Recall the thrill of the 2003 Six Nations Championship here at RugbyPass. Our rugby gurus have retraced the historic final-match decider, Italy’s first ever win over Wales and England’s extraordinary Grand Slam victory.
Ready to get reading? Scroll down to revisit every unmissable moment from the Six Nations 2003.
2003 Six Nations Stats: Who Won the Six Nations 2003?
Six Nations 2003 Winner: England
Contested between 15 February and 30 March, the 2003 Six Nations Championship was one of the most gripping editions of the tournament in history. As the fourth annual Six Nations and the 109th edition of the Championship, the 2003 series went down to the wire.
For the first time in Six Nations history – and the sixth in Championship history – two teams met in the final round with unblemished records: England and Ireland. In the end, it was England who rose to the occasion. They beat Ireland 42-6, a result that made England the first away team to win a final-match decider.
With this victory, England claimed their 25th outright title, 12th Grand Slam and 23rd Triple Crown. Elsewhere, Wales received their first wooden spoon of the Six Nations era. Meanwhile, defending champions France finished third.
In terms of the tournament’s top players, Jonny Wilkinson was the top point scorer with 77 points. Meanwhile, Damien Traille was the top try scorer with four tries.
Round One Review
Match one: Italy 30-22 Wales (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match two: England 25-17 France (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match three: Scotland 6-36 Ireland (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
The opening match of the Six Nations 2003 tournament caused a huge upset. Led by the boot of Diego Domínguez, Italy defeated an underwhelming and downtrodden Wales. This victory marked Italy’s first ever Six Nations win over Wales.
Next, England got their revenge on France. The defending champions overpowered England in 2002, but they failed to repeat this result in 2003. With a dynamic Wilkinson kicking 20 points, England won the match 25-17.
In the final fixture, Ireland defeated Scotland 36-6. This stunning 30-point victory featured a spectacular display by David Humphreys, who scored 26 points for the Irish squad.
Round Two Review
Match one: Italy 13-37 Ireland (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match two: Wales 9-26 England (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match three: France 38-3 Scotland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Italy returned to their usual form in round two. With one try to Ireland’s five, the Azzurri lost their second match 13-37.
Following their first round defeat against Italy, Wales produced a fantastic 40 minutes against England. Sadly, they failed to keep up momentum and the second half was an entirely different game. By the final whistle, Jonny Wilkinson had kicked 16 points and England eased past Wales 26-9.
Like England, France delivered a definitive win. They recovered from their round-one loss with a 35-point triumph. In total, France crossed the line four times, while Chris Paterson scored Scotland’s only points with a 4th-minute penalty.
Round Three Review
Match one: Ireland 15-12 France (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)
Match two: Scotland 30-22 Wales (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match three: England 40-5 Italy (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Round three produced further disappointment for France. After their emphatic win in round two, they lost 15-12 to Ireland. This hard fought clash saw four penalties from the boot of David Humphreys and four from François Gelez. The difference between the two sides was Geordan Murphy, whose opening-minute drop goal gave Ireland the edge.
Next, Scotland secured their first victory of the 2003 Six Nations tournament. Referred to at the time as the ‘wooden-spoon play-off’, it was Scotland who emerged on top. Despite two incredibly late tries from Wales, Scotland claimed a 30-22 home win.
Round three ended with England facing a plucky Italy. Although the first 20 minutes saw England score 33 points without reply, the Azzurri came back fighting. Sadly, despite Italy’s energy, England succeeded in widening the gap and the match concluded 40-5.
Round Four Review
Match one: Wales 24-25 Ireland (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Match two: England 40-9 Scotland (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match three: Italy 27-53 France (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
The penultimate round hosted one of the most riveting matches of the 2003 Six Nations. Held at Millennium Stadium, this clash saw Wales and Ireland go toe to toe. The match was finally decided in the 75th minute, when Ronan O’Gara scored a decisive drop goal.
After this tense encounter, England produced a one-sided game. With a brace from Jason Robinson, England defeated Scotland 40-9. With this result, England moved one step closer to the Grand Slam.
Finally, France returned to form. Les Bleus scored seven tries and outpaced Italy 53-27.
Round Five Review
Match one: France 33-5 Wales (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match two: Scotland 33-25 Italy (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match three: Ireland 6-42 England (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)
The final round of the 2003 Six Nations brought elation for one side and heartbreak for two. First, Wales endured their worst ever Six Nations finish. Thanks to their 33-5 loss against France, Wales not only lost every single match, they also received their first ever Six Nations wooden spoon – this was the first time Italy were spared the award.
Italy ended their campaign by causing trouble for Scotland. With an early opening try, the fierce Azzurri made Scotland work for their 33-25 win. But, as a result of this defeat, Italy were relegated to fifth place.
On Sunday 30 March, Ireland and England met for the final match of the tournament. Each team had won their previous four games, which meant the winner of this match would walk away with the Grand Slam.
Feeling the pressure, a stagnant Ireland struggled to pull away from England’s determined defence. While Ireland were hindered by a series of failed attempts, an early try from Lawrence Dallaglio set the tone. From here, England scored with regularity and ultimately triumphed 42-6.
Six Nations Table 2003
Here are the Six Nations results from 2003:
Team | Won | Lost | Points Difference | Tries For | Total Points |
England | 5 | 0 | +127 | 18 | 10 |
Ireland | 4 | 1 | +22 | 10 | 8 |
France | 3 | 2 | +78 | 17 | 6 |
Scotland | 2 | 3 | -80 | 7 | 4 |
Italy | 1 | 4 | -85 | 12 | 2 |
Wales | 0 | 5 | -62 | 10 | 0 |
The 2003 Six Nations is often cited as one of the greatest Championships of all-time. From the astounding final match to Wales’ shocking last-place finish, the tournament was filled with exciting encounters.
After five rounds of competition, England emerged as the winners. This was their third title in four years – they lifted the Championship Trophy in 2000 and 2001 – and their first Grand Slam since the 1995 Five Nations.
