History : RBS 6 Nations Last Season 6 Nations History Played annually, the format of the Championship is simple: each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss and unlike most other rugby union competitions the bonus point system is not used. Victory in every game results in a 'Grand Slam' and back-to-back Grand Slams have been won on five occasions. Wales achieved the first one in 1908 and 1909, England have done it three times in 1913 and 1914, 1923 and 1924 and 1991 and 1992 while France did it in 1997 and 1998. England hold the record for the number of Grand Slams won with 12, followed by Wales with 11, France with nine, Scotland with three and Ireland with two. Victory by any Home Nation over the other three Home Nations constitutes as a 'Triple Crown'.

The Triple Crown has twice been won on four consecutive occasions, once by Wales between 1976 and 1979 and once by England between 1995 and 1998. England hold the record for the number of Triple Crowns won with 23, followed by Wales with 20 and Scotland and Ireland both with ten. Although this achievement has long been a feature of the tournament, it was not until 2006 that a physical trophy, commissioned by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was awarded. Meanwhile, the last-placed nation at the end of the tournament is said to have won a purely figurative Wooden Spoon. Several individual competitions take place under the umbrella of the Six Nations tournament. The oldest is the Calcutta Cup, which has been running since 1879 and is contested annually between England and Scotland. The Millennium Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the game between England and Ireland with the first presented in 1989, and in the same year, the Centenary Quaich was contested between Ireland and Scotland for the first time.

Since 2007, France and Italy have also contested for their own silverware - the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy. It was created to honour the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who helped unify Italy and was also a French military general. Up to World War I In 1871, England and Scotland played the first rugby union international with the latter coming out on top. After 12 years of occasional friendly matches between the teams, the inaugural Home International Championship, comprising England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales was played in 1883. England won the first series, along with a Triple Crown, and up until 1893 when Wales won and 1894 when Ireland won only them and Scotland had been crowned champions. Wales' triumphs in 1908 and 1909, although won during the Home Nations era, were the first Grand Slams as they defeated France in both seasons. France officially joined in 1910, having played in four tournaments up to that point, with the Championship now referred to as the Five Nations.

England won the first Championship of the new era while Wales followed up winning the first ever Grand Slam by winning the first Grand Slam of the Five Nations a year later. The competition was suspended during World War I before France were ejected from the tournament in 1931, which reverted back to being the Home Nations from 1932 through to 1939. Post War Proceedings were halted again during World War II and resumed in 1947 as the Five Nations with France welcomed backed into the fold. France won their first shared title seven years later in 1954 and their first outright title in 1959 and by the 1970s the Five Nations had become the pre-eminent series in Northern hemisphere rugby union. Matches became all-ticket affairs, gaining huge popularity and a large television audience, however in 1972 the tournament was not finished after Scotland and Wales refused to travel to Dublin to play Ireland. The season after was unique for a five-way tie, with every nation having won and lost two games.

The 1970s marked the golden age for Welsh rugby as they won three Grand Slams and one Triple Crown during the decade, an achievement the modern team could yet surpass having won Grand Slams in 2005, 2008 and 2012. There was no tangible reward for winning the Five Nations Championship until 1993 when a trophy was presented for the first time to the winners - who were France. Prior to 1994 teams that finished equal on points shared the Championship but from then on ties were broken by considering the points differences between the teams. Professional Era Wales were the second team to get their hands on Five Nations silverware followed by England, while Scotland's first success came in 1999. Scotland were the last team to lift the Five Nations trophy as Italy joined the following year in 2000 and the tournament became known as the Six Nations. England won the first Six Nations competition in 2000 before repeating the trick in 2001, while Wales are the current holders having denied England the Grand Slam in 2013.

In 2005 Wales became the first team ever to win a Grand Slam by playing more games away than at home - a feat repeated by Ireland in 2009. A year later France pipped Ireland on points' difference however the latter did receive the Triple Crown in trophy format for the first time ever. Italy collected the Wooden Spoon that year but achieved a historic feat by earning their maiden point away from home after drawing with Wales. In 2007 with four teams having a mathematical chance of lifting the trophy France retained their crown on points' difference again. Italy made further history by winning their first away match against Scotland in Edinburgh and also by picking up two victories for the first time after beating Wales in Rome. Scotland replaced Italy in settling for the Wooden Spoon while Ireland won the Triple Crown for the second straight occasion and third time in four years. Wales ended France's run in 2008, winning the Grand Slam for the first time since 2005 after a remarkable opening against England.

Trailing by 13 points Wales came from behind to win 26-19, thanks mainly to Mike Phillips' 70th-minute try, and dispatched Scotland 30-15, Italy 47-8, France 29-12 and Ireland 16-12. Wales wing Shane Williams was named the RBS Player of the Championship after scoring six tries while England, World Cup finalists in 2007, were forced to settle for second. Professional Era Continued Ireland took a leaf out of Wales' book a year later ending a 61-year Grand Slam drought in a 2009 tournament in stark contrast to the 2008 one. Whereas the excitement in 2008 came at the start of the tournament it wasn't until the end when the 2009 Championship came alive. Wales hosted Ireland in Cardiff with a Triple Crown on the line as well as knowing a 13-point win would be enough to retain their title. Drama ensued as with Ireland leading 17-15 at the death Welsh stand-off Stephen Jones missed a 50-metre penalty from halfway.

England finished second as a result in their first tournament under Martin Johnson while France and Wales contested the first ever game played on a Friday night. The 2010 Six Nations belonged to France as they won the Grand Slam for the first time since 2004. Les Bleus were rarely troubled, opening up with an 18-9 win over Scotland before defeating Ireland 33-10, Wales 26-20 and Italy 46-20. France had already won the Championship going into their final game with England after Ireland lost their second game of the tournament to Scotland hours earlier. But despite being pushed by England, who scored the only try of the game, France came out on top 12-10 at the Stade de France to win the Grand Slam. Ireland's 23-20 loss to Scotland in the final game of the campaign not only denied Ireland the Triple Crown but saw Italy receive the dreaded Wooden Spoon for the third year running. England ended a run of eight years without a title as they wrapped up the 2011 RBS 6 Nations title.

