Go back to the 2007 Six Nations Championship right here at RugbyPass. Whether you want to relive Italy’s first away win or revisit the tense Super Saturday clashes, our rugby gurus have reviewed every encounter.
Ready to dive into our guide? From Italy’s record breaking campaign to France’s back-to-back Championship win, here’s everything you need to know about the Six Nations 2007.
2007 Six Nations Stats: Who Won the Six Nations 2007?
Six Nations 2007 Winner: France
The 2007 Six Nations was the eighth edition of the Six Nations and the 113th Championship overall (including the Home Nations and the Five Nations). Contested between 3 February and 17 March 2007, this tournament was a major milestone for Italy.
Firstly, it was the first time Italy won an away game at the Six Nations (Italy v Scotland at Murrayfield). Secondly, it was the first time they had won two matches in one tournament (Italy v Wales). As a result, Italy produced their best Six Nations finish: fourth place.
While Italy celebrated, Super Saturday was a pivotal day for England, France and Ireland. In the end, France beat Scotland by 27 points and claimed their second successive win – this was France’s 16th Championship title. This left Ireland in second while England finished in third.
Although Ireland were beaten on points difference, their players topped the stats. Ronan O’Gara was the top point and try scorer with 82 points and four tries – England’s Jason Robinson also scored four tries. Additionally, the Six Nations 2007 Player of the Tournament went to Brian O’Driscoll.
Round One Review
Match one: Italy 3-39 France (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match two: England 42-20 Scotland (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match three: Wales 9-19 Ireland (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Hoping to retain their crown, France opened the 2007 tournament with a bang. Les Bleus travelled to Rome, where they handed Italy a 36-point defeat. Their triumph included a brace from Sébastien Chabal, who ruthlessly tore through the Italian side.
The second encounter was England v Scotland. Thanks to Jonny Wilkinson, the England squad dominated both halves. To the delight of the packed Twickenham crowd, Wilkinson scored 27 points during England’s 42-20 victory.
In the final match of the round, Ireland overpowered Wales at the Millennium Stadium. This thrilling clash culminated in a late try from Ronan O’Gara, who sealed Ireland’s 19-9 win.
Round Two Review
Match one: England 20-7 Italy (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Match two: Scotland 21-9 Wales (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match three: Ireland 17-20 France (Croke Park, Dublin)
England struggled against Italy in the second round of the 2007 Six Nations. Fortunately, they were saved by Jonny Wilkinson. This time he kicked five for five, scoring 15 of England’s points via penalty.
Next, Scotland produced their only triumph of the tournament. Chris Paterson kicked seven penalties against Wales and this tryless match ended 21-9.
Round two concluded with heartbreak for Ireland in Dublin. This incredibly tight encounter saw Ireland lead 14-13 until the final two minutes. Ronan O’Gara widened the gap to 17-13 and it looked like Ireland had sealed the win. In a shocking turn of events, Vincent Clerc scored the last-gasp try that was converted by Lionel Beauxis. As a result, France secured a famous 20-17 away win.
Round Three Review
Match one: Scotland 17-37 Italy (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match two: Ireland 43-13 England (Croke Park, Dublin)
Match three: France 32-21 Wales (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
It was in round three of the 2007 Six Nations that Italy won this historic match. The Azzurri were steadfast from the moment they stepped onto the pitch, converting three tries within the first six minutes. With 22 points from Andrea Scanavacca – and a late try from Alessandro Troncon – Italy sealed their 20-point win.
While Italy celebrated, England were demolished by Ireland. Although a second-half try from David Strettle brought the score to 23-13, Ireland prevented England from scoring another point. In the end, a last-gasp try from Isaac Boss cemented Ireland’s record 30-point home win against England.
At the conclusion of round three, Wales found themselves in a precarious position. After France’s 32-21 triumph, they had lost all of their first three matches.
Round Four Review
Match one: Scotland 18-19 Ireland (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Match two: Italy 23-20 Wales (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match three: England 26-18 France (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Round four featured the tightest match of the Six Nations 2007 tournament. It was also a two-player contest, with Chris Paterson kicking all of Scotland’s points and Ronan O’Gara securing all of Ireland’s. Thanks to O’Gara, Ireland fended off Scotland 19-18.
Stadio Flaminio was the setting of Italy’s record-setting second – and controversial – victory. It was an incredibly close encounter that was decided in the final two minutes of the game. First, an incredibly late try from Mauro Bergamasco gave Italy a 23-20 lead. Then, the controversy unfolded.
With 10 seconds on the clock, Wales were awarded a penalty. The team was told there was time for a line-out and Hook booted the ball into touch. As Wales prepared, referee Chris White blew his whistle. The misunderstanding caused outrage and White later apologised for the miscommunication.
After the ruckus, the next match delivered another shock. Following their loss against Ireland, England rallied to produce a stunning 26-18 victory over France. As a result, England denied France the Grand Slam.
Round Five Review
Match one: Italy 24-51 Ireland (Stadio Flaminio, Rome)
Match two: France 46-19 Scotland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
Match three: Wales 27-18 England (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Although France entered Super Saturday with a narrow lead, Ireland gave them cause for concern. The Irish side played their last game with gusto, defeating Italy 51-24. This was a tremendous conclusion to their campaign, with the squad racking up eight tries, including braces from Girvan Dempsey and Denis Hickie.
With Ireland’s 27-point win, France now needed 24 points to claim the title. As the clock ticked down, France led by 20 points – four short of their target. Fortunately, Elvis Vermeulen saved the day. His 80th-minute try was converted by Lionel Beauxis, giving France their winning 27-point lead.
The final match of the Six Nations 2007 tournament was England v Wales. England took to the pitch needing to win by 57 points to steal the title. However, they were ultimately beaten 27-18 by Wales.
The Welsh squad got off to a staggering start, scoring 15 unanswered points in the first 15 minutes. England drew level in the second half but a determined Wales were unyielding. Finally, with a drop-goal from James Hook, Wales claimed their 27-18 win.
Six Nations Table 2007
Here are the Six Nations results from 2007:
Team | Won | Lost | Points Difference | Tries For | Total Points |
France | 4 | 1 | +69 | 15 | 8 |
Ireland | 4 | 1 | +65 | 17 | 8 |
England | 3 | 2 | +4 | 10 | 6 |
Italy | 2 | 3 | -53 | 9 | 4 |
Wales | 1 | 4 | -27 | 7 | 2 |
Scotland | 1 | 4 | -58 | 7 | 2 |
The 2007 Six Nations was a tournament filled with records, upsets and controversy. Italy enjoyed unparalleled success, winning two matches in one Six Nations campaign. In contrast, it was a shocking tournament for Scotland, who were handed their second wooden spoon – they received their first in 2004.
As Super Saturday loomed, the winner was still to be decided. Ultimately though, Ireland’s narrow loss against France in round 2 cost them the Championship. Even though Ireland won the Triple Crown, France retained the title and claimed their 16th outright win.
