A big Six Nations question after thrilling championship

It was gone one in the morning in Lyon but the fans on the last tram were still giddy as they made their way back into town, still riding the sugar rush.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

At the end of a captivating Six Nations, France and England had treated those inside the Groupama Stadium to a ferocious, fantastic, final fling to bring another fine edition of this spring spectacular to a close.

How does this championship do it? After round three, the suggestion was of a petering out, Ireland cruising towards consecutive triumphs and possibly a bit of history, too, with no one seemingly capable of matching them. But things are seldom that simple in the Six Nations – England’s upset at Twickenham meant a final weekend with plenty to play for and, in the end, Andy Farrell’s side crawled rather than coasted over the line.

This tournament’s enduring brilliance is partly down to just how hard it is to win. It is no fluke that no side has yet won back-toback grand slams since Italy’s addition – beating the top sides in Europe home and away without a misstep is, and should be, mightily hard.

And it only seems to be getting harder. Ireland’s name will be etched onto the trophy but it is Gonzalo Quesada’s Azzurri who are the big winners of the campaign. For so long Six Nations also-rans, confined to the dreaded Sunday slot and beaten with a bonus point too often, Italy showed over the last two months that they are no longer a side simply capable of a shock on their day but a team of confidence, class and commitment, with a growing maturity about their young squad. Two wins should have been three, and England weren’t far from being pipped, either – certainly, their rivals can no longer take an encounter for granted.