It may have a been a hot topic among the blue hordes trooping deliriously out of Twickenham, after seeing their heroes win an unprecedented third European title in four years.

But it wasn't a question occupying the minds of the players who had just delivered a record-breaking margin of victory in the final of rugby's most passionately charged club competition.

No doubt when they reflect on their season's work a week on Monday, and start to contemplate what next year might hold, they might be persuaded to indulge in a little fantasy.

A 'home' Heineken Cup final at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, the possibility of equalling Toulouse's record haul of four titles. The perfect motivation to re-scale the heights?

For the next seven days at least though, the need to confirm their status as the best team in the RaboDirect Pro 12 league, having finished top by 10 points after the regular season, will be the prime goal, with the Ospreys awaiting them in next Sunday's final at their Royal Dublin Showground home.

Last year Leinster followed up their remarkable Heineken Cup victory over Northampton by losing to provincial rivals Munster in the final of their domestic competition. It didn't go down well.

"We have an opportunity now to do something special," said full-back Rob Kearney, as if their five-try, record 42-14 dismantling of Ulster, did not deserve such consideration.

"We have worked really hard in the 'Rabo' [Pro 12] this year, it has been a full squad effort. If we can achieve that win, it could be more of a testament to Leinster rugby than this week."

And therein perhaps lies the secret of their success, and why it is likely to continue.
Leinster have used 49 players in their domestic campaign. The tremendous strength in depth of the local talent coming through, blended into a thriving and successful structure, allows the top-of-the-bill acts like Kearney to take a rest periodically, and peak for the big occasions.

But the big names appreciate the hard yards done in their absence, and want to do their bit in return.

But let's just consider "this week" first.

Saturday's stunning rout - which was harsh on Ulster, but a rout nonetheless - means that since the start of the 2008-2009 season, Leinster have won 28 and drawn two of their 35 Heineken Cup matches, losing only one - to Toulouse in the 2010 semis - in the knock-out stages.

Since losing to Clermont away in the group stages last season, they are undefeated in their last 15 Heineken matches, winning 14 of them.

Statistically, Toulouse remain out front, with four titles from six finals. But strangely, the game in which the French aristocrats lifted the spirits most was in one of the finals they lost to Wasps in 2004.

That was perhaps the last time Twickenham witnessed such an uplifting brand of attacking rugby from a club side, with due respect to the demolition job Wasps did on Leicester in 2007.

Wasps, with a 100% record from their two Heineken finals, also had a completeness about them in terms of power, tactical nous and cussedness, but perhaps not quite the same attacking brio.

Munster made the knock-out stages for 12 years in a row from 2000, winning two of their four finals, and reaching five other semi-finals, a phenomenally consistent sequence.

Leicester, whose five finals are second only to Toulouse, were the only previous side to have successfully defended the trophy.

But Leinster are rapidly re-defining the boundaries of ambition for Europe's leading club sides.

When it was put to coach Joe Schmidt that his charges had perhaps converted every try-scoring opportunity they created (their five tries was another final record), it wasn't a prospect the genial New Zealander seemed comfortable with.

"I'm happy we got five tries, but I'll have to look at the video. I'm sure I'll find something," he said.

This relentless pursuit of perfection and improvement means it is unlikely the "dynasty" that Brian O'Driscoll alluded to afterwards will end anytime soon.

Ulster, for their part, were as defiant after the match as they had been for large parts during it. They had their chances to make it a closer game, but didn't take them.

Against Leinster - "If you give them an inch, they take a mile; they are an exceptional rugby side," noted Brian McLaughlin, ruefully - that proved fatal.

The departing coach was insistent the players he bequeaths - if such a term is appropriate when you have been removed from your post - to New Zealander Mark Anscombe will learn sufficiently swiftly to "make sure that days like this are the norm for Ulster rugby, not the exception."

With two former Ulster players - Lions wing Tommy Bowe and Northampton number eight Roger Wilson - returning to the ranks next season, they should be stronger. This may not have been their only shot at glory.

It is only natural a player nurtured in the culture of a particular club or province has a particular interest in seeing that team become successful, as Leinster captain Leo Cullen - the first man to lift the Heineken Cup three times - alluded to.

"I was at Leicester for a while and I learnt a huge amount and I loved playing for them," he said. "But there is something special about playing for a team that you grew up supporting. To have success with this team means the most to me."

Were Ulster naïve to think they could take Leinster on at their own game and win?

Most observers felt the underdogs' best hope of victory lay in making it a dogfight.
The trouble is, Leinster - as they showed in their semi-final win against Clermont in Bordeaux - are not the sort of side to be bullied into submission.

As soon as it became apparent that Ulster were keen to play an expansive game themselves, there looked to be only winner, and so it proved.

Ulster's high-tempo attacking game put them under pressure for periods, but crucially - Dan Tuohy's second-half try aside when they were already 24-9 up - Leinster's scramble defence was equal to it.

Would a predominantly territorial kicking game have proved any more successful? As McLaughlin noted, when Leinster have Rob Kearney and Isa Nacewa as their gate-keepers, both superb under the high ball and devastating on the counter-attack, why would you play to their strengths?

And then of course, they have Brian O'Driscoll. This latest addition to his growing legend came eight days after he "had a little cartilage trimmed" from his knee. Wouldn't a coach be within his rights to question whether his prized centre could really be 100% fit, given such a limited recovery time?

"The fact he is so mentally tough means you don't have to get too concerned about him," Schmidt told BBC Sport. "You just know he is going to turn up and play."
A bit like Leinster themselves.

And right now, they are playing better than anyone else in Europe has possibly ever done.

Leinster, aiming for a third title in four years to join Toulouse as the only other team to have won it more than twice, start favourites against Ulster, who triumphed back in 1999.

BBC Sport has taken the opinions of two former Ireland captains - Phillip Matthews (38 caps from 1984 to 1991 and an ex-Ulster flanker) and Keith Wood (58 caps from 1994 to 2003 and a Heineken Cup finalist with Munster in 2000) - for some insight into Saturday's proceedings.

Two former winners from the two provinces - Ulster's 1999-winning full-back Bryn Cunningham and Leinster lock Malcolm O'Kelly, who played in their 2009 triumph, also weigh in with their thoughts.

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So, an all-Irish final... how did that happen?

Well, it's no surprise Leinster are here again. They are a team of all talents, they finished top of the Pro 12 league by 10 points, and they play some of the finest attacking rugby to be found anywhere in the world.

They can also slug it out with the best of them, as they showed in winning a pulsating semi-final over French giants Clermont Auvergne in Bordeaux.

Ulster, it's fair to say, were not being tipped by many at the outset, despite reaching the last eight a year ago for the first time since 1999.

They came through a very tough group which included Leicester and Clermont, stunned two-time champions Munster in their Limerick fortress in the quarter-finals, and held off Edinburgh in a tight semi-final in Dublin to make it through.

How come the Irish sides have become so dominant in Europe?

Certainly a fifth Irish winner in the last seven years - whoever prevails on Saturday - suggests they are doing something right.

A variety of reasons have been put forward, ranging from player management, lack of relegation in the Pro 12 allowing teams to develop a more expansive style, the influence of some innovative Antipodean coaches, to the essential 'spirit' of the provinces.

Irish players certainly play fewer matches in a season than their English counterparts slugging it out in the Premiership, allowing them to rest at certain times and peak for the Heineken Cup.

"In England, clubs are king. In Ireland, country is king, and the country has control of the Heineken Cup teams, because they contract the players, so it is a very different structure," observes Matthews, who nevertheless gives short shrift to the notion that English and French clubs, who provided nine out of the first 10 European champions, are now at a disadvantage.

"I don't buy this theory about the over-intensity of the English season and relegation stopping teams from playing a certain way. I think it comes down to attitude and the tradition of each country.

"England have had quite size-orientated, forward-based teams, since the days of Will Carling's side, and they feel they have to play to their strengths. To a large extent, successful teams in the Premiership, like Leicester, still play that way.

"But if someone matches you physically, what do you do then? If you haven't had to find that something extra in the Premiership, you can't suddenly find it in Europe. To be successful in Europe now, you have to play more of a 15-man game, as Leinster have."

Leinster beat Northampton Saints in last year's Heineken Cup final. Photo: Getty

A few blue-chip imports can't do any harm either?

As well as a fine group of locally-produced players led by the thunderous Stephen Ferris, Ulster have benefited hugely from the influence of an All Blacks prop (John Afoa) and a quartet of Springboks: full-back Stefan Terblanche, lock Johann Muller, number eight Pedrie Wannenburg and scrum-half Ruan Pienaar, the latter kicking 14 points in the quarter-final and 17 in the semi.

"Pienaar is just the calmest man in the world," says Wood. "He is slotting kicks from 55m and banging them 20 yards over the bar. He just doesn't seem to feel the pressure."

Cunningham adds: "He is probably the most humble guy you will ever come across, for one of the best players in the world. He has no airs or graces, despite what he has achieved, and gives time to all the young players coming through. On and off the pitch he has been outstanding for Ulster."

Leinster have also recruited wisely. Wallaby flanker Rocky Elsom was the star of their first Heineken triumph in 2009 before returning to Australia. This year, needing an experienced lock as cover while captain Leo Cullen recovered from surgery, they turned to All Black Brad Thorn, who at 37 will become the oldest player to feature in a Heineken Cup final.

"They wanted to make certain they got a leader, and a heavy ball-carrier with a big work-rate, and that is what they got," says Wood. "New Zealanders in particular can have such an influence on the younger guys." Adds O'Kelly: "Watching him lately, I think he is getting better as he gets older."

Why are so many pundits purring about Leinster?

Former England centre Will Greenwood described the first 45 minutes of their quarter-final win over Cardiff Blues, in which they racked up four tries and a 34-3 lead, as "absolute brilliance". Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin calls them a "smashing rugby side".

"Because it is a less structured system where individuals use their own inventiveness, it is difficult to play against and you can't over-analyse it, because they are likely to pull something else off that you haven't planned for," says Matthews.

"They have reached a sort of rugby nirvana, which perhaps only New Zealand, and lately Wales, have reached, where it looks like it has all been thrown together and everyone is doing their own thing. But it's all done within a particular system."

Ruan Pienaar kicked five penalties and a conversion in the 22-19 semi-final win over Edinburgh. Photo: Getty

Doesn't sound like Ulster have much of a chance then?

Not necessarily, if you listen to coach McLaughlin, for whom Saturday could be a bitter-sweet final game in charge, having been told mid-season that he is being replaced by unheralded New Zealander, Mark Anscombe, next season.

"We are not going to Twickenham to make up the numbers. We are going to make sure we perform and show we are a quality side as well," he says.

