Explore the 2001 Six Nations Championship right here at RugbyPass. Our rugby gurus have reviewed every moment of the competition, from England’s record winning margin against Italy to their final-match defeat.
Are you ready to travel back to 2001? Take a look below to enjoy our complete guide of the Six Nations 2001 tournament.
2001 Six Nations Stats: Who Won the Six Nations 2001?
Six Nations 2001 Winner: England
The 2001 Six Nations will be forever remembered as a record-breaking competition. The England squad set several Six Nations records during this tournament, including the most points (229), tries (29) and biggest points difference (+149).
In addition to their records, England successfully defended their title and lifted their 24th Championship Trophy. This left Ireland in second place with four victories. Meanwhile, Scotland, Wales and France finished in third, fourth and fifth. Each of these teams won two matches and they were separated by points difference.
The second edition of the annual Six Nations and the 107th Championship, the 2001 tournament was interrupted by the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Due to travel restrictions, Ireland’s fixtures against England, Scotland and Wales were rescheduled – the final match was played on 20 October 2001.
By the end of the Championship, Jonny Wilkinson was the top point scorer with 89 points. To date, this remains the most points scored by one player in one competition. He also kicked 24 conversions, another record that has yet to be beaten. Additionally, Will Greenwood was the tournament’s top try scorer with six tries.
Round One Review
Match one: Italy 22-41 Ireland (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match two: Wales 15-44 England (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match three: France 16-6 Scotland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
The opening match of the 2001 Six Nations featured a win for Ireland. Thanks largely to a magnificent hat-trick from Rob Henderson, the emerald side smashed the Azzurri 41-22.
Next, England secured their only away win of the series. In a clinical display that included a Will Greenwood hat-trick and a brace from Matt Dawson, the England squad defeated Wales 44-15.
In the third fixture, France fought their way to a 16-6 victory against a scrappy Scotland. Les Bleus led from the 42nd minute and Christophe Lamaison sealed their win with a last-minute penalty.
Round Two Review
Match one: Ireland 22-15 France (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)
Match two: England 80-23 Italy (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match three: Scotland 28-28 Wales (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Round two kicked off with Ireland’s first win over France since 1983. The Irish side continually squeezed their French opponents, securing their lead during the first half. They kept France at bay before ultimately celebrating a 22-15 victory.
The second match was the famous England v Italy encounter. Up 33-23 at the break, England returned to the pitch with fervour. They produced a near-perfect second half, scoring an additional 57 points without reply.
In beating Italy 80-23, England set Six Nations records for the most points by one team (80), the most points in one match (103) and the most tries in one match (12). It also featured a peerless performance by the legendary Jonny Wilkinson, who scored 35 points including nine conversions, the most points and conversions scored by one player in a single match.
The round ended with Scotland’s dramatic comeback against Wales. After an early second-half try from Mark Taylor, Scotland were facing a 19-point deficit. Unwilling to accept defeat, the Scots hit back and produced a stunning 28-28 draw.
Round Three Review
Match one: Italy 19-30 France (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match two: England 43-3 Scotland (Twickenham Stadium, London)
In round three of the Six Nations 2001 tournament, Italy lost to France 30-19. Despite a late try from Massimiliano Perziano, France remained on top.
Next, England trounced Scotland at Twickenham. The Scots scored all of their points in the first half: a single penalty from the boot of Duncan Hodge. With England ahead 22-3 at the break, the squad added a further 21 points during the last 40 minutes.
Round Four Review
Match one: France 35-43 Wales (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match two: Scotland 23-19 Italy (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Round four saw Wales outplay Les Bleus. Neil Jenkins was a Welsh hero, kicking 23 points and scoring a last-minute try against the formidable French side. With this 43-35 result, a resilient Wales claimed their first win of the 2001 Six Nations.
In the second fixture, Scotland scraped past Italy 23-19. Thanks to four penalties and a conversion from Diego Domínguez, Italy were always within striking distance. But, the accuracy of Duncan Hodge kept them ahead.
Round Five Review
Match one: England 48-19 France (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match two: Italy 23-33 Wales (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Round five began with England’s fourth win of the tournament – only Ireland stood in their way of the Grand Slam. After a marginal 16-13 halftime deficit, a ruthless England flattened the visitors and left France nursing a 48-19 loss.
Next, Wales won their second (and last) game of the tournament. This fierce clash saw Italy rise to the challenge. However, Wales held on and finished with a comfortable 10-point margin of victory.
Postponed Matches
Match one (round three): Scotland 32-10 Ireland (Murrayfield Stadium)
Match two (round four): Wales 6-36 Ireland (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match three (round five): Ireland 20-14 England (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)
Round five should have been the last weekend of the 2001 Six Nations. However, three matches were postponed due to the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
The rescheduled matches kicked off with Scotland v Ireland on 22 September. This was a shocker for the Irish side, who failed to score a single point before the break. The entire team appeared to struggle – even the legendary Ronan O’Gara missed several penalties. After leading 17-0 at half time, Scotland kept the pressure on during the second half and ultimately triumphed 32-10.
Next, it was Wales v Ireland. Contested on 13 October, the Irish side bounced back. They bulldozed Wales, producing a 36-6 victory at Millennium Stadium.
The last game of the Six Nations 2001 tournament was Ireland v England. After a stunning campaign, the England squad fell at the final hurdle. The men in green secured the lead early on and England failed to retaliate. In the end, Ireland beat England 20-14.
Six Nations Table 2001
Here are the Six Nations results from 2001:
Team | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points Difference | Tries For | Total Points |
England | 4 | 1 | 0 | +149 | 29 | 8 |
Ireland | 4 | 1 | 0 | +40 | 11 | 8 |
Scotland | 2 | 2 | 1 | -24 | 8 | 5 |
Wales | 2 | 2 | 1 | -41 | 10 | 5 |
France | 2 | 3 | 0 | -23 | 9 | 4 |
Italy | 0 | 5 | 0 | -101 | 8 | 0 |
The 2001 Six Nations was bittersweet for England. Although they successfully defended their title, their disorganised display against Ireland cost them the Grand Slam – and the Triple Crown. However, it was still a glorious year for the squad, who set several new records.
With England in the top spot, Ireland finished in second place – one higher than the previous tournament. Meanwhile, Wales tumbled down the table; they were the runners-up in 2000.
