TWB22RUGBY

  N ot since Bill Beaumont's 'annus mirabilis' of 1980 has England won the 'Grand Slam' of victories over Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Trance in the Five Nations Championship. But in 1991, with the same IS players in all four matches, Will Carting's team finally achieved that elusive goal. On their way to the ultimate triumph England passed some - significant milestones. First they -. beat the 'Cardiff bogey' with victory over Wales for the first time in 28 years at Cardiff Arms Park - when Simon Hodgkinson kicked 7 penalty goals - a world record. They avenged their 1990 defeat at Murrayfield by beating Scotland at Twickenham, and battled their way to the Triple Crown in a thrilling encounter in Dublin. Finally, a decade of frustration ended when Carling's men put paid to France's all-conquering challenge in the Gland Slam climax at Twickenham. Will Carling joins Nigel Starmer-Smith in reliving the highlights of a dramatic championship season tha...

15 March 1980 Murrayfield, Glasgow U ntil the Six Nations. The Five Nations Championship was appreciated as being the leading and most prestigious international rugby union tournament in the whole of Northern Europe. The last match of the 1980 Five Nations' tournament saw England travel to face Scotland at Murrayfield. Bill Beaumont's team knew that victory would mean England's first Five Nations Championship since 1963. and their first Grand Slam since 1957. Kn amazing all round performance saw England trounce the luld Enemy 30 points to 18. with the Scottish defence ravished by young centre Clive Woodward in his first international season. Beaumont's heroes remain the only English side to ever win the Grand Slam on Scottish soil, an accomplishment made much sweeter by the fact it was won against their fiercest rivals. Experience again the elation of England's victory in the ultimate Grand Slam performance.

L e Stade Toulousain a conforté sa première place au classement du Top 14 de rugby grâce à sa victoire (51-10) face à Lyon, samedi lors de la 15e journée, tandis que Bayonne, battu à domicile (27-20) par Bordeaux-Bègles, se retrouve en position de relégable, dépassé par Biarritz. Avec 6 essais inscrits et un point de bonus offensif glané face aux Lyonnais, les Toulousains comptent provisoirement dix points d'avance en tête du classement sur Clermont (2e), qui reçoit Toulon (4e) dimanche soir. Les Toulousains ont cependant perdu, sans doute pour plusieurs mois, le deuxième ligne Romain Millo-Chluski, blessé à l'épaule droite et très incertain pour le Tournoi des six nations avec le XV de France, ainsi que le talonneur Géorgien Akvsenti Giorgadze, "victime d'une déchirure à la cuisse" selon le manageur Guy Novès. Les champions de France n'ont désormais plus que William Servat comme seul talonneur de métier valide. Dimanche, en Auvergne, les Toulonnais viseront l...