Ireland and France clear of the field – what we learned from the Six Nations

Ireland were crowned Grand Slam champions with a hard-fought victory over England in Dublin, bringing to a close a captivating Guinness Six Nations.

Here, the PA news agency examines five things learnt from the tournament.

The final standings.#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/6CVRv49oje

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 18, 2023

The final Six Nations table mirrors the global rankings, providing an accurate picture of the balance of power in Europe. Ireland and France will lead the northern hemisphere’s charge at the World Cup this autumn, Scotland are a quality outfit but not equipped to topple the giants, England and Wales are mired in crisis and rapidly-improving Italy just lack the composure at critical moments needed to be truly competitive.

Gatland’s players completed an underwhelming Guinness Six Nations campaign with a 41-28 defeat against France in Paris – their fourth loss during this season’s tournament.

Merci à tous pour votre soutien incroyable pendant ce tournoi Hâte de vous retrouver en septembre...