The men's 2023 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the men's national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It was the 129th edition of the competition (including all its previous incarnations as the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship). France entered the tournament as defending champions, having won the Grand Slam in 2022.
Ireland won the tournament for a 15th time, along with a 13th Triple Crown and a fourth Grand Slam; it was also the first time they won the title in Dublin.[2] In beating England in their final game on 18 March, Ireland completed a full set of consecutive victories over all the other tier-one international sides.[3] In total 91 tries were scored in the Championship, a Championship record.[4]
A bonus point is awarded to a team that scores four or more tries, or loses by seven points or fewer. If a team scores four or more tries, and loses by seven points or fewer, they are awarded both bonus points.
Three bonus points are awarded to a team that wins all five of their matches (a Grand Slam). This ensures that a Grand Slam winning team would top the table with at least 23 points, as there would otherwise be a scenario where a team could win all five matches with no bonus points for a total of 20 points and another team could win four matches with bonus points and lose their fifth match while claiming one or more bonus points giving a total of 21 or 22 points.
Tiebreakers
If two or more teams are tied on table points, the team with the better points difference (points scored less points conceded) is ranked higher.
If the above tiebreaker fails to separate tied teams, the team that scores the higher number of total tries (including penalty tries) in their matches is ranked higher.
If two or more teams remain tied after applying the above tiebreakers then those teams will be placed at equal rank; if the tournament has concluded and more than one team is placed first then the title will be shared between them.
Fixtures
The tournament's fixtures were announced on 20 April 2022.[6] There were no Friday night fixtures. Other than the final weekend, the three kick-off time slots were the same each weekend of the tournament.
Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) was originally named at full-back, but he was replaced by Liam Williams ahead of the match, after suffering a back spasm in training.[7]
Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland) was originally named at scrum-half, but withdrew on the day of the match due to injury. He was replaced in the starting line-up by Conor Murray, whose place in the bench was taken by Craig Casey.[8]
Cian Healy (Ireland) was originally named among the replacements, but withdrew on the day of the match due to injury. His place was taken by Dave Kilcoyne.[8]
Ireland won at the Millennium Stadium in a Six Nations match for the first time since 2013.
Scotland won three consecutive games against England for the first time since 1972, and registered successive away wins against England for the first time since 1909.[10]
With this win, Scotland moved up to fifth in the World Rugby Rankings, equalling their highest position, last set in May 2018.[11]
Garry Ringrose (Ireland) was originally named to start at outside centre, but withdrew the day before the match due to injury. He was replaced in the starting line-up by Stuart McCloskey, who started at inside centre with Bundee Aki moving to outside centre. McCloskey's place on the bench was taken by Jimmy O'Brien.[27]
Mohamed Haouas (France) became the first player to receive two career red cards in Six Nations Championship matches, his first also coming against Scotland in 2020.[31]
This was the 100th meeting between France and Scotland.[32]
France won against England at Twickenham for the first time since 2007, and in a Six Nations match at Twickenham for the first time since 2005.[33]
France scored their most points against England (previously 37 points in 1972) to set a new record winning margin over England (previously 25 last set in 2006).
This was England's heaviest defeat at home (43-point difference), surpassing the 36 points to South Africa in 2008, and was the most points they had conceded at home, surpassing the 42 points conceded in the same game.[34]
This was England's heaviest defeat in any Home, Five or Six Nations match, surpassing the 43–13 loss to Ireland in 2007, and the most points conceded (surpassing the same game).
France scored their most points against Wales when at home, surpassing the 38 points scored in 2020.
George North (Wales) surpassed Shane Williams's record of 22 Six Nations tries to become Wales' top try scorer in the Six Nations.
France surpass their record of 18 tries scored in a Six Nations campaign set in 2006 and 2021 and surpass their own record of 156 points scored in a campaign set in 2002.
Wales surpass their worst defensive record in a Six Nations campaign, conceding a total of 19 tries. It was previously 18 tries conceded in 2002.
Dan Cole (England) became the fourth player to earn 100 test caps for England.[39]
Freddie Steward was contentiously sent off during the game following a collision with Hugo Keenan. The red card was later rescinded by a World Rugby citing committee as they ruled that referee Jaco Peyper and his team were wrong to have sent Steward off. [40]
Ireland won the Championship for the 15th time and a fourth Grand Slam, their first won at home since 1948 and a first home Championship win since 1985.[42]
Ireland became the first team to win the Triple Crown in back-to-back consecutive years since they last did it in 2006 and 2007.[43]
Ireland became the first nation to see their senior men's side and under-20s' side win the Grand Slam in the same year.[44]
Johnny Sexton (Ireland) surpassed Ronan O'Gara's record of 557 points scored in the Six Nations to become the competition's all-time leading point scorer.[45]
In the United Kingdom, each game was broadcast live on a free-to-air terrestrial TV channel, either the BBC or ITV, as a result of a new deal covering the four years from 2022 to 2025. All of Wales' games were also broadcast on S4C in the Welsh language[46]