Recent meetings between the two sides don't bode well for Ulster though. Their last win came in October 2009, while Leinster have won the last five, including home and away for the last two seasons.

"Psychologically, that is probably the biggest battle for Ulster," says Cunningham. "If they are going to win, it is not just on the pitch but in their minds before the game."

But once they get on to the Twickenham turf, will their renowned defence be able to cope with Leinster's all-singing, all-dancing attack?

"I don't think they can shut them out completely," says Matthews. "They can't afford to think they can squeeze the life out of them and score penalties to win it. They will have to score tries as well. They can put Leinster under pressure and make them doubt themselves.

"But I think Leinster have too many leaders - Brian O'Driscoll, Brad Thorn, Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D'Arcy, Jonny Sexton - who can pick it up when they need to. I can't see Ulster suppressing that."

O'Driscoll? We haven't even mentioned him yet. Didn't he have an operation last week?

A little trim of the knee cartilage apparently, although most mortals wouldn't contemplate playing in a major final eight days later.

"As soon as he came out of the hospital he said, 'I am playing'," says Wood. "I played with him and the great thing about him, even as young man, was that if he declared himself fit, he was fit enough. If he wasn't fit, he was man enough not to play."

So more glory for BoD and Leinster beckons then?

"I would fully expect Leinster to win," says O'Kelly. "They are overwhelming favourites but that brings a certain weight on the shoulders."

Wood concurs. "It should be Leinster's title again. But if Ulster turn up and Leinster are not quite up to the mark, it could be very tight."

And BoD's thoughts? "You realise that when you get to a final, all bets are off. Anything can happen."

A third Grand Slam in eight years for Wales. Plaudits for runners-up England. Misgivings over Ireland and France, a win for Italy and a third Wooden Spoon in nine years for Scotland.

Time for a few awards, and a team of the tournament.

I canvassed the views of the BBC’s main television analysts – former Wales fly-half Jonathan Davies (JD), ex-England centre Jeremy Guscott (JG), former Scotland scrum-half Andy Nicol (AN) and ex-Ireland hooker Keith Wood (KW) – for their highlights, and asked them for a mark out of 10 for their respective home nations, as well as their composite teams.

While Scotland lock Richie Gray, Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris, France centre Wesley Fofana and Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny all had deserved mentions, our BBC team’s award goes to Wales flanker Dan Lydiate.

The 24-year-old missed the opening game against Ireland, but returned with a man-of-the-match display against Scotland, and earned another award for his stunning performance in the Grand Slam decider against France.

Previously perceived as an unsung hero whose sterling efforts went largely unseen, Lydiate lived up to his “Chopper” and “Silent Ninja” nicknames in a superbly destructive display. As Jonathan Davies put it: “He does all the dirty work, and his work-rate is phenomenal. And he put in his biggest performance when it mattered most .”

Stand-out moment:

Unanimous agreement from our BBC analysts on this. It came on the opening weekend, Ireland v Wales in Dublin. From a tap-down from flanker Justin Tipuric at the tail of a line-out, Wales – through half-backs Mike Phillips and Rhys Priestland – launched the giant George North off his left wing.

The teenage wing wonder skipped around Gordon D’Arcy and bumped off Fergus McFadden before unleashing the deftest of offloads out the back of his right hand to Jonathan Davies, who shredded the remaining defence to score at the posts. Brutal and beautiful in equal measure, an exquisitely timed move executed with power, pace and precision.

Best try/tries:

The aforementioned Jonathan Davies try against Ireland featured highly, as did Scott Williams’s winning solo try for Wales at Twickenham.

Keith Wood opted for a third Welsh try, Alex Cuthbert’s side-stepping effort that proved the difference against France, purely for its significance alone.

Andy Nicol picked out Stuart Hogg’s against France as “the first of many for a future star of Scottish rugby”.

The others both came in England’s stirring victory over France in Paris, Jonathan Davies and Jeremy Guscott both picking out Manu Tuilagi’s arcing run to the right corner, after a thumping hit from Chris Ashton and clever offload from Owen Farrell.

Nicol also enjoyed the way Tom Croft “put the after-burners on and scorched across the 22” for the winning try.

Biggest disappointment:

Scotland. “Started with so much promise but delivered very little other than a few stand-out performances from some of the young lads.” (AN)

Scotland’s discipline. “They performed well against England, Wales and France, yet they couldn’t go to Italy and win. A lot of that was down to their own indiscipline.” (JD)

“France’s unwillingness to play with the ambition that’s instinctive within them.” (JG)

“The Irish scrum's performance at Twickenham.” (KW)

Marks out of 10:

England: 7.5/10. “Winning all three away games was a massive achievement for this new, inexperienced squad. I had them down to finish fourth; they exceeded my expectations and, I bet, many others.” (JG)

Ireland: 6/10. “They struggled to find leadership. Senior players didn’t step up in the absence of the injured Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell.” (KW)

Scotland: 3/10. “Whitewashed, Wooden Spoon and only four tries says it all really!” (AN)

Wales: 9/10. “I would have given them a 10 after winning the Grand Slam, but I believe there is more to come offensively from this side.” (JD)

France: 5/10. “That is because I am a very kind person!” (Thomas Castaignede). “They didn’t produce what we expected of them in terms of attacking ambition. I expected a lot more.”

Anyone want to give Italy a mark out of 10?

Team of the Tournament:

15: Rob Kearney (Ireland). Leigh Halfpenny, the tournament’s top points-scorer with 66, enjoyed plenty of decisive moments – a match-winning penalty against Ireland, throwing himself at David Strettle’s feet to stop the England wing in the final play of the game – and earned JD’s vote. But the Irishman – safe as houses under the high ball, and rejuvenated in his counter-attacking from deep – took the other three. Likely to be rivals for the British & Irish Lions Test jersey next year.

14: Tommy Bowe (Ireland). Alex Cuthbert, who got stronger as the tournament went on and scored three tries including the crucial one against France, earned KW’s vote. But the County Monaghan man nabbed the other three, taking his five tries with the sharpness that made him a Lion in 2009.

13: Jonathan Davies (Wales). England’s Manu Tuilagi missed the first two games but swiftly brought his destructive power to bear when he did enter the fray. But the Welshman brought variety, intelligent angles, sharp passing and finishing power to the Welsh midfield. A midfield diamond.

12. Wesley Fofana (France). Jamie Roberts had a strong tournament for Wales and earned a vote, but France uncovered a new star in the shape of Fofana, who scored a try in each of his first four Tests. Cuts delicious angles and pace to burn. Wasted when he was moved to the wing against Wales.

11. George North (Wales). JD felt Cuthbert had edged his more celebrated wing partner by the end of the Championship, but the original giant Welsh wing was a constant threat every time the ball came in his direction. Just the one try against Ireland, but brings so much more. A game-breaker.

10. Owen Farrell (England). Centre for first two matches, he moved to 10 after Charlie Hodgson’s injury and remained there after a superb outing against Wales. Still work to be done on his attacking game, but with Jonny Sexton only impressing in patches and Rhys Priestland suffering a mid-tournament dip, the 20-year-old ’s defensive excellence and nerveless goal-kicking gave him the nod.

9. Mike Phillips (Wales). With “no outstanding candidate or no-one setting the world alight” (JD), Phillips took all four votes. Started off in superb form against Ireland, and a tower of strength when Wales were down to 14 men, particularly at Twickenham, he also frustrated at times with the speed of his distribution and decision-making. Honourable mentions to Mike Blair and Lee Dickson.

1. Gethin Jenkins (Wales). England’s Alex Corbisiero enhanced his growing reputation against some of the best scrummagers in the game, but the Welshman – now a three-time Welsh Grand Slam winner – remains the benchmark for modern-day props. Intelligence, strength, and leadership.

2. Rory Best (Ireland). Although part of a badly beaten Irish front row on the final day, the Ulster hooker enjoyed a consistently strong tournament, led the side well after Paul O’Connell succumbed to injury and weighed in with a couple of tries as well.

3. Adam Jones (Wales). England’s Dan Cole enjoyed two barnstorming displays against France and Ireland to finish strongly and earn a couple of votes, but the hair-bear Welshman, another triple Grand Slammer, gets the nod. The rock on which Wales success was built, and perhaps their most important player. Has made the Welsh scrum a source of strength, when he is there.

4. Richie Gray (Scotland). Unanimous choice and another Lion in the making. Dominant in the line-out, prodigious ball-carrier, great hands, pace and footballing ability, as he showed with his brilliant try against Ireland.  Shame Scots don’t have more like him.

5. Ian Evans (Wales). Ireland skipper Paul O’Connell earned a couple of votes but his campaign ended after three matches. Wales were without their two World Cup locks at the outset, but Evans unleashed a series of towering displays, after several years of injury misery, to deliver on the promise of his early career. Played in every minute of every game, and will take some shifting.

6. Dan Lydiate (Wales). Possibly the most hotly contested spot in this team, and the Lions Test team in Australia next year, with Ireland’s Stephen Ferris and England’s Tom Croft both enjoying excellent campaigns. But the unsung Welshman earned two man-of-the-match awards, the latter with a thundering display in the Grand Slam decider, to confirm his emergence as a world-class talent.

7. Thierry Dusautoir (France). Ross Rennie earned JD’s vote as one of several finds for Scotland, while Sam Warburton turned in a man-of-the-match display against England, but only played two other halves of rugby. The France captain, meanwhile, remained a totem figure and pillar of consistency even in a side struggling to find its true identity under Philippe Saint-Andre.

8. David Denton (Scotland). Toby Faletau built on the promise of the World Cup and finished strongly against France to confirm his reputation as another strong Lions prospect. But Zimbawe-born Denton began with a bullocking man-of-the-match performance against England, and was another revelation in a losing side.

"I hope Wales is rocking at the moment," mused Warren Gatland, an hour or so after Rhys Priestland had booted the ball high into the stands to spark wild celebrations at the Millennium Stadium.

You can bet on it Warren. Rocking, rolling and revelling deep into another Grand Slam night, a third in eight years, and the second in five years on his watch.

It wasn't pretty at times, and there was little of the flowing rugby we have come to associate with his young side in the past year. But it was mightily effective, impressively composed, and their triumph was richly deserved.

There were several scary moments - Imanol Harinordoquy bearing down on Leigh Halfpenny metres from the Welsh line after a cheeky French line-out routine, and French replacement Jean-Marcellin Butin racing onto a quickly-taken cross-kick to the left touchline from a penalty chief among them.

Other moments combined to make the majority of the 74,178 present wonder if another red letter day was assured after all: the penalties from Rhys Priestland and Halfpenny that came back off an upright, the announcement that captain Sam Warburton would not be returning for the second half.

