Six Nations team of the tournament: Wales and England players lead the way but Irish stars miss out

The best players who stood out as Wales clinched a famous Grand Slam triumph

The Six Nations came to a frantic end on Saturday as England and Scotland played out one of the most dramatic Calcutta Cup encounters in recent memory, but neither could do anything to stop Wales from powering to a Grand Slam success as they destroyed Ireland to spark wild celebrations in Cardiff.

The final day started off in Rome as Italy slipped to a harrowing 22nd consecutive Six Nations defeat, meaning they have gone the entire Rugby World Cup cycle without a single win in the championship and have not tasted victory since 2015.

France eventually secured a 25-14 victory over the Italians, but it was far convincing from Jacques Brunel’s side and after picking up just two wins throughout the campaign, they do not look like challenging at the World Cup later this year.

The same cannot be said of Wales. After wins over France, Italy, England and Scotland, Warren Gatland’s side romped to victory over a spectacularly poor Ireland side to secure the third Grand Slam of the Kiwi’s reign – more than any other coach in Six Nations history.

For Ireland, the dethroned champions suffered disappointing defeats against England and Wales, and the fact that they didn’t come close to scoring a point until the final play of the match in the 25-7 loss shows how much work they have ahead of themselves.

With the title gone, England’s Calcutta Cup could have been liable to become a dull affair as the two sides lost interest in the championship. It proved anything but.

England flew out of the blocks and raced to a 31-0 lead inside 30 minutes, but the Scottish fightback was even more emphatic as they scored six unanswered tries to take a lead into the final five minutes, only for George Ford to save the day and convert his own try to salvage a 38-38 draw in one of the most bizarre turnarounds witnessed in the Six Nations.

But after the dust had settled, who made the Six Nations Team of the Tournament?

Click on the gallery above to find out.