Ireland have retained their Six Nations Championship title after winning on points difference against England, as the latter fell agonizingly short of the 26-point winning margin they needed to beat France 55-35 in their rugby encounter.
The day started with Wales annihilating Italy 61-20 in Rome, which left Ireland needing a huge win and their 40-10 demolition of Scotland was enough to both pass Wales and set a target just beyond England.
With three teams on three wins apiece going into the final round of games the stage was set, and what followed was one of the most incredible days in the tournament since it was first played in 1883, with 221 points scored in the three matches, the BBC reported.
England started Saturday as leaders just from Ireland on points difference with Wales some way further back, and they would play in reverse order to decide who would become champions.
In the opener, Wales only led Italy by a point at half-time in Rome but cut loose in the second half, with George North's hat-trick ensuring Ireland needed to beat Scotland by 21 points to take the lead on points difference.
The champions duly hammered Scotland by 30 points in Edinburgh, meaning Wales were out of contention and that England needed to beat France by 26 points to take the title.
More From This Section
In a see-saw encounter at Twickenham, England pulled steadily clear but never managed to get into a lead that would have denied Ireland the title.
Ireland captain Paul O'Connell said that he never would have predicted such a game at Twickenham, adding that fair play to England and fair play to France, insisting that he has received a trophy in such a bizarre situation, claiming that in some ways it's better than last year.
England head coach Stuart Lancaster said that he was really gutted, adding that it was one of the most courageous performances he has seen from a team, insisting that it was an unbelievable game of rugby.
