Greatest.

While we eagerly await the conclusion of the 2025 Six Nations Championship, to mark what is the 25th anniversary of the tournament in its current format, a selection of journalists from rugby news site, RugbyPass, have compiled a list of the Championship’s 25 greatest moments.

Taking top spot as the tournament’s most memorable moment is Ireland’s dramatic win in 2015 on a try-packed day dubbed ‘Super, Super Saturday’. Going into the final games, three teams, Ireland, Wales, and England had a chance of claiming the title, but luckily for Ireland, a French turnover quashed English hopes and gave legendary Ireland captain, Paul O’Connell a memorable send-off.

RugbyPass journalist, Neil Squires, said of this moment:

“There has never been a conclusion to the championship like it. The title race went down to the wire after it rained tries on the final day. There were 27 in all, and 221 points scored in the three games, as four sides fought it out for the title in a stock car race finish to the Championship.”

In second place is Wales’ late 17-point comeback in five minutes against Scotland in 2010, culminating in the now-infamous golf buggy incident with flanker, Andy Powell. In third place is Johnny Sexton’s dramatic late drop-goal to earn victory against France in Paris and clinch the Grand Slam for Ireland.

In fourth place is Wales’ famous Grand Slam win in 2005; the side’s first in the Six Nations. Rounding off the top five is Finn Russell’s iconic pass in the 2018 tournament against England to help Scotland clinch the Calcutta Cup in a 25-13 victory over their arch-rivals.

Recalling the dramatic events of ‘Super, Super Saturday’ in 2015, former Ireland prop, Bernard Jackman, offered these views:

“The performance, the pressure they were under, knowing what they had to do score-wise, and factoring in what had happened around elsewhere that day, yeah, when it works out like that, the excitement is phenomenal. I think as a player or coach or fan, you realise how hard it is to end up in a points situation like that, but that takes nothing away from the fact it was a very good performance by an Irish team who were absolutely ruthless in taking apart Scotland.”

Jackman also shared his recollections on Sexton’s now-famous 2018 drop goal:

“I actually have bad memories of this game. So, as the journalist I am now, I was writing a column live at the game and had effectively written it up already – because the deadline was on the final whistle – and because of the back and forth of the game itself, the narrative of the column was, ‘Ireland had messed up a real opportunity, a bad loss, etc’. Then, obviously, Sexton drops into the pocket from a long way out and just smashes an unbelievable drop-goal. So there I am jumping up and celebrating, but then quickly realising I had a lot of editing to do with not much time to do it!”

Several Irish moments have featured in the full list of 25, reflecting Ireland’s historic success. In sixth place is Ireland’s famous first Grand Slam win since 1948 at Cardiff in 2009. Jackman, adds:

“It was unbelievable the way the game unfolded, with us getting the lead through the drop goal and then conceding a late penalty. I think it might have been Stephen Jones who had a chance to win it for Wales, but he pulled it wide, and I remember the euphoria among Irish fans and players when O’Gara kicked his drop goal.

“You also had a Welsh team who were the equals of anyone in the world at that point and then you had an Irish team trying to win a first Grand Slam since 1948 – and that’s a long famine – and it just all came together for us in 2009. I remember there’s a great picture of Brian O’Driscoll and Jackie Coyle – Jackie who had been on the 1948 team and is seen in Irish rugby as being one of the greats of the game – he was there to witness it with his family and Brian went into the crowd to get this iconic photo with him.”

Taking 11th place is Ireland’s historic victory at Croke Park against England in 2007. Jackman, said: “The significance of this of course is that Croke Park is traditionally a Gaelic Football stadium, so at the time sports like soccer and rugby were never allowed to be played there. So it was a huge thing for any rugby game to happen and it was a real sign of the modernisation of the times.

“The pressure was on us not to lose again and Ireland were able to, I suppose, harness that pressure in a positive way and put together what was an incredible performance, one of Ireland’s best ever performances, everything just clicked. Shane Horgan got an iconic try in the corner from a crossfield kick from O’Gara – also Shane had played Gaelic football as a kid and it was kind of a Gaelic football type try, so it just kind of felt more fitting.”

Taking 14th spot is legendary Irish outside centre, Brian O’Driscoll’s hattrick against France in 2000, inspiring his side to a famous 25-27 victory in Paris.

Recalling the match, Jackman, adds:

“O’Driscoll announced himself onto the world stage. And I think it gave everybody belief that there was a couple of younger players coming through that potentially could change the results of Irish rugby; he became a superstar overnight.

“He was a key part of most of the subsequent success of Irish rugby, all the way through till he retired as a player and as a captain. So I think what came after that hattrick wouldn’t have happened unless someone like O’Driscoll came on the scene and showed us that even in games like playing away to France, he could do extraordinary things. So for me that was my memory of that moment and I remember everybody kind of feeling a lot better about Irish rugby based on this spark.”