Winger Chris Ashton was the spearhead, racking up six tries including four at home to Italy in a thumping 59-13 success. The Azzurri did however make history with a first championship win over France, stunning Les Bleus 22-21 in Rome. A controversial Mike Phillips try handed Wales a narrow 19-13 win over Ireland, but the Irish took their frustration out on England, denying them a Grand Slam with a convincing 24-8 win on the final weekend. And despite securing that historic victory over the French, Italy again had to settle for the Wooden Spoon after a 21-8 defeat in Scotland in their final match. Last Season The 2015 RBS 6 Nations will live long in the memory, not least because of a nerve-jangling final day that began with four teams still in the hunt for the title. It all began in Cardiff six weeks earlier, when England and Wales set the tone for a thrilling Championship.

A second-half comeback - kick-started by Jonathan Joseph, who would go on to shine throughout the competition - earned England a 21-16 triumph and a measure of revenge for their chastening defeat on the same turf two years earlier. Ireland and France also began with victories before facing one another in round two, when Jonathan Sexton kicked the men in green to victory. England, meanwhile, made it two from two as a pair of Joseph tries helped see off Italy and Scotland ran Wales close at BT Murrayfield in a 26-23 defeat. There was more heartbreak on home soil for Scotland, who lost 22-19 to Italy, in round three as Wales picked up a second win in as many games, at France's expense. But the biggest clash of the weekend was at the Aviva Stadium, where Robbie Henshaw's try ensured England tasted defeat for the first time in 2015. Ireland soon saw their unbeaten record slip, however, with a 23-16 defeat in Wales while England beat Scotland and France shut Italy out for a 29-0.

That left Ireland, England and Wales on six points with France on four and, with all three round-five clashes taking place on the same day, a nail-biting finale was on the cards. Wales were first up and they struck an ominous blow, not just moving to eight points but also boosting their points difference with a 61-20 triumph in Italy, George North grabbing a hat-trick. With a 20-point gap to bridge, Ireland did enough in Scotland - Paul O'Connell among the tries in his final RBS 6 Nations game as Joe Schmidt's side won 40-10. Attentions then turned to Twickenham, where England needed to beat France by 26 points or more to deny Ireland back-to-back Championships. A high-octane encounter kept everyone entertained, with 12 tries in total, but a 55-35 win was not enough for the Red Rose and celebrations began in the Scottish capital. What is Six Nations - History of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament What is Six Nations Venues What is Six Nations Rugby – Background The Six Nations is an annual rugby tournament between the top rugby nations in the northern hemisphere.

France, Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland and Italy passionately compete in the Six Nations Rugby Tournament every year with five games for each team with everyone playing each other once and home advantage alternating from one year to the next. You get two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss and unlike most other rugby union competitions the bonus point system is not used. If a team wins all of its games in the Six Nations then it is said that they have won a Grand Slam. England hold the record for the number of Grand Slams won with 12, followed by Wales with ten, France with nine, Scotland with three and Ireland with two. If any Home Nation (Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland) wins all of its three matches against the other three Home Nations then it is said to have won a Triple Crown. England hold the record for the number of Triple Crowns won with 23, followed by Wales with 19, Scotland and Ireland both with ten. The team who finish bottom at the end of the tournament is said to have won the Wooden Spoon and a team which has lost all five matches is said to have been whitewashed.

There are a number of competitions that take place within the Six Nations tournament, the oldest being the Calcutta Cup, which is contested annually between England and Scotland and has been running since 1879. The Millennium Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the game between England and Ireland since 1988 and since 2007, France and Italy have competed for the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy. What is Six Nations Rugby – History England and Scotland played the first rugby union international back in 1871, with Scotland coming out on top. After 12 years of occasional friendly matches between the teams, the inaugural Home International Championship, made up of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales was played in 1883. England won that first series, along with a Triple Crown, and up until 1893 when Wales won and 1894 when Ireland won only them and Scotland had been crowned champions. France officially joined in 1910 point with the Championship now referred to as the Five Nations. England won the first Championship of the new era while Wales won the first Grand Slam of the Five Nations a year later.

The competition was suspended during World War I before France was ejected from the tournament in 1931, which reverted back to being the Home Nations from 1932 through to 1939. Proceedings were halted again during World War II and resumed in 1947 as the Five Nations with France returning to the fold. France won their first shared title seven years later in 1954 and their first outright title in 1959. By the 1970s the Five Nations had become the pre-eminent series in Northern hemisphere rugby union and matches became all-ticket affairs, with huge popularity and a large television audience. The 1970s also marked the golden age for Welsh rugby as they won three Grand Slams and one Triple Crown during the decade. Before 1994, teams that finished equal on points shared the Championship but from then on ties were broken by considering the points differences between the teams. Scotland were the last team to lift the Five Nations trophy as Italy joined the following year in 2000 and the tournament became known as the Six Nations.

England were the first nation to win the Six Nations in 2000 before repeating the trick in 2001 and are also the current holders having won the Six Nations Championship in 2011. What is Six Nations – Interesting Facts England's Jonny Wilkinson currently holds the records for individual points in one match (35 points against Italy in 2001) and one season with 89 (scored in 2001). Ronan O'Gara of Ireland holds the career scoring record with 551 points to Wilkinson's 546, having surpassed Wilkinson in Round 3 of the 2011 championship. The record for tries in a match is held by Scotsman George Lindsay who scored five tries against Wales in 1887. England's Cyril Lowe and Scotland's Ian Smith jointly hold the record for tries in one season with 8 (Lowe in 1914, Smith in 1925). Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll has the Championship record for tries with 25 from 2000 to the present. He set the record on 19 March 2011 versus England.

The record for appearances is jointly held by two Irishmen—Mike Gibson and O'Gara. Gibson played in 56 Five Nations matches (Italy had not become part of the Championship yet) between 1964 and 1979, whilst O'Gara, who made his first Championship appearance in the inaugural Six Nations in 2000, equalled this record during Ireland's victory over England in the 2011 6 Nations Championship. The most points scored by a team in one match was England when they scored 80 points against Italy in 2001. England also scored the most ever points in a season in 2001 with 229, and most tries in a season with 28. Wales hold the record for fewest tries conceded during a season in the Six Nations era, conceding only 2 in 5 games in 2008, but the 1977 Grand Slam-winning France team did not concede a try in their four matches.

2012 Six Nations Rugby365 | Wales eyeing Six Nations hat-trick Wales eyeing Six Nations hat-trick Sat, 25 Jan 2014 07:42 Defending champions Wales have a chance to do what no side has ever done by winning the Six Nations three times in a row. Defending champions Wales have a chance to do what no side has ever done by winning the Six Nations three times in a row when the 2014 edition gets underway next weekend. The sport in the principality may be in the midst of a bitter civil war between the Welsh Rugby Union and the four professional regions over the future of the club game and the likes of star fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who this week signed to join Toulon, joining a player exodus to France. But those worries, as well as the ongoing row over the future of the club game's European Cup and the ability of the northern hemisphere's finest to compete against the southern 'big three', are far from the forefront of Wales coach Warren Gatland's mind "We've got an opportunity to create history," he said.

