2008 Six Nations Championship

The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship, the 114th series of the international championship.

2008 Six Nations Championship
The Welsh team that won the Grand Slam
Date2 February – 15 March 2008
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Scotland
 Wales
Tournament statistics
Champions Wales (24th title)
Grand Slam Wales (10th title)
Triple Crown Wales (19th title)
Calcutta Cup Scotland
Millennium Trophy England
Centenary Quaich Ireland
Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy France
Matches played15
Tries scored50 (3.33 per match)
Top point scorer(s) Jonny Wilkinson (50)
Top try scorer(s) Shane Williams (6)
Player of the tournament Shane Williams
← 2007 (Previous) (Next) 2009 →

Fifteen matches were played over five weekends from 2 February to 15 March, resulting in Wales winning the Grand Slam, their second in the last four championships and tenth overall. In winning the Grand Slam, Wales also won the Triple Crown, for beating each of the other Home Nations, for the 19th time. Wales conceded only two tries in the championship, beating England's previous record of four tries conceded. Wales' Shane Williams was named the Player of the Championship.[1]

Participants
For the second year running, Ireland play their home games at Croke Park, while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped.

The teams involved were:

Nation Venue City Head coach Captain
 England Twickenham Stadium London Brian Ashton Phil Vickery
 France Stade de France Saint-Denis Marc Lièvremont Lionel Nallet
 Ireland Croke Park[lower-alpha 1] Dublin Eddie O'Sullivan Brian O'Driscoll[lower-alpha 2]
 Italy Stadio Flaminio Rome Nick Mallett Sergio Parisse
 Scotland Murrayfield Edinburgh Frank Hadden Jason White[lower-alpha 3]
 Wales Millennium Stadium Cardiff Warren Gatland Ryan Jones

Squads
For each nation's squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship, see 2008 Six Nations Championship squads.

Table
Position Nation Games Points Table
points
Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Difference Tries
1 Wales 550014866+821310
2 England 530210883+2586
3 France 530210393+10116
4 Ireland 52039399−694
5 Scotland 510469123−5432
6 Italy 510474131−5762

Results

Round 1
2 February 2008
14:00
Ireland  16–11  Italy
Try: Dempsey 18' c
Con: O'Gara (1/1)
Pen: O'Gara (3/4) 12', 57', 66'
 Report Try: Castrogiovanni 60' m
Pen: Bortolussi (2/3) 38', 70'
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 75,387
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
2 February 2008
16:30
England  19–26  Wales
Try: Flood 23' c
Con: Wilkinson (1/1)
Pen: Wilkinson (3/4) 1', 11', 45'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/1) 17'
 Report Try: Byrne 67' c
Phillips 70' c
Con: Hook (2/2)
Pen: Hook (4/4) 4', 34', 57', 63'
3 February 2008
15:00
Scotland  6–27  France
Pen: Parks (1/2) 30'
Drop: Parks (1/2) 4'
 Report Try: Clerc 12' c, 65' c
Malzieu 23' c
Con: Élissalde (2/2)
Skrela(1/1)
Pen: Traille (2/2) 18', 55'

Round 2
9 February 2008
14:00
Wales  30–15  Scotland
Try: S. Williams 13' c, 68' c
Hook 46' c
Con: Hook (2/2)
S. Jones (1/1)
Pen: Hook (1/1) 28'
S. Jones (2/2) 63', 71'
 Report Pen: Paterson (5/5) 10', 32', 42', 50', 55
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 74,576
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
9 February 2008
16:00
France  26–21  Ireland
Try: Clerc 14' c, 18' m, 35' c
Heymans 48' c
Con: Élissalde (3/4)
 Report Try: Penalty try 55' c
D. Wallace 59' m
Con: O'Gara (1/2)
Pen: O'Gara (3/3) 17', 28', 74'
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Attendance: 76,500
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
10 February 2008
14:30
Italy  19–23  England
Try: Picone 76' c
Con: Bortolussi (1/1)
Pen: Bortolussi (4/4) 5', 11', 44', 54'
 Report Try: Sackey 3' c
Flood 15' c
Con: Wilkinson (2/2)
Pen: Wilkinson (3/4) 31', 37', 57'
Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Attendance: 30,625
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

