2014 Six Nations Championship
The 2014 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2014 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 15th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship. 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 120th edition of the tournament.[1]
2014 Six Nations Championship | |||
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Date | 1 February – 15 March 2014 | ||
Countries | England France Ireland Italy Scotland Wales | ||
Tournament statistics | |||
Champions | Ireland (12th title) | ||
Triple Crown | England (24th title) | ||
Matches played | 15 | ||
Attendance | 1,038,744 (69,250 per match) | ||
Tries scored | 61 (4.07 per match) | ||
Top point scorer(s) | Johnny Sexton (66) | ||
Top try scorer(s) | Mike Brown (4) Johnny Sexton (4) | ||
Player of the tournament | Mike Brown | ||
Official website | Official website | ||
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Going into the final day, three teams could have still won the championship – Ireland, England and France. In the final game, Ireland hung on to win against France by just two points and secure the championship, on points difference over England.[2] This was their first championship since 2009, and the 12th title they have won, including predecessor championships.[3][4]
The final game also saw the retirement of Brian O'Driscoll from international rugby, with a record number of 141 international caps – 133 for Ireland (83 as captain), and 8 for the British and Irish Lions.[5][6][7]
England won the Triple Crown by beating Wales, Scotland and Ireland[8] – they became the first team to win the Triple Crown while another of the Home Nations won the championship outright.
The 2014 tournament saw 12 players earn their first cap – three English, four French, two Scottish, one Irish, one Italian and one Welsh. Sergio Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni became the most-capped Italian players with 105 caps,[9][10] with Gethin Jenkins earning the same number to become the most-capped Welsh player.[11] In their match against Wales on 1 February, Italy broke the world record for the most-capped starting pack with 587 caps, surpassing the previous record of 546 caps as held by New Zealand.
Participants
Nation | Stadium | Head coach | Captain | ||
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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 | Pascal Papé1 |
Ireland | Aviva Stadium | 51,700 | Dublin | Joe Schmidt | Paul O'Connell2 |
Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 73,261 | Rome | Jacques Brunel | Sergio Parisse3 |
Scotland | Murrayfield Stadium | 67,144 | Edinburgh | Scott Johnson (interim) | Kelly Brown4 |
Wales | Millennium Stadium | 74,500 | Cardiff | Warren Gatland | Sam Warburton5 |
1 Replaced original captain Thierry Dusautoir who was ruled out of the Six Nations ahead of the tournament due to tearing a tendon in his right biceps.[12]
2 Except the opening week fixture against Scotland as he was ruled out as he suffered from a chest infection. Jamie Heaslip was captain of the fixture.[13]
3 Except the round 4 match against Ireland as he was injured. Marco Bortolami was captain for that match.[14]
4 Except for the round 2 match against England and the round 3 match against Italy as he was dropped. Greig Laidlaw was captain of those matches.[15] Brown returned as captain for the last two matches against France and Wales.[16]
5 Except for the opening match against Italy as he did not captain as he had not recovered from a shoulder injury. Alun Wyn Jones was captain for that match.[17]
Squads
Table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | Pts |
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1 | Ireland | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 132 | 49 | +83 | 16 | 8 |
2 | England | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 138 | 65 | +73 | 14 | 8 |
3 | Wales | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 122 | 79 | +43 | 11 | 6 |
4 | France | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 101 | 100 | +1 | 9 | 6 |
5 | Scotland | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 138 | −91 | 4 | 2 |
6 | Italy | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 63 | 172 | −109 | 7 | 0 |
Fixtures
The 2014 Six Nations Championship saw the return of a Friday night fixture, last seen during the 2011 Six Nations Championship, where Wales faced France in the third week of the championship at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.[18]
Round 1
1 February 2014 14:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
Wales | 23–15 | Italy |
Try: Cuthbert 3' c S. Williams 37' c Con: Halfpenny (2/2) 4', 39' Pen: Halfpenny (3/4) 28', 66', 73' | Report[19] | Try: Campagnaro (2) 42' m, 68' c Con: Allan (1/2) 69' Pen: Allan (1/2) 13' |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 66,974 Referee: John Lacey (Ireland) |
Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Marco Bortolami became the fifth Italian player to earn 100 test caps.
- Angelo Esposito made his international debut for Italy.