"Having won the last two years there is a chance, particularly with three home games," added the New Zealander, who guided the British and Irish Lions to a series win in Australia last year. "The two away games are particularly tough in terms of England at Twickenham and Ireland as well, but if you look at 2008 and 2012 and winning Grand Slams, they were the fixtures then. "It's a tough competition to win. You need a little bit of luck, you need a bit of momentum. "Getting Italy first-up, hopefully it is not a banana skin for us. Hopefully, we can get off to a good start and get some momentum." Injuries though remain a concern with captain Sam Warburton (shoulder) and under-rated centre Jonathan Davies (pectoral muscle) both struggling for fitness. But it's a familiar situation for Gatland whose side, as well as trying to go for a treble that proved beyond even the reach of the brilliant Wales team of the 1970s, will also be trying to upset the pattern of France winning the Six Nations that follows a Lions tour.

"The big challenge for us is if you look back over the last four or five British and Irish Lions tours, or maybe even further back, the team that has won the Six Nations or Grand Slam after a Lions tour has been France," said Gatland. "We are aware of that history as well." But in order for that history to be of any relevance France, who finished bottom of the table in the course of a dreadful 2013, must improve significantly. France coach Phillipe Saint-Andre, having overseen fourth and sixth-placed finishes in his two Six Nations in charge, knows patience is wearing thin especially as he can call on players of the calibre of Wesly Fofana, Louis Picamoles and Thomas Domingo. And he also knows he is running out of excuses, given this season he has been granted the kind of preparation time that first-up opponents England have come to regard as standard. "We'll have had a a two-week camp, which is very important for this team," said Saint-Andre.

"For the first time we have at least the same preparation as the five other nations in this competition," added the former France captain, whose side will be led by Pascal Pape in the absence of injured captain Thierry Dusautoir. While all teams have one eye on next year's World Cup, especially tournament hosts England, Red Rose coach Stuart Lancaster would dearly love to win the Six Nations after seeing last season's dream of Grand Slam glory end with a 30-3 thrashing by Wales in Cardiff. "We've drawn with South Africa, beaten Australia and beaten New Zealand, so our confidence and self-belief are growing," Lancaster said. "As with all players and teams, you want to win things. That's the ambition for everyone." But in order to do that, England's backs in particular are likely to have to up their game. One of the enduring joys of the Six Nations is its unpredictability. Few would tip either Italy or Scotland for the title but, as they showed last season when the Azzurri beat France and the Scots stunned Ireland, both teams can have a huge impact upon the destiny of the Championship.

"If we get good consistency then in parts of our game we can beat anyone on our day," said Scotland's bullish Australian coach, Scott Johnson. Meanwhile Ireland, having pushed world champions New Zealand close before a last-ditch defeat in Dublin in November, will fancy their chances as long as their home form holds up, according to new coach Joe Schmidt. "If we could defend the Aviva that would be great," said Schmidt ahead of the New Zealander's first Six Nations as a coach and Irish star centre Brian O'Driscoll's last before retirement. "If we manage an away victory against either England or France as well, then that would put us in the mix." AFP World Cup player profiles: Wales | Planetrugby.com : Planetrugby.com World Cup player profiles: Wales Date published: September 11 2015 Ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, we take a look at all of the players set to feature in England. Next up, Wales.

Forwards: Tomas Francis, Paul James, Aaron Jarvis, Gethin Jenkins, Samson Lee, Scott Baldwin, Ken Owens, Jake Ball, Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Dominic Day, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, James King, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton (c). Backs: Gareth Davies, Lloyd Williams, Dan Biggar, Rhys Priestland, Cory Allen, Jamie Roberts, Scott Williams, Hallam Amos, Alex Cuthbert, Matthew Morgan, George North, Liam Williams, Mike Phillips, Eli Walker. CORY ALLEN Centre 1.91m 99kg 11.02.1993 The Cardiff Blues centre made his Test debut in 2013 against Argentina. A shoulder injury in that game forced Allen to miss the majority of the 2013/14 season but he returned towards the end of the campaign and was selected in Warren Gatland's 32-man squad to tour South Africa.

Allen was capped for Wales U18 at full-back before moving to centre and was part of the Wales U20 side that beat New Zealand at the Junior World Championship in South Africa in 2012. He has also turned heads with the Wales Sevens set up, winning the Sevens World Series Fans' Favourite Try of the Year. HALLAM AMOS Wing 1.86m 98kg 24.09.1994 Amos currently plies his trade at Newport Gwent Dragons. The youthful talent joined the Dragons in 2011 and made history by becoming the youngest player to play Welsh regional rugby at the tender age of 17. Amos has made over 60 appearances for the Dragons and as a result he was selected for the Wales U20 side for the 2013 Six Nations Championship. Staggering performances for the U20 side saw him make his Test debut later that same year. SCOTT BALDWIN Hooker 1.91m 114kg 12.17.1988 Baldwin broke through into the Wales starting XV during the 2015 Six Nations in place of Richard Hubbard.

He made his debut for the Ospreys in 2009 and his international debut in 2013 during the Wales tour of Japan, with Baldwin coming off the bench in the second half to win his first cap for his country. His first starts for Wales came in the 2014 November Tests against first Fiji and then South Africa. JAKE BALL Lock 1.97m 121kg 21.06.1991 Ball was born in England and migrated to Australia with his parents when he was 17. A rising star in Australia, he was spotted by Welsh regional team the Scarlets, who signed him on a three-year deal in 2012 at the age of 21. 2014 was a breakthrough year for Ball on the international scene with the second-row making his debut in the Six Nations against Ireland. The Scarlets lock featured off in bench in both Tests against South Africa in 2014 before two starts and two games off the bench in the 2015 Six Nations ahead of his first World Cup.

