The Six Nations is one of the great sporting events in the world, with five drama-filled gameweeks each year. The tournament welcomed Italy in 2000, and since then, there have been lots of drama-filled final games. Including 2026, let’s look at three of the best.
2009- Drop goals and penalties galore
In the final round of the 2009 Six Nations, it all came down to the final game. Wales had an outside chance of winning the Championship if they beat Ireland; Ireland would win their first Grand Slam since 1948 with a win in Cardiff. Wales took a 6-0 lead, but Ireland scored two converted tries shortly after halftime to take a 14-6 lead. Stephen Jones’ boot kept Wales in the game, and with less than five minutes to go, a Jones drop goal put Wales ahead. This wasn’t going to be the end of the game, though, as Ronan O’Gara didn’t let things end on that note. With just over a minute to go, he slotted a drop goal of his own to put Ireland ahead. With their first Grand Slam in over 60 years on the line, Ireland just needed to win the ball back and get it out. As Wales crossed the halfway line, Paddy Wallace gave Wales a penalty. Stephen Jones from just inside the Irish half had a chance to end their hopes. The kick dropped just short, and Ireland emerged as Grand Slam Champions.
2015- Each game had an impact
2015 brought each game into focus in the final week of the Six Nations. Wales, Ireland and England could all win the title as they had all won three games going into the final week. They all played in different games on that Super Saturday. Wales beat Italy by 41 points to take an early lead in Super Saturday. They conceded the last play to reduce their lead from 48. Ireland needed a huge performance at Murrayfield and won by 30 points to overtake Wales at the top after the second game. England required a 26-point win over France to claim the title. England started excellently with an early score, but while conceding five tries, it was always going to be a challenge by the right margin. The final game also became so dramatic that in the final play, England were only metres off the French try line, but France turned over the ball. This gave Ireland the title leading into the World Cup, where England would dramatically crash out in the group stage.
2026- Ramos at the death
The 2026 Championship has been one of the most spectacular, not just because of the ending but also thanks to the unpredictability it has provided. Each round included some sort of drama, and anyone predicting the outcome each week had a difficult time. The unpredictability of this tournament continued into its final week. Going into the final round, three teams could win: Scotland, Ireland or France. France had already beaten Ireland, and Scotland had beaten France, while Scotland had lost to Italy in Round One. When Ireland beat Scotland to claim the Triple Crown, it meant any win over England would seal the title. England had a really poor tournament up to this point. After a comfortable victory over Wales in the opening round, England lost the rest of their games. They hadn’t even had a strong performance to look positively up until the final game. England led the game going into the final minute, and they stripped the ball. A forward pass and knock on from Henry Pollock gave France a final opportunity. They got their penalty advantage from a high tackle and got the kick at goal, which he secured the win with.