Round 3
23 February 2008
15:00
Wales  47–8  Italy
Try: Byrne 28' c, 68' c
Shanklin 42' c
S. Williams 57' c, 74' c
Con: S. Jones (3/3)
Hook (2/2)
Pen: S. Jones (4/4) 4', 11', 47', 50'
 Report Try: Castrogiovanni 12' m
Pen: Marcato (1/2) 40+2'
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 74,305
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
23 February 2008
17:00
Ireland  34–13  Scotland
Try: D. Wallace 22' c
Kearney 26' c
Horan 41' m
Bowe 62' c, 79' m
Con: O'Gara (3/5)
Pen: O'Gara (1/1) 50'
 Report Try: Webster 53' c
Con: Paterson (1/1)
Pen: Paterson (2/2) 24', 31'
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 74,234
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
23 February 2008
20:00
France  13–24  England
Try: Nallet 24' c
Con: Traille(1/1)
Pen: Parra (1/1) 49'
Yachvili (1/1) 74'
 Report Try: Sackey 5' c
Wigglesworth 79' m
Con: Wilkinson (1/2)
Pen: Wilkinson (3/5) 14', 29', 68'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/2) 64'
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Attendance: 79,593
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
  • Jonny Wilkinson drew level with Wales' Neil Jenkins as the all-time leading point scorer in international rugby history with 1,090 career points (including points scored for the British and Irish Lions).
  • This result left Wales as the only remaining team that could win the Grand Slam.
  • This was England's first away win over France in the Six Nations since their 15–9 win in 2000.

Round 4
8 March 2008
13:15
Ireland  12–16  Wales
Pen: O'Gara (4/4) 5', 19', 62', 68'
 Report Try: S. Williams 51' c
Con: S. Jones (1/1)
Pen: S. Jones (2/4) 26', 46'
Hook (1/1) 76'
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
8 March 2008
15:15
Scotland  15–9  England
Pen: Paterson (4/4) 9', 31', 40+2', 41'
Parks (1/1) 48'
 Report Pen: Wilkinson (3/5) 27', 50', 53'
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Attendance: 67,987
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
9 March 2008
15:00
France  25–13  Italy
Try: Floch 13' c
Jauzion 53' m
Rougerie 66' c
Con: Yachvili (2/3)
Pen: Yachvili (2/2) 27', 37'
 Report Try: Castrogiovanni 58' c
Con: Marcato (1/1)
Pen: Marcato (2/2) 18', 31'
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Attendance: 79,000
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)

Round 5
15 March 2008
13:00
Italy  23–20  Scotland
Try: Penalty try 13' c
Canale 59' c
Con: Marcato (2/2)
Pen: Marcato (2/4) 36', 68'
Drop: Marcato (1/1) 79'
 Report Try: Hogg 21' c
Blair 40' c
Con: Paterson (2/2)
Pen: Parks (1/1) 25'
Paterson (1/1) 72'
Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
  • Despite victory over the Scots, Italy won the "wooden spoon", having failed to win by the necessary five-point margin required to avoid finishing at the bottom of the table.
15 March 2008
15:00
England  33–10  Ireland
Try: Sackey 19' c
Tait 57' c
Noon 69' c
Con: Cipriani (3/3)
Pen: Cipriani (4/4) 12', 30', 44', 73'
 Report Try: Kearney 4' c
Con: O'Gara (1/1)
Pen: O'Gara (1/2) 7'
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
15 March 2008
17:00
Wales  29–12  France
Try: S. Williams 60' c
M. Williams 77' c
Con: S. Jones (2/2)
Pen: Hook (3/5) 5', 18', 21'
S. Jones (2/2) 63', 74'
 Report Pen: Élissalde (3/3) 19', 39', 46'
Yachvili (1/1) 69'
  • Shane Williams took sole possession of the all-time try scoring lead for Wales with his 41st try.
  • Wales won the Grand Slam for the second time in four championships.
  • By virtue of Wales beating France by more than three points, England finished second in the table, their best Six Nations finish since 2003.
  • Wales conceded just two tries all championship, the tightest ever defence in the Six Nations.

Scorers

Notes
  1. Lansdowne Road, Ireland's traditional home, is being redeveloped and is expected to be back in use by 2009.
  2. Ronan O'Gara captained Ireland in their final match against England, which O'Driscoll missed due to a hamstring tear.
  3. White missed Scotland's third game because of concussion and started on the bench in the last two games. He was replaced as captain for these games by Mike Blair.
  4. Rolland replaced original referee Paul Honiss, who was forced to return to New Zealand due to a serious family illness.

References
  1. "Williams wins RBS player of the Championship". RBS 6 Nations. 19 March 2008. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2008.
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