DAN BIGGAR Fly-half 1.88m 89kg 16.10.1989 Capped throughout the age-grades, Biggar starring for Wales U20 in the inaugural Junior World Championship. He made his full Wales debut as a teenager against Canada in November 2008. In 2013 he started all five games in the Six Nations Championship-winning campaign. He made it seven consecutive Welsh starts when he played in both Tests on the tour of Japan. He was named the PRO12 Players' Player of the Year in 2014, capping an impressive season for the Ospreys. Bigger established himself as Wales first-choice fly-half during the 2014/2015 season, starting eight Tests as he prepares to play in his first World Cup. LUKE CHARTERIS Lock 2.01m 129kg 09.03.1983 Charteris played for Wales at U19 and U21 levels and graduated through the Newport youth system and made his international debut against South Africa in November 2004.

He went on to feature in all seven of Wales' games in the Rugby World Cup in 2011. The second-row was part of the Grand Slam winning Wales side that took the Six Nations title in 2012. He joined French club Perpignan in 2012 before moving to Racing 92 in 2014. He started the last three games of the Six Nations ahead of his second World Cup. ALEX CUTHBERT Wing 1.98m 106kg 05.04.1990 Cuthbert's CV already boasts two Six Nations titles, a Grand Slam and a British and Irish Lions series victory. The Cardiff Blues wing made a name for himself on the Sevens World Series. He made his debut for Wales in November 2011 against Australia and went onto start all five of Wales' 2012 Six Nations encounters and scored two tries against England in 2013 to help Wales to defend their title. He lost his place to Liam Williams during the 2015 Six Nations as Wales finished third.

BRADLEY DAVIES Lock 1.98m 115kg 09.01.1987 Davies was a key part of the Welsh side at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, playing in all seven games, starting three. Suspension and injury ruled him out of much of 2012 and 2013's Tests. He returned to Welsh colours in June of 2013, captaining the Welsh side that visited Japan, winning his 40th cap. In 2014, he joined English club Wasps from Cardiff Blues. Davies was a replacement against France in the 2015 Six Nations. GARETH DAVIES Scrum-half 1.78m 86kg 18.08.1990 A long-time scrum-half for the Scarlets since he made his debut in 2006. Davies was the top try scorer in the PRO12 during the 2013/2014 season with ten tries.

As a result he was capped by Wales on their 2014 tour of South Africa, making his debut as a replacement. His second cap came after recovering from injury to be a replacement against Italy in the 2015 Six Nations. DOMINIC DAY Lock 1.98m 118kg 22.08.1985 The 30-year-old's journey started in 2006 when he joined Scarlets for six years and as a result earned 92 caps for them. Before the start of his professional career he was selected in the 2004 Wales U19 team and as a result was selected twice for the U21 team in 2005 and 2006. He signed With English club Bath in 2012. TAULUPE FALETAU Number Eight 1.87m 110kg 12.11.1990 Tangaki Taulupe (Toby) Faletau became the first Pacific Islander to play for Wales in 2011 against the Barbarians.

He moved to Wales aged seven when his father, 17-times capped Tongan international lock Kuli Faletau, joined Ebbw Vale. Faletau toured Australia with the British and Irish Lions in 2013, playing in the series clinching final Test in Sydney. Faletau could win his 50th Test cap and 50th cap for Wales during the 2015 Rugby World Cup as the highly-regarded number eight plays in his second World Cup. TOMAS FRANCIS Prop 1.85m 140kg 27.04.1992 Francis started out playing for Doncaster Knights after he joined the club at the young age of four. He made his senior debut for them in 2012 at the age of 20, and went on to make 20 appearances before joining London Scottish on a one-year stint in 2013. The monstrous prop was snapped up by his current club, Exeter Chiefs in 2014 producing staggering performances, which resulted in his Test bow for Wales a year later. Francis is a powerhouse at scrum-time and a devastating ball carrier.

PAUL JAMES Prop 1.85m 115kg 13.05.1982. James won Wales honours at Youth, U19 and U21 levels and played the Ospreys before moving to Bath in 2012. He was an ever present in the Wales squad for the 2011 Six Nations and featured five times in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He won three further caps in the 2012 Grand Slam and played in all five fixtures as Wales retained the Championship in 2013. James won his 50th cap in the 2014 Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin and signed to return the Ospreys from Bath in 2015. AARON JARVIS Prop 1.83m 116kg 20.05.1986 Jarvis made his Test debut in 2012 against Argentina in Cardiff. He represented England at both U16 and U19 levels but qualifies for Wales through his Welsh-born grandmother.

He left Bath to sign for the Ospreys ahead of the 2011/12 season, committing his future to Wales and winning his tenth cap for his country during the final match of the 2015 Six Nations against Italy in Rome. GETHIN JENKINS Prop 1.88m 120kg 17.11.1980 Jenkins is Wales' most capped prop and was a key part in four Six Nations Championship winning Welsh sides, including the Grand Slam seasons of 2005, 2008 and 2012 and 2013's campaign when he skippered the side to the title. He has toured with the British and Irish Lions on two occasions, to New Zealand in 2005 and South Africa in 2009, winning five caps. He was selected to tour with the Lions in 2013 but was forced to return home injured. Jenkins plays for Cardiff Blues after returning from one season with Toulon.

ALUN WYN JONES Lock 1.96m 118kg 19.09.1985 Alun Wyn Jones skippered the British and Irish Lions in the series-winning Test against Australia in 2013 bringing his total of Lions caps to six, adding to three won in South Africa in 2009. He made his international debut in Argentina in 2006. He played in 2008 and 2012 Grand Slam wins and in the Six Nations Championship-winning season of 2013. He featured in all seven of Wales’ RWC 2011 games. He also captained Wales in the 2014 tour to South Africa. A vital leadership figure for Wales going into the 2015 Rugby World Cup. JAMES KING Flanker 1.93m 107kg 24.07.1990 King, who currently plays for Ospreys has been a stalwart for them since he joined them in 2009, earning over a 100 caps. The 25-year-old made his Test debut in 2013 against Japan.

SAMSON LEE Prop 1.80m 115kg 30.11.1992 Lee made his Test debut against Argentina in 2013. Previously he was a member of the Wales U20 side during the 2012 Six Nations tournament and was a mainstay of the side that finished third at the IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa the same year. He played in both Tests in South Africa in 2014. Lee added to his caps during the 2014/2015 season but suffered a serious achilles injury to put him in a race to be fit for the World Cup. He was named in the preliminary squad in June. DAN LYDIATE Flanker 1.93m 112kg 18.12.1987 Lydiate played in all three Tests for the British and Irish Lions in the 2013 series win over Australia. Lydiate's first appearance for Wales came in November 2009 against Argentina.

