A finale worthy of the greatest Six Nations in history
Debate over whether the 2026 Six Nations would go down as the greatest in the tournament's history started before the final weekend. History, records, upsets, high-scoring classics - by round five, the tournament had already produced gold. But, to be the best, surely an epic finale was required?
Too much to ask? Well, France and England in Paris conjured up just that. With the final play of the tournament, Thomas Ramos' penalty sailed through the posts to snatch a record eighth Six Nations title for Les Bleus.
Ireland, who beat Scotland 43-21 earlier on Saturday to seal the Triple Crown, saw their dreams of celebrating the title in Dublin dashed in the final few seconds of the tournament. A thrilling 48-46 victory ensured back-to-back titles for Fabien Galthie's side, who had their Grand Slam bid ended by a remarkable 50-40 defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend. It was France captain Antoine Dupont who lifted the hard-earned trophy in the air, with fireworks exploding around a packed Stade de France.
"France are worthy champions. They deserve it and showed plenty of character," former England scrum-half Matt Dawson told BBC Radio 5 Live. "The pressure moments are when special teams produce.
What a fantastic tournament. It has been so good. " An ice-cool Ramos never looked like missing, but the game had already delivered even before the cinematic finish.