Peter Jackson: Kissing goodbye to Grand Slam riches

Of all the implausible scenarios for the opening round, nobody mentioned the one that came to pass, that only two contenders would still be standing for the Grand Slam.

The idea of four being wiped out at the first fence sounded too preposterous even for the most elastic imagination, not least because it had never happened before.

Besides, how could there be four casualties when there were only three matches? One of Ireland or Wales would, for sure, go the way of the perennial wooden- spoonists Italy and Scotland. But both at the same time, when they hadn’t drawn a match since the one at Lansdowne Road on the same first weekend of February in 1974?