He played five games at the 2011 World Cup and featured in four of the five fixtures in the 2012 Six Nations, helping Wales to a Grand Slam as well as picking up the Player of the Tournament title. He was released by French club Racing 92 to return to Wales with the Ospreys in 2014. Should he be selected for the World Cup, Lydia could win his 50th cap for Wales. MATTHEW MORGAN Flyhalf/Fullback 1.72m 73kg 23.04.1992 Morgan, who currently plays for Ospreys at fly-half was first noticed while representing Wales U18 in 2010. His composure at fly-half earned him a spot in the Wales U20 team in 2010 and 2011. The 23-year-old's Test bow came three year later in 2014. GEORGE NORTH Wing/Centre 1.94m 109kg 13.04.1992 North was born in England of a Yorkshire father and Welsh mother.

He moved to North Wales aged just two, and is a fluent Welsh speaker. North became the first teenager from anywhere in the world to score 10 Test tries and was capped 21 times before his 20th birthday. He scored two tries in the three Tests on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in 2013. After that he joined English club Northampton Saints on a three-year contract from the Scarlets. North played in four matches in the 2015 Six Nations, scoring a hat-trick against Italy, before a concussion ruled him out for the rest of the season. KEN OWENS Hooker 1.85m 109kg 03.01.1987 A captain for PRO12 side the Scarlets, Owens made his Test debut for Wales back in 2011 at the Rugby World Cup in the pool stage game with Namibia. Since then he has been a regular squad member for Wales, coming into his second World Cup with close to 30 caps. Owens spent a large portion of the 2014/2015 season struggling with injury but recovered in time to be included in Wales preliminary World Cup squad.

MIKE PHILLIPS Scrum-half 1.91m 101kg 29.08.1982 In 2013 Phillips surpassed the record of 76 caps set by Dwayne Peel as the most capped scrum-half for Wales. Between 2001 and 2011 he played for the Scarlets, Cardiff Blues and Ospreys before moving to France to join Bayonne and then Racing 92. He made his Test debut in 2003 and played for the British and Irish Lions in 2009 and 2013, winning five caps. The veteran now faces serious competition from Rhys Webb for the starting spot. RHYS PRIESTLAND Fly-half 1.82m 87kg 09.01.1987 Priestland came in to face England at short notice in the 2011 pre-World Cup warm-up games and his form saw him establish himself as first choice number 10 for the RWC. In 2012 he started eight consecutive Tests, however, injury then ruled him out of the Six Nations in 2013.

He returned in November that year but missed the 2014 tour of South Africa. Priestland signed for Bath in 2015 and won four caps for Wales during the 2014/2015 season, three as a replacement. JAMIE ROBERTS Centre 1.93m 110kg 08.11.1986 Roberts made his debut on the wing against Scotland at the start of the 2008 Grand Slam season but made the move to 12 on the tour to South Africa in 2009 and has become one of the best inside centres in the world. He played in all five of Wales' Six Nations games in 2012 and 2013 helping the side to a Grand Slam and two titles. In 2013 he toured with the British and Irish Lions for a second time and backed up his Player of the Series award from 2009. He joined French club Racing 92 in 2013 before returning to the United Kingdom with Harlequins in 2015.

Roberts has won over 70 Test caps, including three for the Lions, and will be playing in his second World Cup. JUSTIN TIPURIC Flanker 1.88m 102kg 06.08.1989 Tipuric represented Wales at every age-grade level. He also spent a season with the Wales Sevens team before making his Test debut against Argentina in August 2011. He played in all five games of the Six Nations Championship winning campaign of 2013. He was a replacement as the British & Irish Lions won the series against Australia in 2013 and featured heavily in the 2015 Six Nations. 2015 will be his first World Cup after just missing out on the squad in 2011. SAM WARBURTON Flanker 1.88m 106kg 05.10.1988 Warburton led the British and Irish Lions to Australia and their historic 2-1 victory against the Wallabies in 2013.

He also captained Wales to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and then the Grand Slam in 2012. He became the first player ever to sign a central contract with the Welsh Rugby Union in 2014. He made his 50th appearance for Wales in the first game of the 2015 Six Nations against England ahead of his second World Cup. ELI WALKER Wing 1.83m 89kg 28.03.1992 A member of the Ospreys squad since 2010, Walker is an exciting young winger with plenty of pace and special footwork. Walker appeared for the Wales U16, U18 and U20 sides and was first called up to the senior squad in 2013 ahead of the Six Nations. Walker made his Test debut for Wales in 2015. LIAM WILLIAMS Full-back 1.88m 87kg 09.04.1991 Ever since returning from the Junior World Championship in June 2011, Williams has been in and around the National Squad.

He made his debut against the Barbarians in 2012. He started both Tests on the 2013 tour of Japan. He featured heavily for Wales in November 2013 and the 2014 Six Nations. Williams has been used as a winger by Wales during his last seven Test matches, including four starts out wide during the 2015 Six Nations after he replaced Alex Cuthbert. LLOYD WILLIAMS Scrum-half 1.83m 87kg 30.11.1989 Williams, the son of former Wales international Lloyd Williams, currently plays for Cardiff Blues. Williams represented Wales at U20 level and also played for the Wales sevens team. The 25-year-old made his debut for the Cardiff Blues in 2010 and as a result followed in his father's footsteps when he made his Test bow in 2011. Williams was mostly utilised off the bench at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and also in 2012 when Wales won the Six Nations competition.

SCOTT WILLIAMS Centre 1.83m 97kg 10.10.1990 Williams plays at centre for the Scarlets. He has represented Wales U16, U18 and U20 and made his Test debut in 2011 and scored a great solo try against England in 2012 to help Wales win the Grand Slam. Williams has made more appearances for Wales as a replacement than starts, including three in the 2014/2015 season and two in the last two games of the 2015 Six Nations. He scored a hat-trick of tries for Wales against Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Wales Trounces England to Win Six Nations - The New York Times The New York Times Rugby |Wales Trounces England to Win Six Nations Search Wales Trounces England to Win Six Nations By HUW RICHARDS Continue reading the main story CARDIFF, WALES — Nobody could have predicted this conclusion to the Six Nations season. Sure, many thought it was possible that Wales could beat England, which entered the match Saturday undefeated, by the seven points it needed to secure its second consecutive European rugby championships.