Wales celebrate their third Grand Slam in eight years, and their 11th overall. Photo: Getty

With France never less than a converted try away on the scoreboard, the tension ratcheted up into a deafening crescendo. Only when referee Craig Joubert raised his left hand to the air to signal the last of 23 penalties (10 against Wales, 13 against France) with seconds remaining, was the Cardiff amphitheatre finally drenched in blessed relief and the party officially started.

Ryan Jones, who replaced Warburton after the interval, carried his blonde baby son around the pitch; Halfpenny received a bear hug from Rob Howley. Shaun Edwards repeatedly punched the air in delight. Alun Wyn Jones donned a red bowler hat to set off his huge grin. Ian Evans attempted a robot dance on the touchline. Even Gatland couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Wales had played at times as though intent on not losing the match, rather than going all out to win it.

As Howley observed, it was something of "throwback" game in terms of the aerial ping-pong, Priestland and Halfpenny launching the ball high into the Cardiff sky on at least a dozen occasions, often with little reward, and Lionel Beauxis replied in kind.

Even when Wales did find themselves in French territory, the favoured option - even for the likes of Jamie Roberts - was a chip ahead, a grubber kick to the corner. Game management, territory and field position were Wales' watchwords, the prize on offer - and the threat posed by a belligerent French side relishing the role as party-poopers - too great to indulge in fantasy rugby.

The gainline battle was ferocious, and some bodies laid on it did not last the course.
Captain Warburton's departure meant he only ended up playing one whole game - admittedly a man-of-the-match turn against England - in this campaign, and two other halves.

Such was the pain from his damaged shoulder that he could not even use his right hand for shaking others at the official presentation. He used his left to raise the Six Nations trophy aloft on one side, with Gethin Jenkins on the other.

It was appropriate that Jenkins - who led the side against Scotland and Italy, and took over the captaincy for the second half here - should be centre stage. Alongside Adam Jones and Ryan Jones, the 31-year-old two-time Lions prop has now joined some elite company - Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams, Gerald Davies - as a three-time Welsh Grand Slam winner.

Gatland was understandably reluctant to compare his own team to those revered sides - "different times, different eras" - and perhaps definitive judgement should wait until the scale of the current side's achievement is fully realised. With nine players aged 25 or under in the starting line-up, this is a side that should still have its best years ahead of it.

Leigh Halfpenny converted a try and added three penalties during the match. Photo: Reuters

Then again, they only had to win four matches to complete a clean sweep in those days. Winning a Slam in the Six Nations era is by definition harder because you have to win an extra game. Yet Wales' triumph is the eighth time in 13 years that one has been completed since 2000. And Wales have joined the French as three-time Grand Slammers in the Six Nations era.

Historically only England, who won four Grand Slams in eight years from 1921 to 1928 - and three in five years from 1991 to 1995 - and France, who won four Grand Slams in eight years from 1997 to 2004 - have done better. Wales, with 11 Slams, are now within one of England's record of 12.

Since Gatland's first season in 2008, Wales have now won 18 and lost seven in the Championship, a 72% success rate. The most exciting aspect for the whole Red Dragonhood is the promise of more.

Wales already had arguably five world-class players in Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Sam Warburton, Mike Phillips and Jamie Roberts. The likes of Dan Lydiate, Toby Faletau, Luke Charteris, Ian Evans, Jonathan Davies, George North and Leigh Halfpenny have all the ingredients to achieve similar status, if some of them are not there already.

Wales now have a squad rich in quality and depth: 22 players started at least one game in this campaign, and 30 players were used in all. No longer are Wales irrevocably damaged by the loss of two or three frontline players to injury.

Jenkins, Warburton and Charteris were all missing at various times, but their absence did not affect performance levels or results.

While the line-out still creaked on occasions here, there was more evidence of the source of strength the Welsh scrum has become, while the defence was again heroic - a tribute to assistant coach Edwards, who described himself as "the conscience of the players".

Edwards had set his players a target of not conceding more than 11 points, and they surpassed that. Their total of 58 points conceded in five matches surpassed their Six Nations record of 66 in the 2008 campaign. They did not concede a try in their last three matches of this one.

Their work ethic was evident in the way Alun Wyn Jones fought to win the turnover on the floor that led to the all-important try. Wales' backs - who have scored all their 10 tries - have been pigeon-holed as all power and little pizzazz, but the way Alex Cuthbert cut a dash past three Frenchman with a devastating sidestep off the right touchline would have pleased Gerald Davies in his prime.

Gatland's next target is to start beating the three major southern hemisphere sides on a consistent basis in the run-up to the next World Cup in 2015.

"We are not at that level yet, and that is our big aim," said the New Zealander. "But we have got a young enough side that hopefully over the next few years can do that."
That is for the future. This particular Grand Slam party will be rocking for a while yet.

This time it comes with a slight twist: not just the best Wales v France games down the years (otherwise some famous Welsh victories in Paris - 1999 (34-33), 2001 (43-35) and 2005 (24-18) - might also have been included), but six Grand Slam deciders between the countries, given the context of Saturday's momentous encounter in Cardiff.

Wales have completed four of their last five Grand Slams against France, while the French have also wrapped up two of their nine clean sweeps - in 1968 and 1998 - against Wales, as well as denying Wales another Slam in Cardiff in 1988.

Check out the video here, and as always, do share your own memories of these matches, as well as your thoughts on how the latest instalment will unfold on Sunday.

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1971: France 5-9 Wales

It was fitting that three of the real legends of Welsh rugby should play such a central role in clinching the first of their three Grand Slams of the 1970s, and Wales' first for 19 years. An interception from the great JPR Williams, a 60m dash up the left touchline, a step inside and pass the other way to Gareth Edwards saw the iconic scrum-half grab the first of two Welsh tries. The second featured a trademark swivel of the hips and acceleration from his half-back partner Barry John. "That's quality for you," marvelled commentator Cliff Morgan. France had shared the title with Wales the previous year, but captain John Dawes marked his final Test for his country by leading them to an era-defining victory.

1976: Wales 19-13 France

This time it was the turn of another legendary captain, Mervyn ("Merve the Swerve") Davies - who also played in the 1971 triumph - to lead his country to Grand Slam success in his final game for Wales. An emotional day in the Principality began when Gareth Edwards ran on to the old Arms Park alone to recognise him becoming Wales' most capped player (at the time). France out-scored their hosts two tries to one, JJ Williams finishing off a backs move in the left corner. Wales were indebted to the power of their pack, with the Pontypool front row of Graham Price, Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor and Graham Price in situ. Lock Allan Martin even kicked one of Wales' five penalties. The match was also memorable for a try-saving JPR tackle that barged French wing Jean-Francois Gourdon into touch in the right corner. Ouch.

1978: Wales 16-7 France

Edwards and another Wales legend, Phil Bennett, bowed out of international rugby on the same day in appropriate style. Bennett signed off with two tries, the first after a trademark dummy, the second after an Edwards break and inside pass from JJ Williams on the right touchline. France, who were aiming for a second successive Grand Slam themselves, could not give Jean-Claude Skrela the farewell he wanted, but the celebrated flanker did score their only try. Instead, as Bill McLaren commentated, it was "the whole of Wales absolutely overjoyed, because they have got the Grand Slam back again".

1988: Wales 9-10 France

On this occasion France did spoil the Welsh party. Wales had already won the Triple Crown, but the defending champions prevailed on the final day in Cardiff to deny Jonathan Davies's side a Grand Slam and earn themselves a share of the championship, the last year the title was shared before points difference came into play. French fly-half Jean-Patrick Lescarboura wriggled over in the left corner to put the visitors ahead and, while Wales responded when Ieuan Evans won the chase to his own kick-ahead to finish off a flowing move, the hosts fell agonisingly short.

1998: Wales 0-51 France

A warning of what France can do when the mood takes them. A vintage Tricolores side - which had already scored seven tries in a 51-16 win against Scotland in the same campaign, ran riot at a sunlit Wembley, where Wales had relocated while work was under way on the new Millennium Stadium. The French, orchestrated by a bleach-blond Thomas Castaignede at fly-half, plundered another seven tries at the home of English football, full-back Jean-Luc Sadourny and wing Xavier Garbajosa grabbing a brace apiece. Captain Raphael Ibanez raised the trophy in triumph after his side became only the fifth in championship history to complete back-to-back Grand Slams.

2008: Wales 29-12 France

After an impressive Wales victory over Ireland the previous week, Cardiff was awash with Grand Slam fever for the second time in four years. But despite Wales leading 6-0 and 9-3, tension had set in with France level at 9-9 as the match entered the final quarter. Cometh the hour...cometh Shane Williams. A French move broke down on halfway, and the wing wizard seized on the loose ball, kicked ahead and controlled it again with his left foot before touching down under the posts to break the game open, and set a new Wales try-scoring record. Three minutes from time, after a couple of Stephen Jones penalties put Wales 22-12 clear, Eddie Butler wondered in commentary: "Is the Grand Slam going to be won with something just a little bit special?" Martyn Williams duly picked up at the back of the ruck, dummied his way through a gap and sprinted away to score from 25m. Relief and euphoria all round.

This week it is "Le Crunch", that well-worn label for an encounter that often provided a decisive pointer to the destination of the title in the 1990s and early 2000s.

France also completed their two most recent Grand Slams (2004 and 2010) against England, but having been held to a draw by Ireland, the Tricolores will have to summon motivation from elsewhere this weekend.

A quick trawl through some of these moments might provide it, and also encourage England in their quest for a third win in eight attempts in Paris during the Six Nations era.

Check out the montage here, and as always, do share your own memories of these matches and thoughts on the latest instalment which will unfold on Sunday.

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1980 - France 13-17 England

Having started their campaign with a convincing home win over Ireland, England - with a 24-year-old Clive Woodward starting his first Test - took the second step towards their first Grand Slam for 23 years with victory in Paris.

They got off to a bad start when legendary French flanker Jean-Pierre Rives scored a try a couple of minutes into the game, but England responded when Woodward created a try for centre partner Nick Preston and wing John Carleton's first try for his country put the visitors ahead.

John Horton landed two drop-goals either side of half-time but with five minutes left, England lost a scrum against the head on their own line, allowing France to score a try which ensured a nervous finale. But the visitors clung on at a frenzied Parc des Princes.

1991 - England 21-19 France

England, with Rory Underwood scoring their only try, completed their first Grand Slam for 11 years in a thrilling game, best remembered for "one of the most sensational tries Twickenham has ever seen" (in the words of BBC commentator Nigel Starmer-Smith).

The details will be familiar to those who never tire of seeing one of the great tries...a French move started on their own try-line by the great Serge Blanco, continued by the celebrated Philippe Sella and Didier Camberabero's delicately judged cross-kick from the right touchline, that Philippe Saint-Andre - now the French coach - scooped up to score under the posts. But it was England who triumphed to spark wild celebrations at HQ.

1997 - England 20-23 France

With both countries having won their opening two matches, this encounter effectively decided the Championship.

A barnstorming try from Lawrence Dallaglio put England in command, but French fly-half Christophe Lamaison masterminded a comeback, scoring a try, two conversions, two penalties and a drop-goal for a 'full house'.

Wing Laurent Leflamand nipped ahead of Tony Underwood to claim a bouncing ball and score the other try as France secured their first win at Twickenham for a decade and went on to complete the first of two successive Grand Slams.

2001 - England 48-19 France

England had already scored 22 tries in sweeping aside Wales (44-15), Italy (80-23) and Scotland (43-3). They racked up six more in another Twickenham spectacular that became known as "The Balshaw Ballet", after full-back Iain Balshaw terrorised the French defence with his silky running from deep.

England didn't have it all their own way, despite taking an early 10-0 lead after a Will Greenwood try. The French hit back to lead 16-13 at half-time, Philippe Bernat-Salles - that greyhound of a wing - finishing off one marvellous move.

But Richard Hill's try in the right corner early on the resumption regained the initiative and set the tone for a rampant second half, with four more tries following, from Balshaw himself, Phil Greening, Mike Catt - after Austin Healey's cheeky chip over the defence - and Matt Perry. One of the highs of the Woodward era.

2004 - France 24-21 England

France held off a late England fightback in Paris to clinch their fourth Grand Slam in eight years, a victory orchestrated by two thorns in English flesh - Dimitri Yachvili and Imanol Harinordoquy.

The duo combined beautifully - Yachvili's pin-point cross-kick allowing the Basque number eight to back up his pre-match anti-English rhetoric with an easy touchdown - before Yachvili scored a second try, his three penalties helping the hosts to a commanding 21-3 interval lead.

England, in their first campaign since becoming world champions, showed some pride and poise to fight back with tries from Ben Cohen and Josh Lewsey - the second with five minutes left to set up an exciting finish - but the French prevailed.

2009 - England 34-10 France

One of England's best performances in the Championship under Martin Johnson, although France barely turned up for the opening 40 minutes.

The rout started with just a minute on the clock when Riki Flutey sent Mark Cueto streaking away for the first try, before Cueto returned the favour, sending Flutey over for the second after a well-worked move from a line-out.

Two more tries - from Delon Armitage and Joe Worsley - followed before half-time, which saw England leading 29-0.

The best try arrived barely a minute into the second half, Armitage striding away from deep in his own half before feeding Flutey on his inside. With the game up, France rallied to score two tries, but it was a humiliating defeat.

With apologies to Ireland v Italy and Scotland v France, we couldn't look past England v Wales, a rivalry stretching back 131 years, for the pick of this weekend's clashes.

England have the slight edge with 56 wins to 54 in their 122 contests over that period, with 12 draws. Boiling it down to just six of the best was pretty challenging given that this fixture has produced so many memorable moments down the years.

But here is a montage of the half-dozen we eventually plumped for, and you can also watch extended highlights of the 1992 and 1999 matches on the BBC Sport website and Red Button service.

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1979 - Wales 27-3 England

Wales won a fourth consecutive Triple Crown with a record post-war win over England to round off a glorious decade for Welsh rugby. But it wasn't all plain sailing.

JPR Williams - in what he said would be his last game (he actually played three more Tests, including an 11th win out of the 11 matches he played against England) - had to limp off injured after an hour with Wales only leading 7-3.

But his replacement Clive Griffiths - who went on to become Wales' defence coach during their 2005 Slam - played a crucial role in his one and only cap as they scored three more tries, including one for popular lock Mike Roberts, recalled in an emergency at the age of 33, four years after his last cap.

Griffiths' memorable break created the final try for wing Elgan Rees.

1988 - England 3-11 Wales

For Wales, fresh from a third-place finish at the inaugural World Cup, this proved to be a last victory at Twickenham for 20 years until they launched Warren Gatland's reign with victory in 2008.

It was a triumph for Welsh artistry over a yeoman England side, with Jonathan Davies and Mark Ring to the fore.

Wing Adrian Hadley scored two tries including one brilliant score after full-back Tony Clement took a high ball and launched a stunning counter-attack which saw Ring involved twice before Hadley took the maverick centre's return pass to score.

Wales went on to win the Triple Crown and the last shared title, but lost by a point in their Grand Slam bid against France.

1992 - England 24-0 Wales

Having ended a 28-year run without victory in Cardiff the previous year to launch a Grand Slam, England - pipped in the 1991 World Cup final in the interim - confirmed their dominance of the European game by sealing back-to-back Slams (the first since the 1920s) with a ritual dismantling of the Welsh at Twickenham.

Captain Will Carling scored England's first try with barely a minute gone after Tony Clement had made a hash of Rob Andrew's high ball, flanker Mickey Skinner was on the end of a driving maul and lock Wade Dooley charged onto Andrew's pass to score his first England try on his 50th cap.

Jon Webb converted all three and added two penalties before the likes of Martin Bayfield, Dewi Morris and Brian Moore were carried off Twickenham shoulder-high.

1998 - England 60-26 Wales

England's record points tally in a Championship match against the Welsh, and the first big statement of where the red rose army were heading under Clive Woodward.

And yet it started off so well for the visitors; Allan Bateman's brilliant second try after Gareth Thomas's stunning break from under his own posts put Wales 12-6 up after the first quarter.

But once the English pack - led by an inspired Lawrence Dallaglio - had grabbed their opposite numbers by the short and curlies, what followed was a blizzard of white jerseys crossing the Welsh tryline: seven different players, with wing David Rees grabbing two. Will Greenwood launched his reputation as a thorn in Welsh flesh (seven tries in six games, all wins) by collecting the try of the match late on.

1999 Wales 32-31 England

One of the all-time great finishes to a Championship match, and fitting climax to the last Five Nations.

England had their first try within two minutes through Dan Luger, and a debut score from wing Steve Hanley and one from Richard Hill saw them lead 25-18 at half-time, all Wales' points coming from Neil Jenkins penalties.

Shane Howarth's try levelled it before Jonny Wilkinson's boot put England six points clear.

But they refused further kicks at goal and paid the price when Scott Gibbs charged onto a Scott Quinnell pass and sidestepped his way through the red rose defence at a sunlit Wembley, leaving Jenkins with a conversion for victory.

The "Ginger Monster" never looked like missing, denying England a Grand Slam, and handing the title to Scotland instead.

2001 Wales 15-44 England

England embarked on the biggest try-scoring spree in a Six Nations campaign by putting Wales to the sword with their record victory in Cardiff.

A peroxide blond Will Greenwood finished off England's first two attacks before completing his hat-trick early in the second half, by which time Matt Dawson had grabbed a couple of his own, including a superb solo effort from halfway that left Stephen Jones befuddled.

Wales did manage a couple of tries via Rob Howley and Scott Quinnell, but Ben Cohen underlined England's dominance by scoring their sixth try before the hour.

Ten more against Italy and six more against both Scotland and France followed, before "Foot and Mouth" disease delayed the finale and England came a cropper in Dublin... in late October.

From a Welsh perspective, this list doesn't even include Ieuan Evans picking Rory Underwood's pocket for a memorable winning try in 1993, Gavin Henson's winning kick in 2005 that launched a first Grand Slam in 27 years, or the final-quarter comeback at Twickenham four years ago that set Wales on their way to another clean sweep in Warren Gatland's first game in charge.

You can always wallow in those last two in this highlights package of Wales v England Six Nations clashes from 2000 to 2010 (plenty to make red rose supporters smile there too, particularly the first half).

As well as your memories of these classic matches, let's hear your thoughts on what you expect from Saturday's latest instalment in this compelling Championship rivalry.

You can also follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/BBCBrynPalmer

If that appears a bit presumptuous with a trip to Twickenham looming next, there is no sign of this crop of Wales players getting ahead of themselves. Their public can do that for them.

But there is no doubt confidence is oozing through the Red Dragonhood after following up their opening Six Nations win in Dublin with another exhilarating victory over Scotland in Cardiff.

Leigh Halfpenny has now score 105 points in 29 Tests for Wales

It is the fourth time Wales have won their opening two Six Nations fixtures, and their conversion rate is pretty good. Two Grand Slams in 2005 and 2008, only missing out in 2009.

If their failure in Paris three years ago was a reminder of potential pitfalls ahead, Wales will probably travel to south west London a week on Saturday as marginal favourites, a status they have not enjoyed since their 1970s heyday.

England may also have two wins from two, but when their coach Stuart Lancaster describes the Welsh fixture as “a significant challenge”, and Lewis Moody suggests it may be “a step too far” for his former team-mates at this stage of their development, they are realistic assessments.

Wales are further down the road, a point acknowledged by defence coach Shaun Edwards when asked to compare the current side with the one which launched Warren Gatland’s reign with a momentous victory at Twickenham four years ago.

“I think this team are probably a bit more advanced than the team in 2008,” Edwards noted. “That was our first game together, and there was not a huge understanding of what we wanted then, but we managed to pull off a famous win. Welsh wins at Twickenham have been pretty minimal down the years [two in the last 24 years] but if we can keep our discipline, first and foremost, like we did for the majority of the game today, then we will have a good chance.”

Injuries to George North, who hobbled off after "rolling his ankle" before half-time, Huw Bennett (calf) and Ryan Jones, who was icing a sore knee after leading Wales for a record-equalling 28th time in the absence of Sam Warburton, will again test the squad’s depth if any of them don’t recover in time.

But whereas losing three or four frontline players would have proved an insurmountable hurdle in recent years, Gatland has been able to manage his depleted resources effectively. He may even have two Lions in Matthew Rees and Alun Wyn Jones back in the selection mix for Twickenham.

The withdrawal of Warburton before kick-off could have proved damaging, but Aaron Shingler – who trained at open-side all week - earned the coach’s praise for an encouraging debut. Alongside him in the back row, Toby Faletau excelled again, while Dan Lydiate’s seamless return from injury earned the grafting flanker the man-of-the-match award.

Leigh Halfpenny must have run him close after another fine all-round performance, running ball purposefully out of defence, kicking five from six at goal and collecting two tries for his efforts.

Wing Alex Cuthbert justified Gatland’s decision to stick with him after his debut in Dublin was curtailed at half-time, his giant frame generating momentum on the counter-attack, while Greig Laidlaw simply couldn’t handle the youngster’s power as he barrelled through the Scotland fly-half’s tackle for his first Wales try.

Cuthbert may be “raw and very green” as Gatland described him afterwards, but along with North, who sent a wave of anticipation around the Millennium Stadium whenever the ball arrived in his hands, he offers a physical potency that opponents clearly find hard to handle.

Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies enjoyed another profitable afternoon in attack and defence and, with Ryan Jones filling the second-row vacancy left by Bradley Davies and Gethin Jenkins restored to the front row, the Wales engine room – a couple of line-out wobbles aside – purred smoothly enough, laying the platform for the backs to strut their stuff.

While Scotland contributed to their own downfall, Chris Cusiter’s error from the second-half kick-off setting in motion a horror 16 minutes for the visitors, the ruthlessness and composure with which Wales seized the moment and finished their three tries was compelling to behold.

That was in stark contrast to a Scotland side who again did many things right, as they had against England, but repeatedly failed to summon the required skill to reward their endeavours.

A prime attacking position from a scrum 30m out in centre-field came to nothing, before Allan Jacobsen’s knock-on a metre from the line completed another desperate failure to finish off a 21-phase period of pressure as half-time loomed.

Your heart bled for the Scottish supporters at that point, as the familiar sight of Andy Robinson’s ‘bulldog chewing a wasp’ routine in his box flashed up on the big screen.

“We are a decent side and we went toe-to-toe with Wales, who are obviously a good team,” the coach declared afterwards. In their physicality, attitude and spirit – particularly from 27-6 down with 24 minutes still remaining – you couldn’t argue with him.

But decent sides don’t continually bungle gilt-edged opportunities to score when the game is in the balance, which is fast becoming a Scottish trademark.

Both Robinson and captain Ross Ford insisted that belief within the squad remains high, but a fourth straight Test defeat, and only one victory in their last 13 Six Nations away games, does not suggest a side at ease with the pressure of sustaining high standards for long enough in hostile arenas.

Not that home offers great comfort, with tournament favourites France visiting Murrayfield next.

Wales on the other hand have no such worries, or lack of conviction.  A Triple Crown date at Twickenham awaits, and it is one they will relish. Negotiate that, and they know another Grand Slam decider in Cardiff will be in the offing.  Exciting times for Welsh rugby?  You bet.

This week we consider Wales against Scotland, a contest that stretches back to 1883. Wales have the edge in this particular Celtic rivalry, winning 65 to Scotland's 48 of their 116 meetings, with three draws.

Check out this montage of six of the best games in recent memory between the countries, and you can also watch extended highlights of the 2005 and 2010 matches on the BBC Sport website and Red Button service.

If you would like to share your own memories of these and other matches not included here, this is the place to do so ahead of Sunday's next instalment at the Millennium Stadium.

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1971 - Scotland 18-19 Wales

A see-saw encounter which featured cracking tries from John Taylor, Gareth Edwards and Barry John still left the visitors trailing 18-14 approaching the final minute after Chris Rea's try for the Scots. But Peter Brown's missed conversion from inside the Welsh 22 - "that could still be an important miss," pronounced a prescient Bill McLaren in commentary - changed the course of rugby history.

Wales won a line-out via Delme Thomas on the left touchline, and the roll-call of legends in the backline move that followed - "[Gareth] Edwards to Barry John, out to John Dawes, John [JPR] Williams, Gerald Davies..." saw the latter touch down in the right corner to bring Wales to within a point in the era of the three-point try.

John had suffered a bang to the head earlier in the match, so up stepped wild-haired flanker Taylor, the future TV commentator, to slot a left-footed kick from the right touchline - memorably described by one Welsh journalist as "the greatest conversion since St Paul" - to give Wales the narrowest of wins. Having beaten England at home in their opening game, Wales went on to beat Ireland in Cardiff and France in Paris to win their first Grand Slam since 1952 and the first of three in the "golden age" of Welsh rugby during the 1970s.

1982 - Wales 18-34 Scotland

The definitive end of the "golden age" as Wales' first loss at home in a Five Nations match since France won at Cardiff in March 1968 - a 14-year undefeated run spanning 27 matches (26 wins and a draw) - condemned them to the Wooden Spoon.

An inspired Scotland scored five tries to one including one of the great tries in Championship history by a young Jim Calder. Wales were on the attack when Scotland wing Roger Baird collected a chip ahead in his own 22, skipped around two Welshmen on the left touchline and raced away, finding Iain Paxton storming up in support just before halfway.

The big striding number eight took it to within 10m of the Welsh line before being tackled, offloading inside to lock Alan Tomes, who fed Calder - whose twin brother Finlay went on to captain Scotland - for a memorable score.

1988 - Wales 25-20 Scotland

Wales had already won at Twickenham - the last time they would do so for 20 years - in their opening game with a couple of glorious tries, and they marked their return to Cardiff with two more sublime scores.

Jonathan Davies scored a brilliant solo try when he collected Robert Jones' superb long reverse pass, sent the whole Scottish defence the wrong way with a swerve of the hips, before chipping ahead to the Scottish line and accelerating away to beat Derek White to the ball.

Wales trailed 17-10 at half-time after tries from Finlay Calder and Matt Duncan, but Ieuan Evans sidestepped his way past four players on a mazy run from the right touchline to score another memorable try and hooker Ian Watkins grabbed a third. Davies added a couple of drop-goals and victory put Wales two thirds of the way towards a Triple Crown and their first title - albeit shared with France - since the 70s.

1999 - Scotland 33-20 Wales

An explosive start saw one of Scotland's "kilted Kiwis" - centre John Leslie - rip the ball off Wales full-back Shane Howarth from the kick-off and race up the left touchline to score the fastest try in Championship history, after just 9.5 seconds. "It was just one of those things where the ball fell into my lap," a modest Leslie said later.

Wales battled back to lead 13-8 at half-time, but Scotland turned the screw up front in the second half and scored further tries through Scott Murray, Alan Tait and Gregor Townsend.

Townsend, who had moved to fly-half to replace the stricken Duncan Hodge, who was carried off with a broken leg, would go on to score a try in every match that season as Scotland went on to win the last Five Nations title.

2005 - Scotland 22-46 Wales

A mesmerizing game that set a new record for the highest ball-in-play time ever recorded at senior international level - 55%, or 43 minutes, 45 seconds to be precise. It also contained the highest number of passes (428) and rucks and mauls (229) in one game. By way of a reference point, the famous Barbarians v All Blacks contest of 1973 contained 150 fewer passes.

Wales ran riot with some dazzling rugby, cutting Scotland to shreds. Ryan Jones scored the first of five first-half tries when he started and finished off a brilliant counter-attack with only three minutes on the clock. Rhys Williams, Shane Williams and two from Kevin Morgan gave the visitors a barely believable 38-3 interval lead.

Wales' sixth try early in the second half came when Dwayne Peel caught Scotland napping to put Rhys Williams over while a Scottish player was still receiving treatment, but referee Jonathan Kaplan had signalled play to continue. Scotland rallied commendably to score three tries of their own, but it was precious little by way of consolation. This was Wales' third away win in a row that season after beating England in their opener in Cardiff, and set them up to complete a first Grand Slam since 1978 the following week against Ireland.

2010 - Wales 31-24 Scotland

Has there ever been a more dramatic finish to a Five or Six Nations match? (Suggestions welcome). Scotland are still shaking their heads as to how they managed to lose a game they led 21-9 after tries from John Barclay and Max Evans, an advantage that should have been greater but for a forward pass that denied Kelly Brown another score early in the second half.

Shane Williams sparked Wales into life by setting up a try for Lee Byrne, but the hosts were still 14-24 behind with 14 minutes left after Dan Parks had banged over a long-range drop-goal for Scotland. But their hooker Scott Lawson was sin-binned with six minutes left, and Wales proceeded to stage an incredible late comeback.

Leigh Halfpenny scored a converted try with three minutes left to make it 21-24, and Lee Byrne appeared to be heading for a winning score when he was tripped by Scotland fly-half Phil Godman, who was sin-binned to leave the Scots with 13 men. Stephen Jones' penalty levelled the scores at 24-24, but Wales were not done.

Scotland, just needing to get the ball off the park to salvage a draw, opted to take the kick-off long to Wales. The hosts built up irresistible momentum before Shane Williams sealed victory, celebrating with an arm in the air before dotting down under the posts. "And Shane Williams has won the most dramatic game of this Six Nations...and perhaps any Six Nations," proclaimed commentator Andrew Cotter as a fuming Scotland coach Andy Robinson exited his box in disbelief.

As the strains of Hymns and Arias drowned out the booing from Irish supporters at the final whistle, the sound of Welsh rejoicing would have reverberated around the Six Nations.

Any year Wales win their first game of the Championship, two words are instantly unavoidable, so we may as well not tread too lightly around the subject.

Another 'Grand Slam' bandwagon has been launched in the Valleys after this stunning last-gasp triumph in Dublin, but the pain writ large all over the battered face of Paul O'Connell should act as at least a momentary handbrake on expectations.

With a minute to go in this thrilling encounter, the Ireland captain could have been the one fielding questions later about his own side's prospects of repeating their 2009 clean sweep, instead of dissecting the finer points of a shattering loss with the assembled media. Rugby can be a cruel game.

On a mixed day for the kickers, Halfpenny struck the vital blow with under a minute to go

Devoid of half of the pack that outplayed Ireland so comprehensively in their World Cup quarter-final in New Zealand, victory appeared a tall order against an established and experienced Irish eight at the outset.

Factor in Ireland's propensity for starting the Championship well - they had won their opening game for the last seven years - and the fact Wales had lost on four of their last five visits to Dublin, and the omens were not promising.

Then throw in concerns about the fitness of Rhys Priestland and Jamie Roberts, who were declared ready for action despite weeks of inactivity, and the odds seemed stacked against them.

Yet for an hour they more than matched the hosts and should probably have had a comfortable lead, given their greater ambition, fluidity and firepower, rather than find themselves a point behind when Jonny Sexton's third penalty made it 16-15 on the hour.

With 15 minutes left, it would have taken a brave Welshman to back their side to win when Bradley Davies was sin-binned for an ugly tip tackle on Donnacha Ryan. Even more so when Tommy Bowe's try after 68 minutes made it 21-15, with Wales still a man down for another eight minutes.

That they then gave themselves a chance to win the game with George North's try, even before Davies returned to the fray, already said much about their character, composure and self-belief.

Back to a full complement with three minutes remaining, the Welsh then showed admirable patience to work their way from their own 22, first up to halfway, then to Ireland's 22, before Stephen Ferris's high tackle on Ian Evans presented Leigh Halfpenny with the opportunity to win the game.

