2012 Women's Six Nations Championship
# 2012 Women's Six Nations Championship

The 2012 Women's Six Nations Championship, also known as the 2012 RBS Women's Six Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Women's Six Nations Championship, an annual women's rugby union competition between six European rugby union national teams. Matches were held in February and March 2012, on the same weekends as the men's tournament, if not always the same day.

The championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England were favourites to win the tournament, and did so – their victory being their seventh title in a row, winning without conceding a try – the first time this had been achieved in the Six Nations.

The tournament marked a significant step-forward in the broadcasting of matches. Three of England's five games were available to the armchair viewer – their home matches against Wales (broadcast live in the UK by the BBC), their game against Ireland (webcast by the RFU), and their away game against France (broadcast in France by France4 and in the UK by Sky – the first time any women's international had been shown on French national TV). Ireland v Scotland was also webcast by the IRFU – the first Irish women's home game ever broadcast. In addition Wales played at the Millennium Stadium for the first time, following the men's game between Wales and Italy, though this was not broadcast.

## Table

| Position | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Position | Nation | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Difference | Tries | Table points |
| 1 | England | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 161 | 12 | 149 | 26 | 10 |
| 2 | France | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 97 | 22 | 75 | 13 | 8 |
| 3 | Ireland | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 109 | 41 | 68 | 16 | 6 |
| 4 | Wales | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 113 | −63 | 8 | 4 |
| 5 | Italy | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 157 | −102 | 6 | 2 |
| 6 | Scotland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 149 | −137 | 2 | 0 |

## Fixtures and results

### Week 1

* 2012-02-03

| Ireland | Match abandoned (10–3) | Wales |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Miller Conv: Briggs Pen: Briggs | | Pen: Prosser |

* Ashbourne RFC
* 2012-02-05

| France | 32–0 | Italy |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Ba 8' Tremouliere 21' Hebel 29' Ladagnous 32' Pelle 80' Conv: Bailon 8', 29' Pen: Bailon 19' | | |

* Stade Emile Pons, Riom Referee: Claire Hodnett (England)
* 2012-02-05

| Scotland | 0–47 | England |
| - | - | - |
| | | Tries: Packer Staniford (2) Burnfield Merchant (2) Hunt Scarratt Noel-Smith Conv: McLean |

* Lasswade Referee: Sherry Trumbull

### Week 2

* 2012-02-11

| France | 8–7 | Ireland |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Caroline Ladagnous 20' Pen: Sandrine Agricole 38' | | Try: Claire Molloy 78' Conv: Niamh Briggs 78' |

* Stade du Hameau, Pau Referee: Sherry Trumbull (Canada)
* 2012-02-12

| Italy | 3–43 | England |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Tondinelli | | Tries: Clark Scarratt Roberts Large Penalty Try Staniford Burford Convs: Scarratt (4) |

* Recco, Genoa
* 2012-02-12

| Wales | 20–0 | Scotland |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Amy Day (2) Jamie Kift Rachael Taylor | | |

* Cross Keys

### Week 3

* 2012-02-24

| Ireland | 40–10 | Italy |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Niamh Kavanagh (2) Amy Davis Marie Louise Reilly Joy Neville Jennifer Murphy Cons: Niamh Briggs (4) Grace Davitt | | Try: Cristina Molic Con: Veronica Schiavon Drop: Michela Tondinelli |

* Ashbourne RFC Referee: Joyce Henry (Canada)
* 2012-02-25

| England | 33–0 | Wales |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Michaela Staniford (2) Emily Scarratt Rowena Burnfield Kay Wilson Sarah Hunter Pen:Katy McLean | | |

* Twickenham stadium Referee: Sylvie Bros (France)
* 2012-02-25

| Scotland | 0–23 | France |
| - | - | - |
| | | Tries: Ba 20' Bouisset 38' Mignot 43' De Nadai 60' Pen: Bailon 33' |

* Stirling County Referee: Federica Guerzoni (Italy)

### Rearranged fixture

* 2012-03-03

| Ireland | 36–0 | Wales |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Joy Neville Sophie Spence Niamh Kavanagh Alison Miller Gillian Bourke Ashleigh Baxter Cons: Niamh Briggs (3) | | |

* Ashbourne RFC

### Week 4

* 2012-03-09

| Ireland | 20–0 | Scotland |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Sophie Spence 5' Ashleigh Baxter Alison Miller Conv: Niamh Briggs 5' Pen: Niamh Briggs | | |

* Ashbourne RFC Referee: Sylvie Bros (FRA)
* 2012-03-10

| Wales | 30–13 | Italy |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Elen Evans Clare Flowers Naomi Thomas (2) Cons: Laura Prosser (2) Pens: Prosser (2) | | Try: Michaela Esta Con: Michela Tondinelli Pens: Tondinelli (2) |

* Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
* 2012-03-11

| France | 3–15 | England |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Bailon | | Tries: Scarratt Wilson Conv: McLean Pen: Scarratt |

* Stade Charléty, Paris

### Week 5

* 2012-03-17

| England | 23–6 | Ireland |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: McLean Turner Convs: McLean (2) Pens: McLean (2) Scarratt | | Pens: Briggs (2) |

* Esher RFC
* 2012-03-18

| Italy | 29–12 | Scotland |
| - | - | - |
| Tries: Furlan 8' Gaudino 22' Chindamo 38' Castellarin 40+4' Gai 78' Conv Schiavon 38', 44' | | Tries: Harris 55' Dixon 72' Conv: Ritchie 55' |

* Pagani Stadium, Rovato, near Brescia
* 2012-03-18

| Wales | 0–31 | France |
| - | - | - |
| | | Tries: Mignot (2) Forlani Ladagnous Portaries Cons: Bailon Tremouliere (2) |

* Cross Keys

## