Frank McNally: Nerve-shredding drama as Ireland retain Six Nations

Ireland were crowned Six Nations rugby champions on the pitch at Murrayfield on Saturday night, after a day of nerve-shredding drama in Edinburgh, Rome, and London.

Two hours earlier, they had inflicted a record-equalling defeat in the fixture to a proud but outclassed Scottish team.

Then they had to suffer 80 minutes of quite mad rugby from Twickenham before knowing they had retained the title - for the first time since 1949.

Ireland’s 40-10 victory over the Scots ended in the bright sunshine of a glorious Spring equinox evening.

Fireworks display

The trophy presentation began in darkness. Then a fireworks display, still in doubt until the last seconds of the England-France game, lit up the Edinburgh sky, cheered by the thousands of Irish fans who had stayed on.

Back-to-back titles for Ireland rugby teams are an even rarer phenomenon than the solar eclipse that had started the weekend. And although you didn't need protective glasses to watch this spectacle, there were other dangers in the denouement of this year's Six Nations, especially for those with weak hearts.

The day’s seven-hour orgy of rugby began, like all the best orgies, in ancient Rome. There, the Italian hosts played hard-to-get for 40 minutes, before the visiting Welsh ravished them to the tune of 47 second-half points.

Free-for-all

Despite conceding a last-minute try themselves amid the general free-for-all, it looked for a while as if Wales had secured the title before a ball was kicked elsewhere.

But then came the Celtic love-in between Scotland and Ireland, where the tone of wild abandon set in Rome continued.

Ireland scored early and often against a Scots defence of easier-than-usual virtue, matching the Welsh tally and adding nine more points for England to chase.

By then it was inevitable that the Anglo-French affair at Twickenham would be the rugby equivalent of a Dominique Strauss-Kahn house party. And sure enough, the pair went at it like there was no tomorrow, producing a climax that left spectators breathless, never mind themselves.

Normally unflappable

Afterwards, back in Edinburgh, even non-smokers felt like a cigarette. The normally unflappable Joe Schmidt seemed a bit flapped, describing his mood during the afternoon as "pretty excited".

Between the Ireland and England games, the coach had spoken of this year’s championship being like a rollercoaster: “We’re just hoping that when the ride finishes, we’re still in front”. Two hours’ riding later, they were still in front, but only just.