By Tournament / Six Nations

Wales 29-12 France

Wales Tries: S Williams M Williams Cons: S Jones (2) Pens: J Hook (2) S Jones (2)
France Pens: J-B Ellisalde (3) D Yachvillii

After 40 minutes of RBS 6 Nations you’d have got odds somewhere near 50/1 on Wales to win the championship, let alone the Grand Slam, but on an enchanted evening in Cardiff, they did just that and thoroughly deservedly so.

No one can argue that the best team didn’t win, for Wales have scored the most points (148) and shifted the least (66) with England and Italy the only sides to cross the Welsh whitewash.

Under the strict stewardship of defence coach, Shaun Edwards, Wales conceded only two tries throughout the whole tournament – two less than England’s record setting tally in 2002 and 2003 – and the bloodthirsty blitzing sea of red more than matched a frustrated French attack.

Warren Gatland needs a pat on the back for reinventing and reinvigorating the careers of a trio of Ospreys who were at the centre of the flawless campaign. Gavin Henson, Lee Byrne and Mike Phillips have been at the epicentre of the remarkable turnaround in fortunes showing more maturity and control than ever before.

At half-time a few Welsh nerves were jangling with France keeping in touch through Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde’s efficient boot, especially with Henson sitting it out for ten minutes for a high tackle on Fulgence Quedraogo, and it was always going to be a moment of magic that unlocked this edgy affair – enter Shane Williams.

The Welsh wing has undoubtedly been the star of the tournament and his sixth posted in the RBS 6 Nations this year took him one nudge past Gareth Thomas’ national record of 40 tries, but from his jubilant reaction, the record was far from his thoughts as he scampered clear of a scrambling defence after pouncing on his hack – the championship and a tenth Grand Slam, almost 100 years after their first, was within their grasp.

But the other Williams, Martyn, would not be outdone, even on his shorter namesakes record-breaking day. You could sense a special ending was building after Mark Jones nearly counter attacked his way from the Welsh twenty-two gliding past tiring defenders, and the red-haired flanker who unbelievably had to be called out of retirement by the shrewd Warren Gatland, glided through for a fairytale making score in the dying moments to send every Welsh man and his dog into magical and emotional applause.

Scotland's hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon have been dealt a severe blow with the news that Dan Parks has shifted Chris Paterson onto the wing after Nikki Walker was ruled out with injury.

Andrew Henderson takes Parks' place on the bench.

Scotland and Italy occupy up their perennial losers seats in the RBS 6 Nations table and the two starving nations will battle over the silver cutlery with the losers having to settle for a wooden spoon.

Unlike Rome, a city of plentiful beauty and fashionable population, the rugby will be an ugly feast of smash & grab ball carrying played out by a bunch of bruisers topping the menu.

Scotland may have won the Calcutta Cup based on a resilience, guts and passion and a marginally better kicking game than England, but Italy have style and ambition despite not being able to always execute their ideas.

Frank Hadden will be devastated that the weather forecast predicts sunshine with a slight southerly wind. He would much rather prefer it to be hammering it down with a ferociously blowing northern gale - anything to mask his team's inferiority complex when it comes to scoring tries.

Scotland cannot continue their barren spell of scoring for much longer or else the players will start believing they are cursed and have to give up wearing kilts and sporting constant frowns.

Italy haven't faired much better but they have an excuse in Andrea Masi who is only playing his fifth game at fly-half and hasn't quite grasped that there is a life outside the centre pairing just yet.

In Sergio Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni they have two brutes that would easily fit into any World XV even if they struggle to find a comfortable jersey to slip into.

If Italy avoid the dreaded wooden spoon, it will represent a successful tournament barring the demolition suffered in Cardiff, and a five point victory is well within their grasp, especially as they have props who can even score tries.

Scotland will settle for a couple of notches on the scoreboard from Chris Paterson, but if they play for penalties then the Azzurri will trample all over them as their forwards have slightly more upstairs and piles more endeavor.

Prediction: Italy to win by eight points.

Date: Saturday, 15 March
Venue: Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Kick-off: 14:00 (13:00 GMT)

It’s a shame that the only thing at stake is the respective Head Coach’s arses and a few old timers over prolonged careers.

The RFU has been refuting all accusations of a crisis this week in addition to fighting off claims that Jake White’s ticket to London Heathrow hasn’t been paid for by Chairman, Martyn Thomas personally.

While in Ireland Eddie O’Sullivan knows that victory against England will probably guarantee him another seven-year extension to his current deal. For Irish fans, we hope not...

Everyone loves beating the English, including the English, and if they don’t realise that everytime England step out against a ‘lesser’ nation, it’s effectively a World Cup Final. Ireland has actually won the last four, so maybe England need to think of it as a final…

The England players know that if they lose, Brian Ashton goes, and they can kiss goodbye to the Vickery’s, Vainikolo’s and Balshaw’s of this world.

Rob Andrew’s timely vote of confidence 24 hours before kick-off suggests the chopping block is already on order. Maybe the public decapitation should start with the Director of Elite rugby seeing as all he’s good for is walking around the West Car Park in his well-worn match-day leather jacket.

So far, both teams have shown the fluency of a donkey on stilts combined with the interstitial fortitude of a kid riding his first rollercoaster, so don’t expect it to be all streamers and party poppers at Twickenham.

Danny Cipriani has been brought in to save Ashton’s already burnt bacon while Jonny Wilkinson, arguably England’s best of a bad bunch, has been ceremoniously spat out onto the scrapheap.

The worry is that if Cipriani doesn’t run the length of the field and walk off with the Man-of-the-Match award following a 30-point haul then Wilko will be straight back in.

England need build some sort of structure to their game and that doesn’t mean getting out the Lego and basing their patterns on building blocks.

Brian O’Driscoll’s absence opens the door for Ronan O’Gara to show his leadership qualities and let’s hope it isn’t leading them down to the bookies beforehand banking on an away victory. The Irish have a real opportunity to stand-up and be counted and further open the cracks at Twickenham, and there is no better place.

Prediction: England to win by eight points

Date: Saturday, March 15
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT

It's been exactly 100 years since Wales won their first Grand Slam, but this isn't time to get sentimental, we'll leave that to Andy Robinson's wife, who will be picking fights with another poor bugger who said her husband wasn't doing a very job as England coach this weekend... At least Brian was polite.

Wales' seven week transformation has been remarkable, so much so that Gordon Brown has rumoured to be considering inventing a position for Warren Gatland within his cabinet.

Now the final hurdle awaits and while the French horse has kept within a furlongs length, they have ample speed and old legs to forge a late photo-finish.

France are going for their own record of three consecutive titles and will need to conjure up all the magic we have come to expect when they are massive underdogs, and their last trip to Cardiff produced the upset of the World Cup.

James Hook has been brought into provide some attacking guile but he has to be careful because it won't be a sprint and he must use the experience around him to steer the ship towards safety.

Whereas Wales have been digging potholes and running ten mile ascents in the Brecon Beacons, France have been sunning themselves, sharing petit cafe's and packets of gauloises on the Cote d'Azur, such has been their contrasting performances in this year's tournament.

Marc Lievremont's has ditched his experimenting in favour of the experienced campaigners and it could be a case of expecting the unexpected that drives Wales to glory.

Prediction: France to win by 12 points.

Date: Saturday, 15 March
Venue: Millennium Stadium
Kick-off: 17:00 GMT