- Italy's starting pack set a new record as the most-capped of all time. The pack entered the match with 587 caps, surpassing the previous record of 546 by New Zealand's pack against England on 16 November 2013.[20]
1 February 2014 18:00 CET (UTC+1) |
France | 26–24 | England |
Try: Huget (2) 1' m, 17' m Fickou 76' c Con: Doussain (0/2) Machenaud (1/1) 78' Pen: Doussain (2/2) 10', 22' Machenaud (1/1) 69' | Report[21] | Try: Brown 36' m Burrell 47' c Con: Farrell (1/2) 48' Pen: Farrell (2/2) 5', 42' Goode (1/1) 72' Drop: Care (1/1) 56' |
Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 78,763 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- French captain Pascal Papé earned his 50th test cap.
- Antoine Burban and Jules Plisson made their international debuts for France.
- Luther Burrell and Jack Nowell made their international debuts for England.
2 February 2014 15:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
Ireland | 28–6 | Scotland |
Try: Trimble 40' m Heaslip 46' c R. Kearney 70' c Con: Sexton (2/3) 47', 72' Pen: Sexton (3/3) 13', 22', 56' | Report[22] | Pen: Laidlaw (2/3) 18', 42' |
Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 51,000 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Paul O'Connell was named at lock for this match, but was ruled out with a chest infection hours before kick-off. He was replaced by Dan Tuohy.[23]
- Ireland reclaimed the Centenary Quaich after losing it in 2013.
- Martin Moore made his international debut for Ireland.
- Brian O'Driscoll made his 129th appearance for Ireland to surpass Ronan O'Gara as Ireland's most-capped player.
- Rob Kearney earned his 50th test cap.
Round 2
8 February 2014 14:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
Ireland | 26–3 | Wales |
Try: Henry 31' c Jackson 78' c Con: Sexton (1/1) 33' Jackson (1/1) 79' Pen: Sexton (4/5) 7', 16', 45', 55' | Report[24] | Pen: Halfpenny (1/1) 55' |
Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 51,045 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Paul James and Leigh Halfpenny earned their 50th test caps, with Halfpenny becoming the youngest Welsh player to reach the landmark.
- Jake Ball made his international debut for Wales.
- This was Wales' first Six Nations fixture that they have failed to score a try in since their 28–9 loss to France in 2011.
8 February 2014 17:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
Scotland | 0–20 | England |
Pen: Laidlaw (0/2) | Report[25] | Try: Burrell 14' c Brown 58' c Con: Farrell (2/2) 15', 59' Pen: Farrell (1/4) 28' Drop: Care (1/1) 5' |
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- England retained the Calcutta Cup.
- Chris Fusaro made his international debut for Scotland.
- This was the first match in which Scotland failed to score any points against England since their 15–0 loss in 1978.
9 February 2014 16:00 CET (UTC+1) |
France | 30–10 | Italy |
Try: Picamoles 42' c Fofana 45' c Bonneval 51' c Con: Doussain (3/3) 43', 46', 52' Pen: Doussain (3/5) 26', 33', 38' | Report[26] | Try: Iannone 76' c Con: Orquera (1/1) 77' Pen: Allan (1/2) 28' Garcia (0/2) |
Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 78,700 Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Hugo Bonneval made his international debut for France.
- France reclaimed the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy after losing it in 2013.
- This was the first Six Nations fixture in which a red card was issued since Scott Murray was sent off when playing for Scotland against Wales in 2006.
Round 3
21 February 2014 20:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
Wales | 27–6 | France |
Try: North 5' m Warburton 63' c Con: Halfpenny (1/2) 63' Pen: Halfpenny (5/6) 2', 9', 19', 34', 40' | Report[27] | Pen: Doussain (1/2) 16' Plisson (1/2) 31' |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 73,086 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Brice Mach made his international debut for France.
- Alun Wyn Jones was named in the Wales starting XV, but was ruled out hours before kick-off due to an injury to his foot. Jake Ball was promoted from the bench, with Andrew Coombs taking his place.[28]
22 February 2014 14:30 CET (UTC+1) |
Italy | 20–21 | Scotland |
Try: Allan 39' c Furno 70' c Con: Allan (1/1) 40' Orquera (1/1) 72' Pen: Allan (2/3) 13', 31' | Report[29] | Try: Dunbar (2) 53' m, 67' c Con: Laidlaw (0/1) Weir (1/1) 67' Pen: Laidlaw (2/2) 22', 45' Drop: Weir (1/1) 79' |
Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 66,271 Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Martin Castrogiovanni and Sergio Parisse earned their 104th caps for Italy, surpassing Andrea Lo Cicero on 103 as Italy's most-capped players.