But for Wales to beat England by 27 points, its largest margin ever in a rivalry dating back 132 years? That would have been seen as unmitigated fantasy. The 30-3 defeat was doubly devastating for England. It is the sixth time in 15 seasons that it has come to the final match seeking a Grand Slam, and the fifth time it has fallen short. But at least the teams of 2000, 2001 and 2011 that fell short of the Slam still won the championship, and none fell as heavily as England did on Saturday. The massacre at the Millennium Stadium completed a season that has come full circle for Wales, which last won consecutive European championships 34 years ago. The final score — 30-3 — was the same displayed on the scoreboard 43 minutes into its Six Nations season — but then Wales was on the losing end against Ireland. Continue reading the main story It fought back against the Irish, but not enough to save the match, and lost, 30-22.

But after Brian O’Driscoll scored for Ireland, Wales went 357 minutes – the remainder of the campaign — without having its line crossed, while it scored nine tries of its own. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Wales’s improvement against the Irish coincided with Justin Tipuric’s taking a place among the Welsh forwards. Tipuric’s season peaked Saturday with a Man of the Match performance, as he helped set up two tries by the English-born wing Alex Cuthbert that sealed Wales’s domination. On the first, Tipuric handled the ball quickly, so a turnover became a lethal attack. The second was his pièce de résistance, as he ran 30 meters, or about 35 yards, before committing the final English defender with an exquisite fake-out, then passed to Cuthbert for the score. England trailed, 9-3, at halftime, which meant it was still in line for the championship. It left the game devastated. England has won four out of five matches in each of the last three seasons, but it has only the 2011 championship to show for it.

England was a top contender, but saw its momentum slowed fatally — it scored only one try in its last four matches — just as Wales was gathering steam. “There are no complaints from us — the better side won on the day” said Stuart Lancaster, the England coach. “In other games we got momentum and a foothold in the game. At halftime, we felt we were still in it, but in the second half our momentum was lost.” “They were not just a red wall across the pitch, but were physical with it” in stifling attacks, said Andrew Farrell, the defense coach for England. The Welsh success was built on the efforts of its forwards. They dominated in the scrum, controlled the contest for possession after tackles and forced England into conceding a stream of penalties. Lancaster conceded that his team had been outmuscled. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy “We were outstanding today,” said Robert Howley, the interim coach of Wales.

He called Saturday “the best day of my coaching career.” Gethin Jenkins, Wales’s third captain of the Six Nations campaign, has played on three Grand Slam-winning teams since 2005, but he said Saturday that “to lift the trophy was the best experience I’ve ever had.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story The victory pushed Wales into a tie with England in the all-time standings, with 26 championships each, and it also evened the two country’s head-to-head rivalry at 56 victories apiece. If there was familiarity at the top of the standings, the bottom was wholly unexpected. France finished in last for the first time since 1999, despite beating Scotland, 23-16, in Paris. France came back from a 6-0 halftime deficit to at least avoid the shame of going winless for the first time since 1969. Had it won by a 17 points, it would have overtaken Ireland, a brutal reversion of fortune for two teams who usually fight for first, not sixth. Ireland last finished at the bottom in 1998.

Ireland’s season, the inverse of Wales’s, ended with a 22-15 defeat to Italy in Rome. Ireland failed to score a try, lost three men to injuries and three were sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes apiece. Among those penalized was O’Driscoll, who was yellow-carded for only the second time in 131 international appearances after stomping on an Italian player during the first half. Giovanbattista Venditti scored Italy’s try as it beat Ireland for the first time since joining the championship in 2000. Declan Kidney, the Ireland coach whose contract is up this summer, said he was considering his future after the game. Scotland and Italy are perennial strugglers, yet this year they stood in the middle of the standings, with two victories each in their five matches. Scotland took third place, its best since 2006, on point differential. “There’s been progress, but you don’t always improve as quickly as you like,” said the interim coach of Scotland, Scott Johnson. “It has been a half-decent tournament,” said Scotland lock forward Jim Hamilton, speaking for his own team but unwittingly describing the entire season.

Every team had its moments, but all played uninspired rugby for long periods. A final tally of 37 tries, an all-time low since the competition expanded to six countries, spoke a little about top-quality defending — and far more about long periods of tediousness. Correction: March 17, 2013 An earlier version of this article reported that Wales had gone 357 minutes without having its line crossed, while scoring seven tries of its own. The correct number is nine tries. A version of this article appears in print on March 18, 2013, in The International Herald Tribune. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Grand Slam worth £100k per player this season | The Rugby Paper Home / Featured / Grand Slam worth £100k per player this season Grand Slam worth £100k per player this season Posted on by Nick Verdier in Featured , RBS 6 Nations The Six Nations Grand Slam will be worth a record £5m to the winner when the tournament kicks off next weekend.

Despite the recession, prize money is up again this year with the winning Union standing to collect around £500,000 more than the £4.5m Wales won last year. That worked out at £90,000-a-man and this year the rewards will be even greater. England will push that total into seven figures if they achieve their first clean sweep since Sir Clive Woodward’s all-conquering team beat Ireland in Dublin en route to winning the World Cup eight months later. As many Grand Slams have been won since Italy joined the world’s oldest annual international competition in 2000 than in the last 20 seasons of the old Five Nations. Seven have been won in the last ten season – Wales (2012, 2008, 2005), France (2010, 2004), Ireland (2009) and England (203). The tournament’s escalating commercial worth from all sources can be gauged by the accepted estimate that it generates gross revenue approaching £300m. Almost a third of that will be distributed among the six competing Unions.

Even in the nightmare English scenario of Chris Robshaw’s Red Rose team losing all their matches, the RFU’s piece of the cake will still top £10m. A Grand Slam would jack it up to around £15m. As a further indication that there is still no rugby business like Six Nations business, the bottom team will be guaranteed more than £800,000. The wooden spoon now comes with a gold plating. The event can claim a truly global dimension with television projecting it far beyond the boundaries of the six competing nations. It will be seen in more than 150 other countries world-wide, starting next weekend and finishing in mid-March. “It’s become a world-wide phenomenon,” Six Nations chief executive John Feehan told The Rugby Paper. The event has long been a unique centre-piece of European rugby and has been able to stand apart from the common herd by resisting the introduction of bonus points. But after years of rejecting the idea, the subject is now under serious consideration with Wales among those countries in favour of the tournament making the first change to its points system. The subject was high on the Six Nations agenda earlier this week and could be enforced as early as next year.