If one sympathised with Ferris as he trudged miserably off after his yellow card, when a penalty looked sufficient, and Ireland in general for the gut-wrenching way in which they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, there was still a sense that the more deserving team won, even if the manner in which they ultimately triumphed - as Gatland admitted later - was fortunate.

Bradley Davies, who until that moment had enjoyed a storming game, carrying prodigiously and providing a safe haven at the front of the line-out when danger lurked elsewhere, might not have returned to the field at all, if referee Wayne Barnes had applied the same letter of the law as Alain Rolland.

His senseless tackle after the ball had gone looked worse than the one which saw Sam Warburton dismissed in the World Cup semi-final against France, and means he is unlikely to be unavailable for at least Wales' next two games, at home to Scotland and away to England.

With their World Cup locks Luke Charteris and Alun Wyn Jones already hors de combat, that is an unnecessary blow Wales could have done without.

But Gatland didn't seem too perturbed, citing possible alternatives in the uncapped Lou Reed, and Ryan Jones - who could move into the second row from blind-side, with Dan Lydiate expected to be fit next week. He also hinted Alun Wyn Jones may be ready to return before the end of the campaign.

The loss of Warburton, who suffered a dead leg that will require extensive treatment in the next couple of days, would also be a setback, although Justin Tipuric equipped himself well on his first taste of Six Nations action after replacing the skipper for the second half.

Wales seem happy to roll with the blows, cushioned by a growing self-belief and confidence that if their forwards can deliver enough ball at sufficient speed, their marauding giants in the backs will make good use of it.

This game marked another step in George North's seemingly unstoppable rise towards rugby super-stardom.

"I thought he was absolutely world class, particularly in that second half," purred Gatland, citing the 6ft 4in, 16st 5lb, 19-year-old's part in the second try for Jonathan Davies, a stunning burst of pace and power off his wing before a delicious offload out of the back of his hand.

North then showed his own finishing power by smashing through Tommy Bowe and Gordon D'Arcy for his 10th try in 17th Tests.

Many more will doubtless follow. With the 6ft 6in Alex Cuthbert now another wing option, and hulking centre Jamie Roberts and scrum-half Mike Phillips already established in the physical intimidation stakes, Wales are armed with formidable attacking weaponry.

"On average we were 9kg a man heavier than Ireland in the backline, and in modern rugby, if you have got an advantage like that, you have got to use it," noted Gatland.

Roberts had opined beforehand that Wales would require a "perfect performance" to better the "near-perfect" one that did for Ireland in the World Cup.

In the event, that proved incorrect. Gatland and his fellow coaches looked far from ecstatic afterwards, and the head honcho's assessment - "I think we were only at 70% of what we are capable of" - spelled out a clear warning to the rest of their Six Nations opponents.

With three home games to come, the first next Sunday against a Scotland side in full soul-searching mode after extending their try-less trauma against England, it would be surprise if Wales were not in the title shake-up when France visit Cardiff on 17 March.

Gatland's biggest problem will be managing expectations, even with a trip to Twickenham to negotiate.

Ireland - with two further home games to come themselves - may yet recover to have a say in the final outcome. But they will need to shake off this setback quickly.

Six days is not long to nurse aching limbs and lift spirits before an acid test next Saturday evening in Paris, where they have not won since Brian O'Driscoll tripped the light fantastic in the first year of the expanded Six Nations 12 years ago.

Without their talisman against Wales, Ireland looked denuded of class in midfield and the defensive leadership the great man gives them.

Kidney showed no inclination to blame refereeing decisions for defeat, and rightly so.

"We will take a good look at what we can solves ourselves first," he said, even if it was clear Ireland felt a sense of grievance for a second year running after defeat by Wales.

Elation on one hand, despair on the other. Such is the way of the Six Nations. This year's championship is already alive with possibilities.

But even 16 months out from the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, the back-row battle is ripe with intrigue.

Ireland duo Jamie Heaslip and Stephen Ferris have already played for the Lions, in South Africa in 2009, while team-mate Sean O'Brien and Wales opponents Sam Warburton and Toby Faletau (plus the injured Dan Lydiate) are also strong contenders - fitness and form permitting - to feature on the next trip down under.

"If you were picking a Lions squad tomorrow, you would be hard pushed to leave out any of them; they are all phenomenal players," says former Wales and Lions flanker Martyn Williams, who won the last of his 99 Wales caps last August.

Williams has played alongside or against (and in some cases both) all of the back-rowers whose contest at Dublin's Aviva Stadium will go a long way to deciding the outcome. The Welsh legend gives us his lowdown on the individuals involved.

Wales successfully negated the threat of Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris in their World Cup quarter-final. Photo: Getty

BLIND-SIDE FLANKER

IRELAND - STEPHEN FERRIS (AGE 26, 6ft 4in, 17st 8lb, CAPS 30, including 9 in 6N): He is an absolute beast. I got to know him on the Lions trip to South Africa (in 2009) and he would definitely have started in the Tests if he hadn't got injured. He has been unlucky with injuries but the way he plays, he is going to pick them up - he only knows one way. He is as hard as nails and so dynamic, and has been in outstanding form for Ulster. Even when Ulster were not as strong as they are now, he still stood out.

WALES - RYAN JONES (AGE 30, 6ft 5in, 17st 13lb, CAPS 58 - 27 in 6N): Dan Lydiate has become integral to Wales in the last 18 months with his graft and hard work, and when you do a de-brief on a Monday morning and his stats come up, you realise what a huge cog he is in the team. As much as he will be missed, this is one position where we have good strength in depth. Ryan is similar to Dan; his work-rate is phenomenal - his tackling, his carrying. He is a natural leader and one of the most experienced guys now Shane [Williams] has gone. He showed with a man-of-the-match display in the World Cup third/fourth place play-off what he still has to offer. Whether starting or coming off the bench, he is a huge part of the squad, helping the younger guys.

OPEN-SIDE FLANKER

IRELAND - SEAN O'BRIEN (AGE 24, 6ft 2in, 16st, 13lb CAPS 15 - 6 in 6N): Sean exploded on to the scene last season but I remember playing against him a few times when he was a young kid and thinking 'This lad is a handful'. His ball-carrying is second to none - he always offers himself and constantly gets over the gain line, he is an absolute handful. I think his preferred position is six, where he gets more freedom and is more effective as a carrier, rather than having to hit so many rucks and clear-outs. If you are not on the front foot as a seven, it is more difficult to get your hands on the ball. Ferris and O'Brien both excel at six but can equally play at seven and I suspect they will play 'left and right'.

WALES - SAM WARBURTON (AGE 23, 6ft 2in, 16st 3lb, CAPS 24 - 8 in 6N): He is absolutely world-class. Him and Dan [Lydiate] are two of the real modern-day pros -so professional on and off the field, and they are reaping the rewards. They analyse games so well. Sam maybe surprised a few people outside the UK at the World Cup but he didn't surprise me. He was outstanding but he has been doing that for a while, and has been brilliant for the Blues since he came back, particularly in the big European games. He has got the nod as captain again which is great for him. He leads by example and has an old head on young shoulders. He is very mature, very well spoken, and is totally comfortable with everything that goes with the job. What works in Warby's favour is that he is quite laid-back, and like with all great players, it doesn't matter what age you are, just the way he plays is good enough.

NUMBER EIGHT

IRELAND - JAMIE HEASLIP (AGE 28, 6ft 3in, 17st 1lb, CAPS 43 - 19 in 6N): I think he is world class. With Sergio Parisse and Imanol Harinordoquy, as well as Toby [Faletau], you have four of the best number eights in the world in the tournament. Jamie is right up there - his work in the contact area, turning ball over, his line-out work, is all top drawer. The thing that amazes me is he always seems to play - you very rarely see him have a week off, he always fronts up, his durability is awesome. I think he is the heartbeat of the Leinster and Ireland teams. He gives them go-forward, he is very vocal and plays a massive role pulling them together as a back row. The bigger the occasion, the better he plays, which is always a sign of a good player.

WALES - TOBY FALETAU (AGE 21, 6ft 2in, 17st, CAPS 11 - 0 in 6N): He is phenomenal, particularly when you take into account that his first major tournament was the World Cup. For me he is the most naturally gifted rugby player I have ever played with. A lot of the time you get great athletes who are not perhaps the most natural rugby players, and vice-versa. But he has got the whole package. Everything comes so easily to him. He worked really hard with the conditioning coaches after he first came into the Wales set-up last summer, and has just been unbelievable since. When you see him playing in a sometimes struggling Dragons side, you can imagine what he would do in one of the top teams. But he is the sort of player you can build a franchise around, he is that good. He is very quiet, but he just loves the game of rugby, he loves training, and he has been in outstanding form since the World Cup.

So who will come out on top in Dublin? Let's hear your views.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/BBCBrynPalmer.

In the build-up to each Six Nations weekend in 2012, you can watch a compilation of six of the best games in recent memory between two particular countries, with extended highlights of two of them on the BBC Sport website and BBC's Red Button service.

We start with the oldest international fixture of them all. Scotland and England have been going at it since 1871 and played each other on 129 occasions. England have won 69 times to Scotland's 42, with 18 draws.

So what recollections does the Calcutta Cup - the trophy awarded since 1879 to the winner of this annual encounter - conjure up for you? Grand Slam deciders? Murrayfield awash with passion? Triumph or torture at Twickenham? Here are a few reminders to jog the memory and whet the appetite ahead of the next instalment.

And don't forget, we want your memories - good and bad - of these matches, plus others that do not make our list. View the montage below then let us have your thoughts.

1980 - Scotland 18-30 England - This was a victory for England's formidable pack, led by captain Billy Beaumont, but also their three-quarters, with future knight of the realm Clive Woodward enjoying one of his finest hours as a player. He created the first two tries for John Carleton and Mike Slemen with his elusive running before Carleton crossed for his second after a powerful England scrum.

Scotland, down 23-6 early in the second half after Steve Smith scored England's fourth try, made a good fist of a comeback, running the ball from everywhere and scoring tries via lock Alan Tomes and an individual gem from fly-half John Rutherford.

But Carleton completed his hat-trick as England secured their first outright championship since 1963 and a first Grand Slam since 1957 in a match one report suggested was "played in a spirit almost of chivalry". Beaumont was carried off shoulder high at the end.

1983 - England 12-22 Scotland - This remains Scotland's last win at Twickenham, a barren run that will stretch to 30 years by the time they venture to south-west London next year. Both countries went into the game without a win but it was Scotland who got the upper hand on this occasion. England went on to lose their final game in Ireland to finish with the Wooden Spoon.

