try-scoring winning pass strayed forward. The Irish players had their hearts in their mouths but after a lengthy TMO review, the call was made. It ended the game and O’Driscoll’s international career.
The other game on Super Saturday saw Wales record the biggest winning margin ever over Scotland following an early Stuart Hogg red card. It finished 51-3, always entertaining. This Super Saturday was one full of drama and high scores, when the championship comes down to the last play of the last game it is always a classic.
Six Nations Final Day 2015
The following year’s Super Saturday somehow managed to top 2014. It’s known to many as the greatest Super Saturday of all time. Incredibly Wales, Ireland and England were all in contention and all were playing a vital role in the drama that unfolded.
Up first was Wales. They knew a high score was the minimum requirement and a 61-20 win over Italy put them in pole position. Next up was Ireland who needed a 21-point victory over Scotland to move top. Ireland emphatically won the game 40-10 meaning England needed to beat France by 26 points.
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In a helter-skelter game at Twickenham with 12 tries in it, England only managed 20 points winning 55-35. Once again it came down to the last play of the last game. France refused to kick the ball out with England on their line, nearly gifting the English the title. However, the ball was eventually kicked out and the game ended, much to the delight of many of the Irish players. An iconic scene that will go down in history.
This Super Saturday went down in history due to the number of records broken on one day. Wales scored the most tries they have ever managed in a single half, Ireland had their largest ever Six Nations away win and England had their largest score against France. Simply incredible!
20th March 2021
The question that now lies is in a new decade where will this weekend rank amongst the best Six Nations Super Saturdays? With many players knowing a potential Lions tour spot was up for grabs there was an added edge to the weekend. As seen over previous classic championships, the best moments come in the final play of the final game.
Although Brice Dulin try in the 82nd minute ended Wales Grand Slam bid. We sadly have to wait until this weekend to see how important this try was. If France end up winning the Six Nations against Scotland then certainly that moment will long live in the history books. What we do know however is that last weekend’s Super Saturday was right up there with the best ever! However, we know there will be even greater Six Nations Super Saturdays to come.
“Main Photo Credits”
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