“We are reviewing the subject on an on-going basis,” Feehan said. “One position in the final table can mean a difference of hundreds of thousands of pounds. We have done a lot of research and if we were to go to bonus points, it may not necessarily be the model as used by European Rugby Cup. “The review about bonus points is on-going. It’s a question of whether they will add or subtract to the Championship. That’s the discussion.” Not everyone is in favour. Philippe Saint-Andre, the France coach who spent long years in England with Gloucester and Sale, has voiced his objection to any tampering with the status quo. “I like the system as it is,” he said. “Maybe I’m old school but I would not feel happy if a team wins the Grand Slam but doesn’t win the Six Nations because another team gets more points on account of the bonus.” That would have happened in 2002 when England lost to France but scored a flood of tries in their four other matches. Had bonus points operated then, France would have wound up in the very odd position of winning the Slam but finishing second. Saint-Andre added: “I came into rugby because as a child I used to watch the Five Nations.

It was all about trying to win the Grand Slam.” In an attempt to convince the French that bonus points will improve the tournament as a spectacle, the organisers have been kicking around a proposal to ensure that a Grand Slam winner always finishes first. One plan is to do so by awarding an extra four points to the country winning all five matches. PETER JACKSON 020 8971 4333 Email Subscriptions Social Sharing Recent Comments Gareth Treharne Hughes: For some years now its been like watching paint dry when the Regions are playing. The Rugby lacks enterprise with the monotonous batter through the middle siege tactics. Now we land up with kicking the ball to opposing sides and for them to kick it back .No wonder the regions play to virtual empty stadia. We need to have a more expanded fixture list such as attempting to play in the English league where there is a better chance of taking on the big boys. Spectators want value for their money and, its just not happening.

View Post Billy Searle: You r the best i want to kiss u View Post Popular Sections Six Nations 2013: Brian O'Driscoll awaits citing decision - BBC Sport BBC Sport Six Nations 2013: Brian O'Driscoll awaits citing decision 17 Mar 2013 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Read more about sharing. Brian O'Driscoll spent 10 minutes in the sin bin during the first half Brian O'Driscoll will learn on Monday whether he will face disciplinary proceedings for his stamp on Simone Favaro during the first half of Ireland's Six Nations defeat by Italy. Citing commissioner Aurwel Morgan must decide if the offence, which saw O'Driscoll sent to the sin-bin on the half-hour, warrants further action. O'Driscoll lifted his right leg and brought it down on the chest of Favaro. Any suspension could limit O'Driscoll's appearances for Leinster in the Pro12. The Irish province are aiming to clinch a top-four place in the competition, which would secure a semi-final play-off spot.

Media playback is not supported on this device Archive: Kidney's last Ireland game Italy open-side Favaro yelled out in pain and writhed around the pitch in Rome. It was an act borne out of the 34-year-old centre's frustration as Favaro was lying on the wrong side of the ruck at a time when Ireland were beginning to implode. The incident clouded what was almost certainly O'Driscoll's final game for Ireland, leading to speculation, led by former international team-mate Paul Wallace, that if he had decided to retire after the summer, he may now delay those plans. It is not the way his country's greatest player, who won his 125th cap and made his 60th championship appearance yesterday, will have wanted to conclude such an outstanding 14-year career in the green jersey. Although O'Driscoll has publicly stated his future is undecided, it is widely thought that the attrition rate of recent matches - against France alone he was concussed and sustained a lacerated ear and dead leg - would convince him to step down after the Lions tour this summer.

But his form has been strong, peaking in the opening match against Wales, suggesting to coach Declan Kidney that he still has plenty to offer at Test level. "Brian has had a strong Six Nations. He was outstanding against Wales and had a good match against France. I thought he did well against Italy too," Kidney said. Media playback is not supported on this device Kidney refuses to discuss future "He's earned the space and time to be able to make up his own mind. Players are the only ones who know when the time is right to go." Kidney's after Ireland slumped to their first defeat by Italy in the Six Nations and worst performance of the championship since 1999, when they also finished second from bottom, one place above France on points difference. It has been a trying two months for Kidney, who has been forced to cope with an injury curse that struck yet again in Rome, although this time the match was just 24 minutes old when Keith Earls was escorted off, quickly followed by Luke Marshall and substitute Luke Fitzgerald.

Kidney has received strong support from flanker Peter O'Mahony, who spent much of yesterday's match on the left wing once Fitzgerald had limped off with a knee problem. "The players should take the blame for what's happened. We've been given every opportunity to go out and play for Ireland," O'Mahony said. "It has to come down to the players, I don't know where the stick aimed at the coaches is coming from. "We're the ones who have made decisions on the pitch and have made mistakes at times. It's on our heads, we're the ones who are not delivering. "All 23 of us in the squad against Italy and everyone in the extended training squad are 100% behind the coaching staff. "That will be the case until they move on, which hopefully won't be any time soon." Share this page Warren Gatland : Wales Senior Team | Management Profiles | Wales | Welsh Rugby Union | Official Website Head Coach Played 92, Won 47 Drawn 2 Lost 43 Warren Gatland was appointed as the 20th Welsh national coach on 9 November, 2007.

Four months later he had led Wales to the 2008 RBS 6 Nations championship title and the nation's tenth Grand Slam. he replicated that achievement in 2012. He launched his coaching career as player/coach for Taupiri in 1989. He then decided to stay on in Ireland after the 1989 New Zealand tour to act as player/coach for Galwegians. He helped the Galwey-based club achieve promotion into the AIB Division 2. After retiring from club and provincial rugby at the end of 1994 he became assistant coach to Thames Valley in 1995, taking them from the third to second division. In 1996, he became coach to Connacht and led them into the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup in 1998 after twice beating Northampton Saints in the Pool stages. He succeeded Brian Ashton as Ireland coach in 1998 having previously helped him at sessions with the national squad. He held the post until 2001, when the IRFU decided not to re-new his contract and gave the job to his assistant, Eddie O'Sullivan.

Under Gatland, Ireland moved up two places to sixth in the IRB Rankings and finished the 2001 Six Nations campaign as runners-up to England after denying them the Grand Slam with a notable victory. He won 18, drew 1 and lost 19 of his 38 games in charge and was at the helm for the first Irish victory over France in Paris in 2000. That victory followed a disappointing exit to the 1999 Rugby World Cup, when Argentina put paid to Irish hopes in the quarter-final play-offs, 28-24. He masterminded a 29-23 win over Wales at Wembley, but was on the receiving end of a 23-19 defeat at Lansdowne Road the next season. After losing the Irish job he joined the coaching staff at London Wasps when Nigel Melville was director of rugby at the club. The side were bottom of the Premiership table at the time and he helped steer them clear of the relegation zone and develop one of the meanest defences in Europe. He took over as director of rugby when Melville moved to Gloucester in 2002 and Wasps flourished under his guidance.