The Scots were aggrieved when New Zealand referee Tom Doocey failed to award them a penalty try after centre Keith Robertson broke through and England scrum-half Steve Smith tackled Jim Renwick without the ball. Doocey awarded a penalty, which Peter Dods kicked, but Scotland did score "one of the great Calcutta Cup tries", according to the late, great Bill McLaren's commentary, through scrum-half Roy Laidlaw.

England dominated the tight exchanges but Scotland were sharper in attack, with Robertson, who landed a drop-goal near the end, particularly prominent alongside the recalled Rutherford. The final blow was delivered by lock Tom Smith, who out-jumped England's Steve Bainbridge at a line-out to dot down for a debut try, sparking wild celebrations among the Scottish players and supporters.

Scotland adopted "Flower of Scotland" as their pre-match anthem that year and this was only the second time if had been officially used. McLaren said he had "never heard such an emotional rendering", moments after Scotland captain David Sole had led his team onto the pitch with a long, slow walk, stirring Murrayfield into a patriotic frenzy.

Two years ago, on the 20th anniversary, Sole denied the political backdrop had anything to do with the match itself. "It was simply a game of rugby - the only difference was that there was a Grand Slam at stake," he said. Jeremy Guscott scored a cracking try for England after Carling's break, but the only one people remember is Tony Stanger's. As McLaren described it: "Pick up by Jeffrey...Jeffrey to Armstrong...Armstrong nicely out to Gavin Hastings...Gavin Hastings goes for the kick through...on goes Stanger...Stanger could be there first...it's a try!...a magnificent try for the 21-year-old!"

1999 - England 24-21 Scotland. Until last year, when Scotland made life seriously tough for England but still came off second best, this was the closest the visitors had come to ending their miserable run at Twickenham since a 12-12 draw in 1989.

Initially, it appeared the pattern of the preceding years would continue when England went 14 points up inside the first 10 minutes thanks to tries from Nick Beal and Dan Luger. But the Scots, who had beaten Wales at home in their opening game, hit back to play some sublime rugby, with Alan Tait scoring two tries and Gregor Townsend one. Kenny Logan converted all three but ultimately his three missed penalties proved the difference, with England hanging on grimly at the death.

Last year, Logan admitted he is still haunted by the memory of costing Scotland a Grand Slam, even though he did not know it at the time. But at least Scotland had the consolation of going on to win the last ever Five Nations title in dramatic style, a stunning 36-22 victory in Paris on the final weekend, tasting all the sweeter after England lost their Grand Slam decider with Wales at Wembley.

2000 - Scotland 19-13 England - England going for the Grand Slam, Scotland seeking to avoid a whitewash after losing their first four games in the first year of the Six Nations. It was set up for a mugging - and so it proved as England inadvisedly tried to play rugby in the wet conditions, while Scotland summoned reserves of strength and defensive resolve to repel the favourites.

A ferocious opening quarter saw scuffles breaking out at every turn as the fired-up Scottish forwards - with 7ft giant Richard Metcalfe and flanker Jason White making their debuts - waded into their opposite numbers. A Duncan Hodge penalty opened the scoring, only for England to take a 10-3 lead courtesy of Lawrence Dallaglio's converted try and a Jonny Wilkinson penalty.

But Hodge's kicking first kept the Scots in touch and then put them into the lead, before the fly-half delivered the decisive blow, diving over the puddles from close range for the game-clinching try. Scotland captain Andy Nicol, now part of the BBC's match-day team, enjoyed his finest hour. "People were incredulous," he recalled. "The euphoria and sense of satisfaction at the end was incredible."

2007 - England 42-20 Scotland - What a comeback. After a catalogue of injuries had kept him out of the Test scene for three years following his World Cup-winning drop-goal in 2003, Jonny Wilkinson's return to England duty was remarkable.

The celebrated fly-half was back in the old routine with three first-half penalties and a drop-goal, capping his comeback with a dramatic try on the hour. He appeared to have a foot in touch as he touched down one-handed in the right corner after a searing break from scrum-half Harry Ellis, but the television match official was in benevolent mood. Wilkinson then stroked over the conversion from the touchline and finished with a record 27 points for a Calcutta Cup match.

Jason Robinson also marked his comeback from premature retirement with two tries, but the standing ovation when Wilkinson was replaced seven minutes from time showed Twickenham still in thrall to their legendary number 10.

Now let's have your favourite matches, memories and recommendations...

You can also follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/BBCBrynPalmer.

While retirements, injuries and ageing players past their best allow for a natural changing of the guard, this announcement was always likely to have a "new era" feel to it.

The four-yearly World Cup cycle inevitably leads to a sense of renewal in its aftermath. England's failed campaign and the off-field shenanigans that blighted their time in New Zealand only made the need for a fresh start more urgent.

The selection challenge facing Lancaster is two-fold. His mission statement when handed the job was to put foundations in place for England's future prosperity.

That implies blooding youngsters who will be capable of delivering World Cup success on home soil in 2015.  

Then again, if Lancaster is to have any chance of persuading his RFU employers to retain him in the post, rather than recruit a more experienced head honcho of world renown, he needs results.  

And England do not have the sort of fixture list that lends itself to comfortable victories.  

An opening Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield against a Scotland side bent on revenge for their World Cup elimination by the auld enemy comes with a sizeable health warning.  

So does their second fixture against Italy in Rome, where England have scraped four- and five-point wins on their last two visits.  

Add in a trip to Paris, either side of Twickenham dates with World Cup semi-finalists Wales, and Ireland, who have won on three of their last four visits to south-west London, and a pessimistic red rose supporter might surmise that Lancaster will do well to deliver a mid-table finish.  

He could certainly have done without the rash of injuries that have beset some of his key players in recent days. Toby Flood, Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes could all have expected to start at Murrayfield, but will now have to delay their entry into the tournament.  

With lock Louis Deacon joining prop Andrew Sheridan and scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth on the long-term casualty list, Lancaster has no option but to look for fresh blood in certain areas.  

Saracens' Owen Farrell is one of the uncapped players expected to play a leading role in the new-look England side. Picture: Getty

Jonny Wilkinson, Lewis Moody and Steve Thompson have already left the Test scene, and the temptation to dispense with the rest of the older generation appears to have been irresistible. 

Simon Shaw, the grand old man of English rugby at 38, Mike Tindall (33), Nick Easter (33) and Mark Cueto (32) are likely casualties, as are centres Shontayne Hape (31 this month) and Riki Flutey (31), who was in the last EPS squad but missed out on the World Cup. 

In addition to replacing the retired and injured players, under the terms of the EPS agreement Lancaster can make a further 10 changes to the World Cup squad of 30, and add two more to make up the new 32-man group. He will also name a 32-man Saxons squad. 

Let's consider the likely changes and new faces in each area of the team.

BACK THREE
England are flush with options at full-back, with Saracens' Alex Goode and Harlequins' Mike Brown both in prime form. One of them should join a rejuvenated Ben Foden in the squad, with the other in the Saxons. Delon Armitage, in poor form and still suffering on the disciplinary front, is likely to make way. Gloucester wing Charlie Sharples (22) missed the World Cup cut but could now take over from Sale veteran Cueto, while Saracens' David Strettle is also a contender. 

MIDFIELD 

Tuilagi is the only one of the four centres who went to the World Cup sure to be named, and he is unlikely to make the opening game. Tindall and Hape are set to be axed, while it remains to be seen whether Lancaster sees Matt Banahan as a centre, wing, or a Test player at all. Saracens' Brad Barritt is probably the gain-line-breaker-in-waiting, Leicester's Billy Twelvetrees (29 points v Wasps on Saturday), and Quins' Jordan Turner-Hall offer options at 12 with Gloucester's Henry Trinder and Harlequins' Matt Hopper the more nimble alternatives at 13. 

HALF-BACKS 

With Wilkinson gone, and Flood missing the start of the tournament, Lancaster has a tricky call to make. Saracens' 20-year-old Owen Farrell is the talk of the town and sure to be included; he might start at centre if England want a 'second five-eighth' in midfield. Does Lancaster now give Farrell his head at 10? Or turn to his Saracens team-mate Charlie Hodgson, whose distribution skills are still top notch even if his Test career stalled because of defensive concerns. The decision to suspend scrum-half Danny Care was not taken lightly, given that Wigglesworth is out for the season, leaving the back-up to Ben Youngs on the light side. Wasps' Joe Simpson will presumably be retained, and Northampton's consistently effective Lee Dickson would provide an interesting alternative. 

FRONT ROW

Harlequins prop Joe Marler is one of the young players who could step up for England against Scotland in the Six Nations. Photo: Getty 

Thompson's retirement leaves hooker Dylan Hartley in prime position to reclaim the starting role. But the back-up is thin. Lee Mears, the third World Cup hooker, is 32, and not getting any bigger. Wasps' Rob Webber was in the Saxons squad last season but chose a bad time to have a line-out wobble against Leicester on Saturday. Harlequins' Joe Gray (23) and Saracens' Jamie George (21) are the coming men, but still wet behind the ears. In the props department, Sheridan may have played his last Test, so there is a loose-head vacancy. Joe Marler's skills around the park are eye-catching for Quins, but does he have the scrummaging grunt for Test rugby? Worcester's Matt Mullan and Gloucester's Nick Wood are alternatives, while tight-head Paul Doran-Jones has nailed down more starts for Northampton than David Wilson has for Bath of late.

SECOND ROW 

The retention of Tom Palmer, 32 but still relatively young in Test terms, would make sense even if Deacon were not ruled out of the whole tournament and Lawes likely to miss the start. Their absence could give chances to Bath's Dave Attwood, who won two caps in 2010 before disciplinary issues stalled his progress, and George Robson, consistently excellent for Harlequins. Leicester's Geoff Parling is another option, while Sale's athletic lock/flanker James Gaskell could also come into the reckoning. 

BACK ROW

Quins captain Chris Robshaw is the obvious candidate for promotion, after excelling during the pre-World Cup training camp but missing final selection. His versatility - he can play all across the back row - makes him a prime candidate for a place in the match-day 22, if not the starting XV. With James Haskell unavailable during his stint in Japan, and Moody gone, Tom Croft and Tom Wood are the likely starting flankers. Will Lancaster opt for a specialist open-side in his squad? If so, Saracens' Andy Saull and Jamie Gibson of London Irish are the likely lads. The decision of Bristol-born Llanelli Scarlets number eight Ben Morgan to choose his native country over Wales will hasten the end of Easter's international career, and possibly further frustrate Gloucester's Luke Narraway. 

Possible England elite squad:
Forwards (18): Hartley, Webber, Gray; Corbisiero, Marler, Stevens, Cole, Doran-Jones; Attwood, Lawes, Palmer, Robson; Croft, Robshaw, Wood, Saull, Morgan. 

