2018 Six Nations Championship in Review

Read a review of the 2018 Six Nations here at RugbyPass. From the best players to Ireland’s triumphant Grand Slam, our rugby gurus have catalogued the key moments from the tournament.

Eager to recap the Six Nations matches from 2018? From England’s fifth-place finish to an incredibly close encounter between Scotland and Italy, scroll down to browse the Six Nations scores for 2018.

2018 Six Nations Stats: Who Won the Six Nations 2018?

Six Nations 2018 Winner: Ireland

The 2018 Six Nations Championship was the 19th annual Six Nations and the 124th edition of the Championship. Held between 3 February and 17 March 2018, this was also the final Natwest 6 Nations tournament – Guinness became the title sponsor in 2019. 

As the defending champions, England endured a disappointing tournament. They only won two of their five matches and finished fifth in the Six Nations standings for 2018. In contrast, Ireland delivered a stellar campaign and soared to the top of the table.

At the close of the tournament, the emerald side celebrated their 14th Championship Trophy, third Grand Slam and 11th Triple Crown. This was thanks to their resounding Super Saturday victory over England, which saw Ireland earn the first ever three-point Grand-Slam bonus.

The rugby 2018 Six Nations was also a phenomenal tournament for one Irish player. Jacob Stockdale was the top try scorer – he slotted seven tries – and he was named the Six Nations 2018 Player of the Tournament. Meanwhile, Maxime Machenaud was the competition’s top point scorer with 50 points.

Round One Review

Match one: Wales 34-7 Scotland (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match two: France 13-15 Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match three: Italy 15-46 England (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)

The 2018 Six Nations opened with a comfortable win for Wales and disappointment for Scotland. An on-form Wales scored their first try six minutes in while the Scots failed to cross the line until the 79th minute. The game ended 34-7, a score that also secured Wales their first Six Nations try-scoring bonus point.

Ireland’s first match saw them steal a dramatic win. The devastated French side was defeated by a determined Johnny Sexton, whose 83rd minute drop goal secured Ireland’s 15-13 victory.

Meanwhile, defending champions England ran circles around Italy. With a brace of tries from Anthony Watson and Sam Simmonds, the England squad crushed Italy 46-15.

Round Two Review

Match one: Ireland 56-19 Italy (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Match two: England 12-6 Wales (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match three: Scotland 32-26 France (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)

Round two of the 2018 Six Nations saw Ireland secure their 300th test victory. Although Italy fought back, they were no match for their faultless opponents and the game ended 56-19.

Next, England secured their second (and final) win of the tournament. The English squad outpaced Wales to claim their 15th successive Six Nations win at Twickenham – England set their previous 14-game winning streak between 1998 and 2003.

The round drew to a close with a thrilling clash between Scotland and France. The Scots successfully held the French at bay and claimed the inaugural Auld Alliance Trophy.

Round Three Review

Match one: France 34-17 Italy (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)
Match two: Ireland 37-27 Wales (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Match three: Scotland 25-13 England (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)

France vs Italy in round three was one of the most gruelling games of the 2018 Six Nations. The two teams traded penalties during the first half and tensions mounted in the second. Although Italy prevented France from scoring a fourth try, Les Bleus overwhelmed the Azzurri 34-17.

In match two, Ireland went three for three after notching five tries against Wales. They held onto their lead throughout the second half and handed Wales a devastating defeat – not the outcome Warren Gatland wanted for his 100th test in charge of Wales.

Finally, Scotland saw off England with a momentous 25-13 victory. This was Scotland’s sixth consecutive at-home Six Nations win, a figure that cemented their longest successive Six Nations winning record. In addition, Scotland also won the Calcutta Cup (their first since 2008) and secured their largest Six Nations winning margin against England.

Round Four Review

Match one: Ireland 28-8 Scotland (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Match two: France 22-16 England (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match three: Wales 38-14 Italy (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

Round four started with another Irish victory. In truth, Scotland crumbled under the pressure in this game and never looked like causing a strong Irish side any real problems. Buoyed by the home crowd, Ireland won 28-8 and reclaimed the Centenary Quaich. 

Next, English fans were dealt a blow. Thanks to their 22-16 loss to France, Ireland officially claimed the title. This was also England’s second loss of the tournament - the first time England had lost multiple Six Nations matches since 2010.

After their round-three defeat against Ireland, Wales produced an energetic display against Italy. Their 38-14 win left the Azzurri claiming their 13th wooden spoon.

Round Five Review

Match one: Italy 27-29 Scotland (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
Match two: England 15-24 Ireland (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match three: Wales 14-13 France (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

As Super Saturday arrived, all eyes were on one team: Ireland. Sitting at the top of the Six Nations 2018 scores, the Irish squad were staring down the Grand Slam. 

First up, a surprisingly close game between Scotland and Italy. In the end, Scotland edged past Italy 29-27 and finished in third place. Meanwhile, for Italy, this was a game of highs and lows. Although they obtained their first Six Nations bonus point, Sergio Parisse also became the first player to suffer 100 test losses.

Finally, it was Ireland’s turn. The team delivered a spectacular performance, winning their first Grand Slam and Triple Crown since 2009. For England, this was a heartbreaking result. It was their first defeat at home since 2015 and their first Six Nations loss at Twickenham since 2012. 

The Six Nations finale 2018 saw a vicious battle between Wales and France. The match ended 14-13 and France received the bonus losing point. This sealed their fourth-place finish and pushed England into fifth.

Six Nations Table 2018

Here are the Six Nations results from 2018:

The rugby 2018 Six Nations was a tournament of two tales: Ireland’s Grand Slam and England’s disaster. Ireland climbed to the top of the Six Nations leaderboard in 2018 after defeating England at Twickenham for the first time since 2010. They also retained the Millennium Trophy for the first time since 2011. 

In contrast, the 2018 Six Nations was England’s worst campaign since 1983, when they finished fifth in the Five Nations.