They won the Premiership title in 2003, again in 2004 and made it a hat-trick in 2005 - conceding only one try in the three finals at Twickenham. In Europe, he won the Challenge Cup in 2003, wining nine of out nine matches, and the Heineken Cup at Twickenham in 2004, losing only to the Celtic Warriors on their way to victory over Toulouse in the final. He left the UK at the end of the 2004/2005 season to return to New Zealand, where he was installed as coach to the Waikato Air New Zealand Cup team. In 2006, Waikato won the Air New Zealand Cup title. He joined the Waikato Chiefs Super 14 team in 2006 as technical advisor before taking the reigns as Wales Head Coach in December 2007, commencing a four year tenure in charge of the nation he described as the 'sleeping giant' of world rugby. In his first five matches in charge Gatland coached Wales to a Grand Slam in the RBS Six Nations.

Italy ANZACS Italy The newcomers to the Six Nations Championship, Italy joined the fray only in 2000 after complaints that the tournament was becoming less competitive due to to the ongoing domination of England and the French. Historically, the Italians are the lowest-ranked team in the Six Nations, according to the World Rugby Rankings, and this is reflected in the fact that the 'Azzurri' have yet to win the tournament. However, the Italians have always proved a tough nut to crack, especially when playing in front of their vociferous fans at the Stadio Flaminio. An improving record in the tournament has ensured that Italy has shaken off the 'whipping boys' tag and will soon be competing at the higher echelons of the tournament. A great start, but reality followed Upon Italy's admission to the existing Five Nations Championship at the turn of the millennium, the competition took on its current name. The Italians made a barnstorming start to their maiden competition by sweeping aside defending champions Scotland by a score of 34-20 in the first game.

However, this victory proved to be something of a false dawn, as the team struggled against the other, more established nations, eventually falling to a last place finish and a first 'wooden spoon.' Indeed, that initial victory was to be Italy's last in the tournament until 2003. A marked improvement Italy's participation was heavily questioned after the winless campaigns of 2001 and 2002. Seeing as the nation was brought in to add an extra dimension of competitiveness to proceedings, the idea had seemingly backfired. Fortunately for the Italians, they survived, and entered the 2003 competition as hot favourites to finish last again. The team put paid to that assumption by winning their first Championship match since their first ever, beating Wales by a score of 30-22 at the Stadio Flaminio. Thought Italy was never going to challenge for overall victory in the tournament, the team had silenced the doubters by not finishing last for the first time as Wales were whitewashed. In 2004, Italy again managed to avoid the wooden spoon by defeating Scotland, finishing above that nation in the final standing and thus quelling any doubts about future participation.

Though Italy did actually finish bottom, winless, at the 2005 edition of the tournament, matches between them and the higher-ranked nations proved to be a much tighter affair, and so the Azzurri stayed. Indeed, the team managed to eke out a draw against a much-fancied Wales side in 2006 and so, despite finishing bottom, a whitewash was avoided. Fantastic fourth Italy enjoyed its most successful Six Nations Championship in 2007, registering its first ever away win by defeating Scotland at Murrayfield. This was followed up by the defeat of Wales in Rome and so, for the first time, Italy had managed to win two games during one Championship. The Azzurri even had a slight chance at winning the overall competition going into the final day, though it would have took a highly unlikely set of results for that to occur. In the end, Italy settled for fourth spot, their highest-ever finish. Sadly for the Italians, the following year's tournament saw them finish bottom, though they did register a victory against the Scottish and so swerved the wooden spoon. They could not, however, dodge the unwanted award in 2009.

Italy again finished bottom during the 2010 tournament, though they saw off Scotland by a score of 16-12 to avoid a whitewash. The beating of France Though Italy also finished bottom in 2011, it was only by virtue of points difference against perennial rivals Scotland. Indeed, Italy pulled off the shock of the tournament by defeating reigning champions France in Rome. In a tight, entertaining encounter, Italy ran out 22-21 winners in a result that sent shockwaves around the rugby world. The Azzurri defeated Scotland in the final match of the 2012 tournament, in a game both teams went into on the back of four straight defeats. Dubbed 'The Battle of the Wooden Spoon,' Italy eventually prevailed by a score of 13-6. Rise of the Azzurri Italy enjoyed an excellent 2013 tournament, matching the fourth place finish that it managed in 2007, and only missing out on third by points difference. Moreover, the two victories Italy achieved were against the powerhouses of France and Ireland, leading both credibility to the nation's continued survival in the tournament, and a richly-deserved final position.

Unfortunately for the Azzurri, the 2014 Six Nations Championship brought the team crashing back down to Earth. They lost all five of their games, and were handed the wooden spoon, though hopes are higher for the upcoming 2015 tournament. Home jersey Italy plays its home games in a blue jersey similar in design to that of the nation's soccer team, hence the nickname 'the Azzurri; (Sky Blues). When playing away from home, especially if hosted by a team that also wears blue such as France or Scotland, Italian players will don a white strip. The crest is a heraldic shield emblazoned with the Italian flag, with 'Italia' printed in bold gold lettering on a base sash and 'F.I.R' (Federazione Italiana Rugby, or, Italian Rugby Federation) along the top. Other competitions within the Six Nations Although Italy competes for the overall trophy, as well as the Grand Slam that can only be awarded by winning the tournament, there is another trinket which the Azzurri contends. The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy is handed to the winners of the match between the Italians and the French.

Garibaldi was an Italian revolutionary who played a large part in unifying the nation, as well as serving as a decorated general in the French Army. The trophy was first awarded in 2007 as part of the bicentenary of Garibaldi's birth, and Italy has won it on two occasions, in 2011 and 2013. Home stadium Between 2000 and 2011, Italy played home games at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. With a capacity of just under 32,000, the venue was the smallest of all the competition's grounds. With the growing popularity of rugby in Italy, especially in the north, the Italian Rugby Federation announced in 2010 that the historic old place would undergo a renovation that will increase its capacity to 42,000. While the renovations take place, Italy remain playing in Rome at the Stadio Olimpico, a near-71,000 venue that is used primarily for football. Italy have also played games at Milan's San Siro, most notably during an 80,000 sell-out game against the feared All Blacks in 2009.

Italy Squad

Question: Wales won the Rugby Union Six Nations competition in 2013, which country finished bottom?
Answer: France