Backs (14): Foden, Goode; Ashton, Sharples; Banahan, Barritt, Twelvetrees, Tuilagi; Farrell, Flood, Hodgson; Dickson, Simpson, Youngs.

But that's just my assessment. Who would you like to see in Lancaster's new England?
You can also follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BBCBrynPalmer

Even more so this time, since the potential for further pain and humiliation is right on their doorstep.

A nation of four million at the end of the earth expects their status as the world's number one rugby team to be belatedly adorned with a second World Cup victory, 24 years after the first. Not too much to ask, is it?

Graham Henry has the burden of a nation on his shoulders. Photo: Getty

"There is obviously a huge expectation among the New Zealand public for the All Blacks to win the World Cup," says Graham Henry, the coach charged with delivering that goal. "That's right and proper and I've not got a problem with that. They've gone a few years without that happening so I guess every time it does not happen, the expectation gets higher. It's a positive, not a negative. We understand that and accept it."

Accepting it is one thing, but can they cope with the relentless pressure, the endless scrutiny, the constant jibes about their tendency to always 'choke' at World Cups?

Is it even a fair accusation? The perception is that New Zealand are always the best team coming into the tournament and yet don't win it. The reality is that of the five editions since their victory in the inaugural one on home soil in 1987, they were probably the best team entering it only on two occasions, in 1995 and 2007.

"Those are the only two we should have won but we didn't," believes All Black legend Zinzan Brooke, a member of the 1987 winning squad, who played in the 1991 semi-final loss to Australia and the 1995 final defeat by South Africa. "In 1995 we definitely should have won, but we weren't good enough in 1991 or 1999. We certainly were not good enough in 2003."

In 1995, there is no doubt some senior All Blacks were affected by illness on the day of the final, even if the claims of poisoning by a South African waitress called 'Suzie' stretched the boundaries of credibility. Ultimately they were beaten by a superbly combative Springboks team fuelled by the emotion of unifying the 'Rainbow Nation' in the presence of Nelson Mandela.

In 2007 you could say they were unlucky against France - losing Dan Carter to injury, the referee missing a forward pass in the build-up to the winning try - but ultimately they didn't have the wherewithal to conjur a match-winning drop-goal, something apparently anathema to All Black instincts, despite their importance in the outcome of the 1995, 1999 and 2003 tournaments.

Another New Zealand legend, Jonah Lomu, who holds the record of 15 World Cup tries from the 1995 and 1999 tournaments, rejects the idea those and other All Blacks sides 'choked', pointing out New Zealand's dominance in Tests outside the tournament is no basis on which to judge their favouritism for the big one.

"Everyone looks at the World Cup and judges it by the end-of-year Tests or the Tri-Nations but they are not the World Cup," he says. "The World Cup is a different kettle of fish. It is a tournament for six weeks. You are living in each other's pockets. There are certain things you can't control. If you manage to keep a happy camp through the tournament, you are well off. If someone loses form, that can also affect things. These elements can tip the scale towards you losing. There is no break in a World Cup. The pressure is on every week."

According to Lomu, the key to whether the class of 2011 can deliver the prize their ability undoubtedly merits, or whether they follow their predecessors into World Cup ignominy, will be their ability to 'tune out' from the hype and the fever pitch the rest of the nation will reach over the course of the tournament.

"Six weeks is a long time to keep the mind fresh," the gentle giant notes. "You won't be able to get any fitter or stronger in that period, you can only maintain fitness. But you want to keep fit mentally and I think it is all going to come down to that, keeping your mental focus, being able to switch on and switch off. I think that is the key component of winning the World Cup."

So will it be any different this time? Certainly if we look at some of the characteristics of previous World Cup-winning sides, the All Blacks tick most of the boxes.

Experienced? You could say. The last three World Cup-winning sides boasted, respectively, going into the tournament, 560 caps (Australia, in 1999), 565 caps (England, 2003) and 602 caps (South Africa, 2007).

New Zealand's likely first-choice side now have 842 caps between them, with another couple of hundred on the bench. They have eight players with 50-plus caps, led by All Black record-holders Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina (98 each), with a couple more in Conrad Smith and Jimmy Cowan poised to hit the 50-mark.

Only South Africa, who can also boast 800-plus caps in their first-choice line-up, bear comparison among the other leading nations at this World Cup. (Interestingly, Ireland (637 caps), France (630), Wales (585) and England (553) also boast a level of experience in their side close to previous winners in the professional era.)

Half a dozen contenders for a world XV? Definitely. Muliaina, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Dan Carter, Tony Woodcock and McCaw would certainly be in that category, with arguably one or two more.

Ability to grind out wins under pressure? A lot has been made of the recent Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane, as if this was proof positive that the All Blacks can't win tight games when the stakes are high. Rewind 12 months. They clinched the Tri-Nations title by coming from behind with two tries in the last two minutes to beat South Africa in Johannesburg, and then came from 22-9 down with 13 minutes left to beat Australia in Sydney and complete a historic clean sweep. The manner of those victories did not suggest a team that buckles under pressure, rather one that thrives on it.

New Zealand are looking to lift a 24-year cloud. Photo: Getty

No pain, no gain? England's 2003 World Cup winners all talk about the valuable lessons learned from painful defeats in Grand Slam deciders and the 1999 World Cup, and how they carried that experience into the tournament that ultimately defined them as players.

If Anton Oliver's memorable description of the All Blacks dressing room - "desolate, decay, the putrid smell of, I don't know, death" - in the aftermath of their 2007 quarter-final defeat by France is anything to go by, then Muliaina, Carter, Woodcock, McCaw, Ali Williams, Andrew Hore and Isaia Toeava, all present on that occasion, will not have to delve too deep into the hurt locker for any further motivation.

"We are pretty experienced this time," notes McCaw. "Most of us have been through at least one World Cup and we know what it takes."

Battle hardened? Unlike the last two tournaments, New Zealand should have at least one tough pool game before the knock-out stages, with France in their group. Tonga, in Friday's tournament opener at Eden Park, should also give them a decent workout in the physicality stakes.

The Auckland venue, where they will also face the French, and play their quarter-final, semi-final and final if they go all the way, should be a source of home comfort. The All Blacks haven't lost there since 1994.

They will be damned if they don't win it, and probably damned with faint praise if they do.

"The critics will be out saying, 'Yeah, New Zealand won it but they can never win outside of their own country'," according to Brooke.

But right now, the country would probably settle for that.

Given his long history of orthopaedic calamities, it seems slightly miraculous he is still around at all.

And yet here he is, 12 years after his first World Cup, eight years on from the swing of his right boot in Sydney that changed his life forever, preparing for his fourth global tournament.

If that puts him in rare company (only 11 others have played in four or more), Wilkinson is not in New Zealand to make up the numbers, even if when it comes to World Cups, he has plenty of them in his locker (most overall points, most penalties, most drop-goals in the tournament's history).

The remarkable thing about his latest incarnation is that, at 32, not only is he in the rudest health of his rugby life, but once again he is the man shouldering England's hopes of success.

But after Flood's shaky displays in the Six Nations finale in Dublin and the second World Cup warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff, manager Martin Johnson reverted to Wilkinson for England's final outing before the tournament, a 20-9 victory over Ireland back in the Irish capital.

While he didn't play with complete authority that day, his experience of tense World Cup occasions and ability to keep the scoreboard ticking over mean he is set to start at number 10 in the team's opening match against Argentina on Saturday.

Wilkinson is the only man to have scored points in two World Cup finals. Photo: Getty Images

As Johnson has reiterated several times over the course of the last month: "There's always a case for starting with Jonny Wilkinson.

"No matter how many Tests he's played, no matter what he's achieved, Jonny is still the one out there working harder than anyone in an effort to be a better player."

Wilkinson's confidant and personal trainer Steve Black raised a few eyebrows in 2008 when he said the fly-half wouldn't reach his physical peak until he was 32 or 33, and could play until he was 40.

That doesn't seem such a fanciful idea now. Despite a dozen major injuries, he was top of the fitness charts at England's summer camp, out-running the rest of the squad in shuttle runs over 40 metres.

"He is remarkable," said wing Chris Ashton, eight years Wilkinson's junior. "Jonny's ahead of everybody on the speed tests by about 10 seconds. I don't know how he does it because he's not that quick."

Certainly swapping Newcastle in the north-east of England for Toulon on the south coast of France two years ago appears to have refreshed Wilkinson, physically and mentally.

"Relatively speaking, I would like to think I am better than I have ever been," he said before departing for New Zealand.

"I can't say enough about how fortunate I am to be in this position," he told BBC Sport. "I am very privileged. I have had a lot of injuries but for some reason I always manage to be there or thereabouts when this World Cup period comes around.

"The experience and what I have taken from each one have undoubtedly been important blocks in the foundation of my career and my life in general. Hopefully the way I have responded at them shows what they mean to me."

Wilkinson was only 10 caps into his Test career when he went to his first World Cup in 1999. He endured being dropped for the first time, Clive Woodward preferring the more experienced Paul Grayson for the quarter-final against South Africa in Paris when Jannie De Beer drop-kicked England out of the tournament.

Four years on, he was indisputably the man, bringing seven weeks of extreme personal pressure and tension to an end when his right-footed drop-goal with 26 seconds left of extra-time finally ended Australia's resistance and secured England World Cup victory.

Incredibly, such was the unrelenting misfortune that befell Wilkinson over the following three years, he didn't play for his country again until early 2007, scoring 27 points in a remarkable comeback against Scotland in the Six Nations, having missed England's previous 30 Tests.

Later that year at the World Cup, his injury curse struck again days before England's opening game against the USA.

"I don't think people understood how serious it was," recalled team-mate Mike Catt. "His ankle was like a football."

But after sitting out that match and the 36-0 drubbing by South Africa that followed, he returned in the nick of time to steer England out of the group with wins over Samoa and Tonga, and through memorable knock-out victories over Australia and hosts France.

"I said to Wilko before the France match, 'You were born to win games like this'" Catt added.

If England overcome Argentina on Saturday and emerge as group winners, France and Australia may again provide the knock-out barriers in their path to a possible record third successive final.

The good news for English supporters is that when Wilkinson looks around the current squad, he sees a group of players ready to take that rollercoaster ride to the end of another World Cup.

"I understand a little bit about what you need to go to these tournaments and deal with the pressure," he added.

"You know when it comes to it you will have very good teams battling it out to see who can hold on long enough to go all the way. Looking around this squad, we should have confidence that we can be among that group. And when you are in that group, anything is possible."

Especially if Jonathan Peter Wilkinson is in your side.