Next weekend the destination of the Six Nations Championship could be decided. With Ireland and England emerging as the victors from the weekend, the number of likely Grand Slam teams has reduced to two.
They meet next Sunday in Dublin to duke it out for the Millennium Trophy, created in 2000 to celebrate’s Dublin’s millennial birthday.
Already the noisy neighbours next door are getting uppity about themselves coming over and winning the Grand Slam an’ all in week two.
It’s the last game of the weekend next Sunday afternoon, and Lansdowne Road is going to be heaving after thousands of sweaty Irishmen and Englishmen have drunk themselves silly on Friday and Saturday night, watching the other matches on any available TV – as long as it’s in a pub.
Of all the Six Nation fans the English ones are the best – no moaning, no whinging, no shrugging, or hand-waving.
They just take it on the chin and buy you a beer. And they’ve had to buy a few of those since 2003 in the Six Nations.
A decade of matches that have been sometimes close and fierce, and others wild, triumphant, rampant victories.
2003: Ten years ago, Woodward’s team arrived at Lansdowne Road, and wiped the floor with Ireland, winning 42-6.
In truth, Ireland were lucky to get the six from the soon to be Rugby World Cup champions.
Wilkinson in his pomp, Greenwood, Tindall, Luger and Dallaglio put Ireland to the sword with a thumping five-try victory.
2004: Ireland arrived into Twickenham to take on the Rugby World Cup champions for their first game at HQ after the World Cup final.
England had already put 50 points on Italy and a mere 35 on Scotland. Another Grand Slam was their for collecting, due to Johnson and co.
Ireland forgot the script, though, and walked away with the Millennium Trophy 19-13, defeating the Rugby World Cup champions at first time of asking.
2005: The venue switched to Dublin and Lansdowne Road, but the scoreline stayed the same with Ireland winning again 19-13.
2006: Back over to Twickenham on St Patrick’s weekend, and a cracking match that England thought they had won in the final minutes.
But it finished with that Shane Horgan try, where he grew telescopic arms to touch down in the corner and win it 28-24.
2007: saw England arrive in Croke Park for the first time since 1920 where 82,000 bawled out ‘God Save The Queen’ and ‘Amhrain na bhFiann’ in equal good measure.
There was only ever going to be one winner that day.
Jerry Guscott on hearing the crowd give an almighty roar for the kick-off turned to Keith Wood in the TV box and said, “Oh God, we’re going to get hammered, aren’t we?”
They were – Ireland ran riot finishing 43-13.
2008: The Year of the Welsh again.
And a Twickenham revenge. Ronan O’Gara got introduced to the boy wonder, Danny Cipriani, who ran the game from start to finish.
England walked off with their first victory in five years, winning handsomely 33-10.
2009: Ireland’s first Grand Slam in 60 odd years. Their toughest game in week three as 80,000 odd chewed their nails to the bone, before O’Driscoll got the hammer blow try over the line.
Ireland squeaked home 14-13.
2010: Still in their Croke Park temporary home, Ireland kept the Millennium Trophy for another year with a 20-6 win, running in three tries to one.
2011: England’s Grand Slam (nearly). Along with Scotland, Ireland have a habit of ruining English Grand Slam attempts, their last being in 2002.
Ireland were already out of the running, England had four victories under the belt.
A victory would give them their first Grand Slam since 2003. Paul O’Connell spent the week haranguing his troops, daring them to give in or give up.
When Saturday came around, England didn’t know what hit them as they walked out onto the new Lansdowne Road stadium.
Their first scrum, England went backwards, and then downhill after that with Sexton running the show as superbly as Cipriani had done, four years previously. It finished 24-8.
2012: England forwards’ revenge. Ireland are known for their lack of depth, no more so in the the propping department.
As soon as Mike Ross left the field, there was only ever going to be one result.
England’s pack shunted the Irish around Twickenham like some latter-day human Massey Ferguson tractor, with the Irish studs ploughing furrows in the field.
Scrum humiliation, a penalty try and the laser-accurate boot of Owen Farrell wowed the crowd as the England team left the field 30-9 winners, taking the Millennium Trophy with them.
2013: Who knows, but it’s going to be a cracker.
Malo
Guest
1. England 2. ireland 3. Italy $. France 5. Scotland 6. Wales Eat those selections Spiro
Jerry
Guest
They did let Ireland score a few in that match, but the AB's didn't really let them back into the match cause they kept scoring themselves. They got up to 38 nil at one point and the final margin was 38 points.
