Jason lights path to Dublin

Six Nations: Winger's double and Ireland's dramatic win set up the Grand Slam decider

At the beginning of the season Francis Baron, the chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, complained that the RSB Six Nations should not be decided by the opening game. He was right, but in the wrong way. Baron was referring to what he thought would be the defining match, England against France, but once again the old competition goes down to the wire.

England will contest the Grand Slam against Ireland in Dublin a week today, although even that script was in danger of being torn apart yesterday. Not by England, needless to say, who beat Scotland 40-9 with four tries, but by Wales.

In a phenomenal finish at the Millennium Stadium, Wales were trailing Ireland 21-22 when their stand-off, Stephen Jones, struck what he and everybody else thought was the winning drop-goal in injury time.

However, with Wales leading 24-22 Ronan O'Gara, who had come on as a late replacement for the tournament's top points scorer, David Humphreys, did a Jones. On the ground where he injured an ankle in the Celtic League final on 1 February, O'Gara dropped a goal from about 45 metres, the ball just clearing the bar. It ain't over 'til the thin laddie swings.

Jones then had another drop-goal attempt, from in front of the Irish posts, but it was charged down as Wales ran out of luck and time.

Ireland led 14-7 at half-time, through a try by Keith Gleeson and three penalties from Humphreys to a try by Jones. When Gleeson scored a second try shortly after half-time it looked all over for Wales, but they hit back with tries by Martyn Williams and Gareth Thomas to set up the finale to end all finales.

While Wales go to Paris on Saturday facing a whitewash, Ireland regather in Dublin for the visit of England on the Sabbath, when the winner takes all.

The Red Rose Army did not put Scotland as ruthlessly to the sword as most people expected. They, and Jason Robinson, had to go flat out to see off a spirited challenge. Robinson was one of three players to receive a yellow card in the early skirmishes – he joined Andrew Mower and Simon Taylor in the sin-bin as the Scots tackled everything that moved and sometimes things that didn't.

But when the rugby league convert moved from wing to centre in the second half, Matt Dawson, who had earlier created a try for Ben Cohen, released Robinson for two typical and conclusive tries.

It was England's 21st successive victory at Twickenham, where Scotland have not won the Calcutta Cup since 1983. Lansdowne Road is a million miles removed from Twickers. Even so, the first thing the Irish will want to know next week is what position Jason Robinson will be playing.