Heartbreaker: Neil Jenkins in 1999
Winning a Grand Slam can prove elusive. Just ask England, who since the game turned professional have clinched just one in 17 years.
Saturday's journey to Cardiff marks England's first shot at a Slam in the Stuart Lancaster era, but it has been ten long years since England last sealed a clean sweep, during which three head coaches have come and gone.
The 2003 vintage are still showered with praise and rightly so, for it was that success tasted by an England side led by Martin Johnson and including Lawrence Dallaglio, Jonny Wilkinson, Jason Robinson and Neil Back to name a few, that spurred England on to a World Cup victory later in the year.
Look around that one bright spot however and you will fine not one or two, but four dark moments for England sides chasing a Grand Slam title.
1999: Scott Gibbs stuns Wembley - Wales 32-31 England
England led by six points with only four minutes remaining after three tries from Dan Luger, Steve Hanley and Richard Hill, but having won a penalty captain Dallaglio elected to kick for the corner rather than add another three points through Wilkinson.
England failed to capitalise, Wales cleared their lines and in a moment of magic, Scott Gibbs jinked and cut his way through England's defence to touchdown.
"He's like the leader in a buffalo stampede, that lad Scott Gibbs," declared Bill McLaren, as Neil Jenkins landed the conversion to seal the win.
2000: Scotland surprise at Murrayfield - Scotland 19-13 England
Stinging from their loss to Wales the previous year, England hammered their way through the 2000 Six Nations, including a victory in Paris, scoring 170 points in their first four matches and conceding just 51.
Scotland by contrast had won none of their fixtures up until the final game of the championship at Murrayfield. Their fortunes changed dramatically as Duncan Hodge scored all of Scotland's points on a freezing, foul day in Edinburgh.
2001: Ireland make it a hat-trick of nightmares - Ireland 20-14 England
Having been denied by the other two Celtic nations at the final hurdle in the previous two years, Ireland took their turn to crush England's hopes at Lansdowne Road in 2011.
In a rescheduled fixture due to the foot and mouth crisis of that year, England faced Ireland in October, with the momentum they had built up seven months earlier against the other nations all but gone.
Tactically naive, England played with too much width and came unstuck, Keith Wood burrowing over for the crucial try as David Humphreys and Ronan O'Gara kicked away another Grand Slam chance.
2011: Johnson suffers again in Dublin - Ireland 24-8 England
Having lost and won a Grand Slam in Dublin as a player, Martin Johnson returned as head coach of an England side that had won in Cardiff, but squeezed past France and Scotland at Twickenham.
England arrived with the tournament's top try scorer in Chris Ashton (with six), but were comprehensively shut down in all areas by a resurgent Irish side. Brian O'Driscoll's try at the beginning of the second half killed off the contest - his 25th in Six Nations history - as England took a bittersweet championship before going on to disappoint at the Rugby World Cup later that year.
by Ben Coles
@bencoles_
Comments
pierredelot1 says...
Losing a few makes you a better team provided the coach has the belief in those he's chosen. This England side is the youngest in the championship, has less caps than any other and yet is playing for the lot this afternoon, so not bad so far. Can they improve, yes, because winning even a six nations is not in the same class as winning a world cup and this England team are a long way from that. In fact I don't believe in its present form this England team could get to a WRC Final never mind win one, the positions that require flare and pace are just not up to it yet, but lancaster is obviously working on it. I still have reservations about the lack of a real openside, playing guys on the wing, out of position and not having any guile in midfield is a fault to be rectified. But hey they are a lot better than the people Johnson was putting out a couple of seasons ago.
Posted 10:38 16th March 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
amusing post frooshman. That match is my go to anecdode for wet weather rugby. Most recently used to help explain Ireland's matches against England and France in fortress Dublin.
Posted 13:51 15th March 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
those losses were pivotal in helping us win the big daddy prize of them all though. THE 2003 RUGBY WORLD CUP IN AUSTRALIA, PLAYING THE AUSSIES IN THE FINAL!!!!!!!!!!! It was all worth it. :)
Posted 11:28 15th March 2013
jontheref says...
I suggest the WRU install more seats, and make the pitch half the width it is, so Wales can smother the game!
More revenue, happy home fans.
What more can you want?
:-)
Posted 09:20 15th March 2013
JamieTheProp says...
To be honest it is just good to be competing for these types of honours after nearly 10 years of watching terrible England teams - the fact that an improving (but hardly finished article) England team are in a position to challenge one of the best Wales teams seen in a generation is a big testament to the group - and gives great hope for the future!
I can't wait for the game on Saturday - should be a cracker - and the fact that the other games are all important for various reasons as well just makes it all the more interesting.
The rugby might not have been fast flowing - but the competition this year has been exciting throughout with some genuine shocks! You don't get that in the Rugby Championship.
Posted 08:21 15th March 2013
pontysurrey says...
Perhaps the only interesting fact is that, apart from the Ireland defeat, all the others were close affairs with no more than 6 points difference. Just goes to show how difficult a task Wales face on Saturday to win the 6N.
Posted 06:50 15th March 2013
Pearcewreck says...
@ Frooschman
" I remember sitting there jaw on the floor and swearing off Scotch for all of five minutes."
You are a legend. I laughed out loud!!!!!
Posted 02:31 15th March 2013
melkdave says...
The only one that might be revalent is 2011,as a few of the current players where in the squad.Im pretty sure they will have told the rest of the heartbreak they felt at missing out that year..Hopefully it will provide some motavation,come Saturday.
Posted 01:46 15th March 2013
Chubbylugs says...
Not relevant at all
Posted 23:08 14th March 2013
DavidCartwright says...
Yes I was there in 2000 as well. It was a really dreich day and Scotland played the conditions really well. England didn't seem to have anyone who could kick the ball any further than 20-30 metres! I have a feeling that this England team is made of stronger stuff.
Posted 23:06 14th March 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
They were all 10 out of 10 gutting. However this time around I would take a championship win and a GS and tripple crown loss eg Wales by + 6 which would be 5 out of 10 painful with some joy in winning rather than a Welsh championship win with +7 or more which would make it 11 out of 10 agony.
Posted 20:28 14th March 2013
ChrisInCrete says...
Who writes these rubbish, irrelevant, blatantly wrong titles for PR (and not for the the first time)?
It doesn't hang over England. The team going in to the game are trying to win the title and the Grand Slam, the players have not been playing for the team for 17 years.
Perhaps you could do something a bit more interesting maybe look at the the average points or the total points for each team over the last 17 years - that might be a more enlightening and news/comment worthy. Go on PR, dare to have a positive commentary.
Posted 19:39 14th March 2013
Frooschman says...
Of these four, Scotland in 2000 was the worst. We had been in imperious form all championship but we came up against a devlish Scotland side. I remember sitting there jaw on the floor and swearing off Scotch for all of five minutes.
Posted 17:43 14th March 2013