Dublin Revisited For England’s Grand Slam Quest

But there have also been 21 Grand Slam failures at the final hurdle – five each by Ireland and England, four each by Scotland and France and three by Wales.

England lead the way with 12 Grand Slams and their last success in 2003 came in the very city they will be travelling to this weekend seeking their 13th clean sweep.

Dublin was the venue for a winner-takes-all Grand Slam showdown between two unbeaten teams eight years ago.

England came through in convincing style and scored five tries in a 42-6 victory over Ireland. There are still a few survivors from that occasion at the old Lansdowne Road.

Brian O’Driscoll is still leading the men in green and will have Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer and Paul O’Connell alongside him in the matchday squad on Saturday.

Current England skipper Mike Tindall, Jonny Wilkinson and Joe Worsley all featured in the 2003 game and Martin Johnson had his scrum coach Graham Rowntree with him in the England pack.

FOR THE RECORD – LANSDOWNE ROAD, MARCH 30, 2003:

Ireland: G Murphy; J Bishop, B O’Driscoll (capt) (G Dempsey 80), K Maggs, D Hickie; D Humphreys (R O’Gara 63), P Stringer; M Horan (J Fitzpatrick 75), S Byrne, J Hayes, G Longwell (P O’Connell 56), M O’Kelly, V Costello (A Quinlan 68), K Gleeson, A Foley.

Scorers: Pen: David Humphreys; Drop: David Humphreys

England: J Lewsey; J Robinson, W Greenwood, M Tindall (D Luger 68), B Cohen; J Wilkinson (P Grayson 62), M Dawson (K Bracken 25-35, 68-72); G Rowntree (T Woodman 37-45), S Thompson, J Leonard, M Johnson (capt), B Kay
(D Grewcock 52), R Hill (J Worsley 22-29), N Back, L Dallaglio.

Scorers: Tries: Will Greenwood 2, Dan Luger, Lawrence Dallaglio, Mike Tindall; Cons: Jonny Wilkinson 3, Paul Grayson; Pen: Jonny Wilkinson; Drop: Jonny Wilkinson 2

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

GRAND SLAM SUCCESSES:

1908: Wales won 11-5 v Ireland, Balmoral Showgrounds, March 14
1909: Wales won 19-5 v Ireland, St Helen’s, March 13
1911: Wales won 16-0 v Ireland, Cardiff Arms Park, March 11
1913: England won 3-0 v Scotland, Twickenham, March 15
1914: England won 39-13 v France, Stade Colombes, April 13
1921: England won 10-6 v France, Stade Colombes, March 28
1923: England won 12-3 v France, Stade Colombes, April 2
1924: England won 19-0 v Scotland, Twickenham, March 15
1925: Scotland won 14-11 v England, Murrayfield, March 21
1928: England won 6-0 v Scotland, Twickenham, March 17
1948: Ireland won 6-3 v Wales, Ravenhill, March 13
1950: Wales won 21-0 v France, Cardiff Arms Park, March 25
1952: Wales won 9-5 v France, St Helen’s, March 22
1957: England won 16-3 v Scotland, Twickenham, March 16
1968: France won 14-9 v Wales, Cardiff Arms Park, March 23
1971: Wales won 9-5 v France, Stade Colombes, March 27
1976: Wales won 19-13 v France, Cardiff Arms Park, March 6
1977: France won 15-6 v Ireland, Lansdowne Road, March 19
1978: Wales won 16-7 v France, Cardiff Arms Park, March 18 *
1980: England won 30-18 v Scotland, Murrayfield, March 15
1981: France won 16-12 v England, Twickenham, March 21
1984: Scotland won 21-12 v France, Murrayfield, March 17 *
1987: France won 19-13 v Ireland, Lansdowne Road, March 21
1990: Scotland won 13-7 v England, Murrayfield, March 17 *
1991: England won 21-19 v France, Twickenham, March 16 *
1992: England won 24-0 v Wales, Twickenham, March 7
1995: England won 24-12 v Scotland, Twickenham, March 18 *
1997: France won 47-20 v Scotland, Parc des Princes, March 15
1998: France won 51-0 v Wales, Wembley, April 5
2002: France won 44-5 v Ireland, Stade de France, April 6
2003: England won 42-6 v Ireland, Lansdowne Road, March 30 *
2004: France won 24-21 v England, Stade de France, March 27
2005: Wales won 32-20 v Ireland, Millennium Stadium, March 19
2008: Wales won 29-12 v France, Millennium Stadium, March 15
2009: Ireland won 17-15 v Wales, Millennium Stadium, March 21
2010: France won12-10 v England, Stade de France, March 20

GRAND SLAM FAILURES:

1920: Scotland lost 13-4 v England, Twickenham, March 20
1923: Scotland lost 8-6 v England, Inverleith, March 17
1926: Ireland lost 11-8 v Wales, St Helen’s, Swansea, March 13
1951: Ireland drew 3-3 v Wales, Cardiff Arms Park, March 10
1954: England lost 11-3 v France, Stade Colombes, April 10
1955: France lost 16-11 v Wales, Stade Colombes, March 26
1965: Wales lost 22-13 v France, Stade Colombes, March 27
1969: Ireland lost 24-11 v Wales, Cardiff Arms Park, March 8
1978: France lost 16-7 v Wales, Cardiff Arms Park, March 18 *
1982: Ireland lost 22-9 v France, Parc des Princes, March 20
1984: France lost 21-12 v Scotland, Murrayfield, March 17 *
1988: Wales lost 10-9 v France, Cardiff Arms Park, March 19
1990: England lost 13-7 v Scotland, Murrayfield, March 17 *
1991: France lost 21-19 v England, Twickenham, March 16 *
1994: Wales lost 15-8 v England, Twickenham, March 19
1995: Scotland lost 24-12 v England, Twickenham, March 18 *
1996: Scotland lost 18-9 v England, Murrayfield, March 2
1999: England lost 32-31 v Wales, Wembley, April 11
2000: England lost 19-13 v Scotland, Murrayfield, April 2
2001: England lost 20-14 v Ireland, Lansdowne Road, October 20
2003: Ireland lost 42-6 v England, Lansdowne Road, March 30 *

* Both sides playing for Grand Slam

GRAND SLAM VENUES:

8 – Twickenham, London
5 – Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
4 – Stade Colombes, Paris; Murrayfield, Edinburgh
3 – Lansdowne Road, Dublin; Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2 – St Helen’s, Swansea; Stade de France, Paris
1 – Balmoral Showgrounds, Belfast; Ravenhill, Belfast; Parc des Princes, Paris; Wembley, London