Read about the thrilling 2006 Six Nations Championship here at RugbyPass. Our rugby gurus have explored every aspect of this tournament, from France’s 15th title to Ireland claiming the first ever physical Triple Crown trophy.
Whether you want to relive Ireland’s final Six Nations at Lansdowne Road or explore the fastest try in Championship history, keep scrolling for a full breakdown of the Six Nations 2006 stats.
2006 Six Nations Stats: Who Won the Six Nations 2006?
Six Nations 2006 Winner: France
The 2006 Six Nations Championship was contested between Saturday 4 February and Saturday 18 March 2006. It was the 112th incarnation of the Championship (including the Home and Five Nations) and the seventh edition of the Six Nations.
As the tournament progressed, two teams were in pole position: France and Ireland. Each nation lost one game – France were defeated by Scotland in round one, while Ireland were overpowered by France in round two – and the winner was decided on points difference.
France emerged as the victors. They claimed their 16th Championship with a +63 points difference, beating Ireland by 29 points. In second place, Ireland’s consolation prize was the first ever physical Triple Crown. Meanwhile, Scotland won their first Calcutta Cup since 2000.
Although Ireland failed to win the Championship, the squad performed admirably. Ronan O’Gara scored 72 points to become the top point scorer, while Shane Horgan finished as the tournament’s joint-top try-scorer with three (alongside Italy’s Mirco Bergamasco). Finally, Brian O’Driscoll was voted as the Six Nations 2006 Player of the Tournament.
Round One Review
Match one: Ireland 26-16 Italy (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)
Match two: England 47-13 Wales (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match three: Scotland 20-16 France (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Round one started with a surprisingly tense battle between Ireland and Italy. The Azzurri caused problems for the skilled Irish side, but Ireland were superior in the second half. Thanks largely to four penalties from Ronan O’Gara, the men in green secured a 26-16 win.
England delivered a stunning start to their Six Nations 2006 campaign. With six tries – including three after 70 minutes – England defeated the defending champions 47-13. This 34-point win was England’s biggest margin of victory against Wales since 2002.
Next, Scotland stood their ground against a fastidious France. The underdogs scored 13 unanswered points during the first half and held on to win 20-16. This was Scotland’s first opening-match victory in the Six Nations. It was also their first win against France since 1999.
Round Two Review
Match one: France 43-31 Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match two: Italy 16-31 England (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match three: Wales 28-18 Scotland (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Round two of the 2006 Six Nations saw France bulldoze Ireland 43-31. A brace from David Marty secured France’s 43-3 lead. Ireland responded by scoring four tries in 13 minutes but it wasn’t enough to overtake the hosts.
In match two, England travelled to Rome. After a spirited start from the Azzurri, England fought back to beat their aggressive opponents 31-16. The match concluded with James Simpson-Daniel’s 89th-minute try.
The Wales v Scotland match featured a triumphant return for Wales. Following their round-one defeat, Wales beat Scotland 28-18. This was a highly charged encounter in which Scotland played for 60 minutes with 14 men. This was due to Scott Murray’s red card, which he received after kicking Ian Gough in the face – this was the first Six Nations red card since 2001.
This was also a trying match for the Welsh side. Citing conflict with the Welsh Rugby Union, coach Mike Ruddock stepped down after this game.
Round Three Review
Match one: France 37-12 Italy (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match two: Scotland 18-12 England (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match three: Ireland 31-5 Wales (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)
All three teams won their home matches during round three of the 2006 Six Nations. This started with France, who sailed past the Azzurri 37-12. Highlights included two late tries from Aurélien Rougerie and Frédéric Michalak.
Next, Scotland put an end to England’s Grand Slam hopes. This gritty try-less match was won by Chris Paterson, who successfully converted five penalties. Thanks to their 18-12 win, Scotland claimed the Calcutta Cup for the first time since 2000.
The round closed with a devastating outcome for Wales. After their success against Scotland, the Welsh squad failed to break through Ireland’s defence. Wales peaked with an opening try from Mark Jones and the game ended 31-5.
Round Four Review
Match one: Wales 18-18 Italy (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match two: Ireland 15-9 Scotland (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)
Match three: France 31-6 England (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Round four featured the first Six Nations draw since 2001. This scrappy Wales v Italy match ended 18-18 and there were missed opportunities on both sides. For example, Ramiro Pez failed to kick 11 points for the Azzurri.
Following this, Scotland played in their second try-less match of the tournament. With three penalties from Chris Paterson and five from Ronan O’Gara, Scotland lost 15-9 against Ireland. This six-point win was Ireland’s smallest victory against the Scots since 1988. It was also the last Championship match ever held at Lansdowne Road.
Round four of the 2006 Six Nations concluded with France’s 25-point triumph over England. This was a record-equalling victory for France; Les Bleus defeated England 37-12 at the 1972 Five Nations. This game also featured the fastest opening try in Championship history: Florian Fritz crossed the line after just 40 seconds.
Round Five Review
Match one: Italy 10-13 Scotland (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match two: Wales 16-21 France (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match three: England 24-28 Ireland (Twickenham Stadium, London)
The Six Nations 2006 ended with three wins for Scotland. Thanks to a late penalty from Chris Paterson, Scotland beat Italy 13-10 in their final encounter. As a result, they achieved their best Championship finish since 2001.
Next, France achieved their fourth consecutive victory at the Millennium Stadium. After being outplayed by the Welsh, it was a late try from Florian Fritz that pushed France into the lead.
The outcome of the tournament was decided by the final fixture: England v Ireland. Contested at Twickenham, Ireland needed a 34-point win to secure the Championship. Instead, they won by a margin of just four points.
Ireland’s star of the match was Shane Horgan. His brace not only put Ireland on the scoreboard, it also sealed their 28-24 Triple Crown win.
Six Nations Table 2006
Here are the Six Nations results from 2006:
Team | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points Difference | Tries For | Total Points |
France | 4 | 1 | 0 | +63 | 18 | 8 |
Ireland | 4 | 1 | 0 | +34 | 12 | 8 |
Scotland | 3 | 2 | 0 | -3 | 5 | 6 |
England | 2 | 3 | 0 | +14 | 12 | 4 |
Wales | 1 | 3 | 1 | -55 | 9 | 3 |
Italy | 0 | 4 | 1 | -53 | 5 | 1 |
The Six Nations 2006 was a stunning year for France and Scotland. France lost just one match and won the tournament on points difference over a spirited Ireland. Meanwhile, Scotland produced their best Six Nations campaign in five years.
In contrast, Ireland’s last encounter presented an insurmountable challenge. In the end, they fell 30 points short of their required 34-point winning margin. However, they commiserated with the first physical Triple Crown trophy.
Additionally, this was a trying tournament for Wales. The defending champions failed to win a single game after Mike Ruddock’s resignation. As a result, a tumultuous Wales fell to fifth place.
