2009 Six Nations Championship their arrival at Dublin Airport. Brian O'Driscoll described 21 March as a “sweet, sweet day”. The game was watched by 945,000 people in Ireland, the highest rating television programme in the country by that stage of 2009. Former coach Eddie O'Sullivan was said to be "delighted" for the team. Brian O'Driscoll was named player of the tournament, beating Italy's Sergio Parisse and Ireland teammate Paul O'Connell. O'Connell was later named captain of the British and Irish Lions team to tour South Africa and containing fourteen members of the Grand Slam winning Irish team on 21 April 2009, describing it as
2000 Six Nations Championship and finished in sixth place. The teams involved were: 2000 Six Nations Championship The 2000 Six Nations Championship was the first series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship, following the inclusion of Italy into the Five Nations championship. It was the 106th international championship overall. The championship was won by England. England won their first four games and met winless Scotland in their final match. Scotland earned a surprising victory and denied England the Grand Slam. Italy won their first game in the championship with a surprising 34–20 win over Scotland, who had won the previous year's Five Nations.