22 February 2014 16:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
England | 13–10 | Ireland |
Try: Care 56' c Con: Farrell (1/1) 56' Pen: Farrell (2/3) 24', 53' | Report[30] | Try: R. Kearney 41' c Con: Sexton (1/1) 42' Pen: Sexton (1/1) 49' |
Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 81,835 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Jordi Murphy (Ireland) made his international debut.
- Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll drew level with Australia's George Gregan for the most caps in international rugby history, with 139. O'Driscoll has 131 caps with Ireland and eight with the British and Irish Lions.[31]
- England retained the Millennium Trophy.
Round 4
8 March 2014 14:30 GMT (UTC+0) |
Ireland | 46–7 | Italy |
Try: Sexton (2) 6' c, 59' m Trimble 37' c Healy 52' m Cronin 68' c McFadden 77' c McGrath 80' m Con: Sexton (2/4) 6', 39' Jackson (2/3) 69', 77' Pen: Sexton (1/1) 31' | Report[32] | Try: Sarto 24' c Con: Orquera (1/1) 25' |
Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 52,000 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- Brian O'Driscoll surpassed Australia's George Gregan for the most caps in international rugby history with 140 – 132 for Ireland, eight for the British and Irish Lions.[33]
- With Sergio Parisse unselected for this match, Martin Castrogiovanni became Italy's most capped player with 105 caps.[34]
8 March 2014 17:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
Scotland | 17–19 | France |
Try: Hogg 12' c Seymour 22' c Con: Laidlaw (2/2) 13', 22' Pen: Laidlaw (0/1) Weir (1/2) 61' | Report[35] | Try: Huget 45' c Con: Machenaud (1/1) 46' Pen: Machenaud (3/4) 1', 10', 16' Doussain (1/1) 78' |
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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9 March 2014 15:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
England | 29–18 | Wales |
Try: Care 4' c Burrell 33' c Con: Farrell (2/2) 5', 34' Pen: Farrell (5/5) 18', 26', 45', 54', 58' | Report[36] | Pen: Halfpenny (6/6) 8', 22', 30', 37', 40', 56' |
Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 81,641 Referee: Romain Poite (France) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- George Ford made his international debut for England.
- Wales' Gethin Jenkins drew level with Stephen Jones as the most-capped Welsh player with 104 caps.
- England won the Triple Crown for the first time since 2003.
Round 5
15 March 2014 13:30 CET (UTC+1) |
Italy | 11–52 | England |
Try: Sarto 68' m Con: Allan (0/1) Pen: Orquera (2/2) 6', 22' | Report[37] | Try: Brown (2) 12' c, 37' c Farrell 31' c Nowell 52' c Vunipola 60' c Tuilagi 67' c Robshaw 80+1' c Con: Farrell (7/7) 13', 32', 39', 53', 61', 67', 80+2' Pen: Farrell (1/1) 10' |
Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 71,257 Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- George Biagi made his international debut for Italy.
- With Martin Castrogiovanni unselected for this match, Sergio Parisse joined Castrogiovanni as the most capped Italian rugby player with 105 caps.
15 March 2014 14:45 GMT (UTC+0) |
Wales | 51–3 | Scotland |
Try: L. Williams 15' c North (2) 33' c, 41' m Roberts (2) 38' c, 47' c Faletau 52' m R. Williams 73' c Con: Biggar (4/6) 15', 23', 39', 48' Hook (1/1) 74' Pen: Biggar (2/2) 8', 23' | Report[38] | Pen: Laidlaw (1/3) 3' |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 73,547 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes
- This was Scott Johnson's final match in charge of Scotland, before being replaced by Vern Cotter.
- Gethin Jenkins surpassed Stephen Jones as the most-capped Welsh player with 105 caps.
- This was Wales' biggest winning margin over Scotland. It was previously the 46–22 victory at Murrayfield during the 2005 Six Nations Championship.
