Thrills and spills: How Ireland won back-to-back Six Nations titles

Only two times has Ireland won the Six Nations Championship back to back and you would have had to thumb back the history book pages to 1949 to see the last time the title was retained.

With that in mind Ireland faced Italy in the first match of the championship with many people converted to the gospel of Joe Schmidt and marking Ireland down to bridge that 66-year gap.

Italy and Rome is known for fashion and art but the Italian job in Ireland’s first outing was not one of their most stylish wins. It was a time of Sexton mania. The Irish outhalf, still recovering from concussion, was however forced to watch from the sideline as replacement Ian Keatley’s trusty boot made a 14-point contribution to Ireland’s 26-3 win.

Seán O’Brien had tweaked his hamstring in the warm up to send a frisson of concern through the camp but good, honest hard rugby and Italian indiscipline at the breakdown offered Keatley his platform.

Conor Murray wriggled over and Tommy O'Donnell, O'Brien's late replacement in the backrow, romped in for tries. A win but not one from the Ireland that had claimed the scalps of Australia and South Africa just months before.

France in the second match promised more but for many it was the miracle of Sexton in the starting team despite Keatley doing little wrong. Back after a mandatory 12-week stand down, the match soon became the Sexton show at Aviva Stadium.

The Irish outhalf slotted five penalties and kicked exquisitely for territory against Philippe St-Andre's team. Sexton even clashed heads with French centre Mathieu Bastareaud to trigger concerns of further concussion for the Irishman.

Bloodied but unbowed Sexton returned to face a late French onslaught. But despite a second-half try from replacement lock, Romain Taofifenua, Schmidt's team held firm for 18-11, Ian Madigan kicking three points to Sexton's 15.

England in Dublin followed by Wales in Cardiff was a difficult couple of shifts and Stuart Lancaster's side arrived on March 1st to lay their own legitimate claims on the championship.

Sexton was again in flow and kicked 14 points to help break Ireland’s four-match losing streak against their traditional foe and hand Lancaster the first defeat by Ireland in his reign.

With England outhalf George Ford kicking three penalties it was Irish centre Robbie Henshaw's brilliant flying catch try that finally proved the difference as Ireland claimed an impressive 19-9 win to remain unbeaten.

It was three wins from three and on to Wales.

Cardiff was a low point, a chasing game where Ireland's traditional strengths fled. Beaten in the air and poor discipline in the opening phase allowed Wales' fullback Leigh Halfpenny kick the home side into a 12-point lead.

It was uncharacteristic for Ireland to be so lame and it hurt. Paul O’Connell, playing in his 100th international match and one of the few who raised his game on the day, watched as his beloved lineout fell apart.

Sexton kicked Ireland to 12-6 but Wales kept up the pressure and Halfpenny was his equal. Replacement centre Scott Williams added a Welsh try after Ireland had coughed up the ball after 32 phases in the Welsh red zone.

It was a bitter blow and with a quarter of an hour remaining Wales were 20-9 up.

But Ireland reacted well and earned a penalty try as their rolling maul was pulled down. Sexton added more and Ireland pressed but in the final play, referee Wayne Barnes came to the rescue penalising Ireland on a close-range scrum, as confounded team looked on in disbelief.

Lowly Scotland presented more than just a win. Points were also the issue and England went into the final day against France on equal points with Ireland and Wales but with a plus four points difference advantage as well as being the last match of the three.

But just as Ireland were poor against Wales they saved their best for last against the Scots in Murrayfield. Wales had coloured the day with a spectacular 20-61 win in the first game and posted an overall points difference of plus 53. Ireland knew had to beat Scotland and beat them well.

And so it unfolded with captain O’Connell going over for Ireland’s first try. That may have triggered an avalanche but Scotland stuck in. Ireland were patient and kept the scoreboard ticking over with O’Connell ordering Sexton to take the scores rather than territory.

He obliged and along with Jared Payne and man of the match O'Brien twice going in for tries, Ireland moved from 10-20 at half-time to an incredible 40-10 win.

That was enough as England had it all to do against France with Ireland on top of the table with a plus 63 points difference. To their credit they almost pulled it off, beating the French 55-35 but falling just six points short of the 26 point margin they needed for outright victory.

It was a second half that will live long in the memory. With nine scores from both sides in the final 40 minutes and England pressing hard for the final converted try that would have earned them the championship, they ran out of gas and time, France kicking the ball dead at the 80 minute mark and Ireland retaining their championship for the first time since 1949.