Five Nations Facts

1, Ireland play their last Five Nations Championship match at Lansdowne Road today. From next season with the inclusion of Italy it will become the Six Nations Championship.

2, The roll of honour in terms of outright championship wins, with the year of their last success in brackets, is: England 22 ('96), Wales 22 ('94), Scotland 13 ('90), France 12 ('98), Ireland 10 ('85).

3, Grand Slam wins: England 11 ('95), Wales 8 ('78), France 6 ('98), Scotland 3 ('90), Ireland 1 ('48).

4, Triple Crown wins: England 21 ('98), Wales 17 ('88), Scotland 10 ('90), Ireland 6 ('85).

5, Ireland's record against England in the Five Nations Championship is: P 112, W 38, D8, L 66.

6, The Five Nations Trophy was introduced in 1993 and France won it. Ireland has never enjoyed that privilege.

7, England's biggest victory over Ireland was a 46-6 win at Lansdowne Road in 1997. Ireland's greatest margin of success was 22-0 in 1947.

8, Ollie Campbell holds the Irish record for most points scored in an international against England, 21 in 1983 at Lansdowne Road.

9, Ireland's last victory over England was in 1994 at Twickenham (13-12), 12 months after the last time they defeated the same opponents at Lansdowne Road (17-3).

10, Keith Wood is the only member of the Ireland team that takes the field today to have made his Five Nations Championship debut against England.

11, England tighthead Darren Garforth was once a tubular executive . . . his description for a scaffolder.

12, English full-back Matt Perry scored his first international try in this fixture last season.

13, English centre Jonny Wilkinson became England's youngest capped player for 71 years when he came on as a replacement in the England-Ireland fixture at Twickenham last season.

14, Ireland retain seven players from that fixture - Kevin Maggs, Conor McGuinness, Keith Wood, Paul Wallace, Paddy Johns, Andy Ward and Victor Costello. David Humphreys came on as a replacement.

15, Ireland's opponents in the first Five Nations Championship (1910) were England. The match took place at Twickenham on February 12th and ended England 0, Ireland 0.