- Stuart Hogg's red card was the third of the 2014 tournament, but only the third since Scott Murray was sent off when playing for Scotland against Wales in 2006.
15 March 2014 18:00 CET (UTC+1) |
France | 20–22 | Ireland |
Try: Dulin 30' c Szarzewski 62' c Con: Machenaud (2/2) 31', 63' Pen: Machenaud (2/2) 1', 14' Doussain (0/1) | Report[39] | Try: Sexton (2) 20' m, 46' c Trimble 25' c Con: Sexton (2/3) 26', 47' Pen: Sexton (1/2) 52' |
Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 78,337 Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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Notes:
- This was the final Test match for Brian O'Driscoll, who had previously announced his retirement effective at the end of the 2013–14 season.[40]
- This game was the deciding game of the 2014 Six Nations Championship:
- If the game were drawn, or if France won by less than 70 points, England would win the Championship.
- If France won by 71 points or more, they would win the Championship. If they won by exactly 70, it would be decided on whichever team (France or England) had score more tries.
- Ireland won; sealing the title for the first time in 5 years.
Statistics
Points scorers
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Try scorers
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Media coverage
In the United Kingdom, BBC One televised all the matches live.[41] There was a forum show on the BBC Red Button for satellite and cable viewers after several matches. Wales matches were televised live in Welsh on S4C.
Elsewhere, the tournament's matches were televised live by France Télévisions in France, RTÉ in Ireland[42] and DMAX in Italy in the first year of a four-year contract.[43]
References
- "Six Nations 2014 team captains' press conference". Daily Telegraph. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- "France 20 Ireland 22". Daily Telegraph. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- "Ireland clinch Six Nations crown after beating France in thriller". Guardian. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- "France 20 Ireland 22". ESPN. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- Irish Rugby: Ireland – Profile: Brian O'Driscoll Archived 11 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 March 2011
- Brian O'Driscoll: Rugby Union Profile ESPN Scrum Retrieved 21 March 2011
- "Brian O'Driscoll elated by perfect Ireland finale". BBC Sport. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- "England prevail to claim Triple Crown". ESPN. 9 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- "Six Nations 2014: Sergio Parisse calls on Italy to restore pride with first ever win against England". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
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- "Six Nations 2014: Wales thrash Scotland as Stuart Hogg sent off". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
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- "Defending champions Wales overpower defiant Italy". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- Griffiths, John (13 February 2014). "The most-capped pack of all time". Ask Steven. ESPN (UK). Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- "Fickou seals dramatic late victory for France". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "Ireland sparkle to sink Scotland". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ESPN Staff. "Six Nations: Paul O'Connell ruled out of Scotland Test - Live Rugby News - ESPN Scrum". ESPN scrum.
- "Imperious Ireland dominate Wales in Dublin". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "England bounce back against listless Scotland". rbs6nations.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014.
- "Incisive France march on in Paris". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "North centre of attention as Wales overpower France". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ESPN Staff. "Six Nations: Infection rules Alun Wyn Jones out of France Test - Live Rugby News - ESPN Scrum". ESPN scrum.
- "Weir snatches victory for Scotland at death". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "Care sees defiant England edge past Ireland". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- Bruce, Sam (5 March 2014). "Brian O'Driscoll to break George Gregan's Test record as he bids farewell to Dublin". Fox Sports (Australia). Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- "O'Driscoll signs off in Dublin in style". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "Planet Rugby - Rugby Union News - O'Driscoll sets new world record". planetrugby.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- "BBC Sport - Six Nations 2014: Italy's Sergio Parisse out of Ireland game". BBC Sport.
- "Doussain breaks Scotland hearts". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "England land Triple Crown at Twickenham". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "England rack up a half century in Rome". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "Hogg sees red as Wales run riot". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "Ireland win 2014 RBS 6 Nations in Paris thriller". sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- "France 20 Ireland 22 match report: Ireland hold on to give Brian O'Driscoll perfect end to glittering career". Independent. 15 March 2014. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- "Rugby union on the BBC". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- "RTÉ to broadcast Six Nations until 2017". RTÉ. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- "DMAX searching for digital reporter for Italy's RBS 6 Nations campaign". rbs6nations.com. Six Nations Rugby. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.