Six Nations 2026: France vs England final worthy of the greatest Nations Championship ever

The tournament opened with Italy shocking Scotland in Rome to put Gregor Townsend under pressure.

His side then recorded an emphatic win over England at Murrayfield to end their rivals’ 12-match unbeaten run.

The pressure then mounted on Borthwick as Ireland outplayed his side at the Allianz Stadium.

While all this was happening, France had overtaken Ireland, Wales and Italy, starting a narrative that anything other than a Grand Slam would be a failure.

Scotland then overcame Galthie’s side, before conceding a late flurry of tries, to head into the final with a real shot at a first Six Nations title.

To add more drama to the mix, Italy beat England in Rome to pile more pressure on Borthwick.

Wales may have lost their first four matches, but they improved as the tournament went on, recording an impressive bonus-point win over Italy to end the tournament.

They finished with a third straight wooden spoon – but a first championship win since 2023 provided huge relief.

Despite an improved performance in Paris, England finished the tournament with four defeats – their worst ever campaign.

BBC Rugby correspondent Chris Jones said: “It was one of the most exciting Six Nations matches in history, reaching a final moment of drama.”

The 2015 Six Nations Championship is considered the greatest entertainment tournament due to the three-team Super Saturday title race.

Likewise he went straight to the wire.

However, this year’s competition continued from the first round to the final kick, with each country having its own story – and certainly vaulting to the top of the list.