IN the end then, not a vintage Six Nations but an intriguing one nonetheless. There were the usual winners and losers although, bizarrely, the losers proved to be one of the biggest winners and the eventual champions still finished the tournament with serious questions to answer.

The team with the most to celebrate were probably Scotland, and few would have predicted that when things got under way at the start of last month.

Home wins over both France and England made it a Six Nations to remember, even before last weekend's trip to Italy ended in a first away victory since 2002.

Coach Frank Hadden has wiped away the memory of Matt Williams' calamitous regime and imbued the Scottish game with the battling characteristics that were once its mainstay.

Ferocious tackling, unwavering commitment and relentless foraging at the breakdown might not be attributes that sit easily with the total rugby ethos being espoused in the southern hemisphere, but they still come in handy on a dank and dreary Edinburgh afternoon.

Unlike some of their opponents, Scotland played to their strengths. Jason White was a rock at blindside flanker - his match-winning hit on Italian prop Salvatore Perugini provided one of the highlights of the entire competition - while his partner on the openside, Allister Hogg, would also sit easily in a team of the tournament.

Yet, for all that Scotland's success was unexpected, Italy made even bigger strides. One point from five games might not sound much but, given the low base from which he was starting, coach Pierre Berbizier can rightly be proud of progress on a grand scale. The table might suggest otherwise, but Italy are no longer the whipping boys they once were.

Mirco Bergamasco was undeniably the championship's pre-eminent centre, while scrum-half Paul Griffen displayed a range that put some of his more exalted contemporaries to shame.

The challenge now is for the Italian authorities to develop their domestic game at the same rate as the international side, a task that would be made considerably easier if Italian club sides were granted access to the Celtic League.

Speaking of Celts, Ireland finished top of that tree and claimed a Triple Crown into the bargain when Shane Horgan crossed in the dying minutes at Twickenham.

Eddie O'Sullivan is undoubtedly making progress, although the sum of the Irish backline remains infuriatingly lower than the value of its parts. Brian O'Driscoll sparkled sporadically, while Horgan finally proved he has the brain to match his brawn on the wing.

It was up front, though, that Ireland really impressed. Paul O'Connell cemented his reputation as the leading lock in Europe, while Denis Leamy slotted in seamlessly at number eight.

The Irish would have finished as champions had they not conceded a cricket score in the opening 40 minutes at the Stade de France but, instead, their opponents that day claimed the honour.

France endured a strange championship. It is quite an achievement to score 43 points in the opening hour of a Six Nations match and yet still be booed off by your own fans at the final whistle.

France achieved it and, while putting 31 points on England should normally be a cause for celebration, the paucity of their opponents' play meant even that went largely unnoticed.

At least last weekend's win in Wales augurs well though. On the face of it, a five-point victory in Cardiff is a rotten result but, unlike so many of their predecessors, the current French side have proved adept at playing badly but still scraping a win.

Gallic flair is all well and good but, in the past, a succession of French sides have crumbled when the pressure has been cranked up. A grittier France would have beaten England in a rain-drenched World Cup semi-final in 2003. Next year, Bernard Laporte's side will not be so supine.

Andy Robinson's men, on the other hand, will almost certainly be on their way home before the final four play-off. Despite the bullish noises currently emanating from the RFU, the coach might not even be present when the tournament gets under way.

Forget dodgy line calls and a stamina-sapping schedule, if this Six Nations has proved anything it is that the current England team is in an almighty mess.

This summer's tour of Australia must be used to spark radical surgery - merely shuffling the same tired cards in a slightly different order will no longer do. The likes of Mathew Tait, Tom Varndell and Shaun Perry must come into contention, while the old guard of Dallaglio, Dawson and Cohen must walk the plank for a final time.

Dallaglio's presence on the substitutes bench was one of Robinson's biggest errors this spring, with the former captain casting a considerable shadow over his successor, Martin Corry.

Not, of course, that England enjoyed a monopoly over shooting themselves in the foot. As if dropping from first to fifth in the space of 12 short months was not bad enough, Wales also managed to lose a coach and spark a rebellion that shows no signs of coming to an end. It is just a shame their players are not as effective at wreaking havoc on the field as they are off it.

Published: 23/03/2006