The Six Nations Championship is the latest incarnation of a rugby union tournament that dates all the way back to 1883. Ireland (along with England, Scotland and Wales) was one of the founding participants in the tournament that these days also features France and Italy. Each nation plays each other nation in a series of games to determine which country is the best rugby union nation in Europe. Whilst the primary target may be to obtain the most points and thereby secure the championship, there is another bigger accolade that may sometimes also be attainable, namely the Six Nations Grand Slam.
The Grand Slam is achieved where one nation wins every single match against the other nations in the year's competition. It is a feat that had been achieved a total of 34 times in the lead up to the 2009 Six Nations Championship. However, in all Ireland's time of playing in the tournament, the Grand Slam had only ever been achieved by the boys in green on one solitary occasion, in 1948.
Going into the 2009 Six Nations Championship, it was reigning champions Wales who were favoured to retain the trophy. Indeed, Wales had triumphed in 2008 with a superb Grand Slam of their own and looked to have the fire power (especially amongst the backs) to achieve back-to-back tournament victories. The Irish team was regarded as having a chance but despite having an undoubtedly talented side had fallen at the last hurdle a few too many times in recent seasons and there were doubts about the age of some of their stars as well as the side's ability to handle pressure.
The tournament started well for Ireland, however, with a disciplined and hard fought win against a talented but inconsistent France in Dublin. The Irish triumphed 30-21 against one of the traditional powers of Northern Hemisphere rugby and scored tries through influential captain Brian O'Driscoll, swashbuckling number 8 Jamie Heaslip and centre Gordon D'Arcy.
Hopes were raised by this opening day victory and it was onto Rome next and a match against an Italian team who were hurting after an embarrassing debacle in their first match, against England. Ireland initially made hard work of the match but came good in the second half for a 38-9 victory. They scored five tries in the process with O'Driscoll again getting on the scoresheet, plus wingers Bowe, Fitzgerald (with 2) and flanker David Wallace.
Next up were England at Croke Park in Dublin. Ireland versus England matches are always big but this one was shaping up to be pretty monumental. Another home win would make winning the tournament a distinct possibility but standing in Ireland's way was an erratic English team who were surely bound to hit form at some point? The match won't live long as a classic. It was attritional and error prone and many of the errors were coming from the usually trusty foot of Irish goal-kicker Ronan O'Gara. Ireland ended up holding on to win by the narrowest of margins 14-13 but it had been a jittery and unconvincing performance. Victory had been made possible largely through the brilliance (yet again) of their talisman, Brian O'Driscoll. With O'Gara missing easy penalty chances, O'Driscoll took it upon himself to get the points, scoring a try and landing a drop goal.
The penultimate match was an away game against Scotland. Nerves were jangling both amongst the players and the fans in the build up to this match, with so much at stake. Ireland have done very well during this decade but, too often, they had ended up as runners up. This might be a last chance for players of the calibre of O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell, and John Hayes to finally get their hands on a big trophy. In the first half, it was clear that Ireland were struggling to express themselves and Scotland led 12-9 at the break, fired to their lead by the deadly kicking of Chris Paterson. However, it was a different Irish team that emerged for the second half and a try by substitute Jamie Heaslip and some decent kicking by O'Gara led Ireland to a 22-15 win.
All this meant that Ireland were just one win away from landing the Six Nations trophy plus an historic grand slam. Standing in their way were Wales, who could steal the trophy for themselves if they could win by a fourteen point margin. The early exchanges were fierce, with both sides cancelling each other out and neither troubling the scoreboard. O'Gara had a long range kick at goal which fell short. Then Welsh fly half Stephen Jones landed two penalties to put Wales 6-0 up at the break. Irish eyes were not smiling; and Irish body language in front of the TV was grumpy, prompting my wife to ask what was wrong?!
Whatever words were said by Irish coach Declan Kidney at half-time must have been pretty inspirational as Ireland came roaring out at the start of the second half. To be fair, Ireland had laid a platform in the first half, competing well in the scrums and dominating at the lineout, with O'Connell a colossus in particular. Suddenly Ireland were down on the Welsh try line and were battering against courageous Welsh defending. Come the time, cometh the man as skipper O'Driscoll picked the ball up and somehow managed to force it down onto the edge of the try line. The referee went to the fourth official to check whether the try could be given and, after a moment's pause, raised his hand to signal that the try had been allowed. O'Gara converted it and Ireland were 7-6 up. Minutes later Irish winger Tommy Bowe scorched through the Welsh defence for another try, which again was converted. Ireland, from being 0-6 down, were now 14-6 up and the grand slam looked to be coming over the Irish Sea!
The Welsh weren't about to lie down, however, and forced their way back into the game, aided it has to be said by some poor discipline by the Irish players. Two more penalties were slotted by Jones to reduce the arrears to 12-14 and then, calamity for the Irish, as Jones expertly slotted over a drop goal to put the Welsh 15-14 up with only minutes remaining. It looked like Wales would win the match but not by the fourteen point margin that they needed to retain the Six Nations trophy. As things stood, it would be a Six Nations title for the Irish but the shine would be taken off it by defeat in this match and the failure to secure that elusive grand slam.
Ireland had surrendered their second half lead through easing up and trying to defend their lead. Suddenly their mindset had to switch back to an attacking one and they surged down the field seeking the points that would put them back in the lead. They secured a good field position and suddenly the ball was being popped back to the much maligned Ronan O'Gara. O'Gara swung his foot back to attempt a drop goal as several Welsh players charged full-bloodedly at him. The ball left his foot and spiraled up into the air. We watched as it made its way towards the posts. Irish fans held their breath and then cheered as the ball crept over the bar and between the posts! That was another three points and Ireland were 17-15 up with literally only seconds remaining. It couldn't be thrown away now, or could it?
Well, it very nearly was! Irish substitute Paddy Wallace had only just taken to the field when he conceded a silly penalty which left Stephen Jones with a fifty yard kick to win the match for Wales and break Irish hearts. Jones made a decent contact with the ball but it fell just short and the final whistle sounded. Ireland were the 2009 Six Nations champions and grand slam winners and the long wait for that second grand slam was over. It is possibly Irish rugby's greatest achievement to date. Rugby is a sport that unites people in Ireland, being played in the North and the South and by both Catholics and Protestants, so the win triggered mass celebrations all over Ireland.
A couple of final points are worthy of mention. During the tournament, veteran prop John Hayes (or the Bull to call him by his nickname) became the most capped player in Irish history. And O'Gara, despite having a mixed tournament, edged past England's Johnny Wilkinson as the record points scorer in Six Nations history. All in all, not a bad year for the Irish!