Derm
Roar Guru
Not always. Ireland v NZ in 2010. NZ ran up 4 or 5 tries with Ireland down to 13 men at one point in first half. Ireland came back to score 3-4 tries. In contrast, the 3rd test 2012, they did ram the advantage home.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
I agree, but I'm nto sure there are any of those teams out there ATM.
FTR
Guest
A truly top team - the All Blacks, say - would ram the advantage home.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
When you're 3-30 up in the 43rd minute don't you switch off a little?
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
I still think its far too early to count France, Wales and even Italy out. All these teams are very close to each other and things can change pretty quickly. Wales were awful in the first half vs Ireland but did pretty well in the second, and vice versa for the Irish. I would have put money on France at HT but they stuttered in the second half and didnt find any extra gear. A bad line out throw, an intercept and you're gone. They are all so close. England were the only ones to win comprehensively but they were at home vs Scotland and not everything was perfect. I don't see any grand slam this year.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Im picking England with my head, but the heart says Ireland. While I was impressed by number of individual performances last week, e.g. Best, BOD, Healsip, O'Brien (before his two brain fairs which almost cost them the game), Zebo, Sexton, Kearney etc. They really struggled when Wales pushed the ball wide in attack and sorted out their blindside defense which gave Ireland a lot of their opportunities.Ireland really slowed the ball down well which is what got them the early jump on Wales, who couldn't adjust, and the win. England seemed very cool and calm against an early Scotland attack and they played well to a plan all game. It looked effortless at times. With all due respect to the Scots, and yes I know you're up 2 zip to Australia in recent years, but they team seems pretty limited still. Some mouthwatering lineups in this match - Best v Hartley/Youngs, Healy v Cole, O'Brien v Robshaw, Morgan v Healsip, Murray v Youngs/Care, Sexton v Farrell, D'Arcy-O'Driscoll V Twelvetrees-Barritt, Zebo v Ashton. I can't wait
Hightackle
Guest
I think England will win this weekend but Ireland are a good team and in form. Im still going with my original prediction of Eng Ire Fra Wal Sco Ital
Chris
Guest
Incidentally, tournament outcomes if IRB Rankings (and IRB allowance for home advantage) play out correctly. I did this last week too, and suffice to say, things have changed. Week 2: Scotland beat Italy @ Edinburgh France beat Wales @ Paris Ireland beat England @ Dublin Week 3: Italy beat Wales @ Rome England beat France @ London Ireland beat Scotland @ Edinburgh Week 4: Scotland beat Wales @ Edinburgh Ireland beat France @ Dublin England beat Italy @ London Week 5: Ireland beat Italy @ Rome England beat Wales @ Cardiff France beat Scotland @ Paris Final Ladder: 1st Ireland (10pts) 2nd England (8 pts) =3rd France (4 pts) =3rd Italy (4 pts) =3rd Scotland (4 pts) 6th Wales (0 pts) Of course a lot of water to go under the bridge (games not played on paper and any other cliches we can find), but right now Ireland are on track for a second Grand Slam in 5 years and Wales are on track to be the first team in 6N history to go from a Grand Slam to being Grand Slammed.
FTR
Guest
The 2010 game was at Twickenham and finished 20-16 to Ireland.
Derm
Roar Guru
Except Lansdowne could never expand to 74,000. The problem with the existing site is homes at one end of the stadium - hence the glass. The matches in Croke Park were during a buoyant economy. More recent attendances across all matches - rugby and soccer would be a better measure. You also need to look at attendances in the Autumn Internationals.
Chris
Guest
52,000 is far too small for a national stadium. I'm not proposing they build a Wembley/Stade de France/ANZ size behemoth. But 60,000 would have struck a decent middle ground. Not sure where you plucked this one match a year figure from. During the period they played at Croke they got 74,000+ to every single 6N game they played (as well as games against Australia, NZ and South Africa). Plus the 80,000+ for a provincial game. You only have to look at Ireland's home record when they were playing at Croke to see how important those extra fans are to a team's performance.
Derm
Roar Guru
Because you've got to fill it every time, not just one match a year. It's jointly owned for thirty years by IRFU and FAI. Not all matches get capacity attendance. That's what you have to base your income and investment return on.
Chris
Guest
It's games like this that make you wonder what the IRFU heavies were thinking when they signed off on a 52,000 capacity for the new Lansdowne Road. Should never have been a seat under 60,000.
Derm
Roar Guru
Minor corrections to my errors: Millenium Trophy created in 1988, not 2000. Ireland prevented England's Grand Slam in 2001, not 2002. Lawrence Dallaglio led team in 2004, not the by then retired Martin Johnson.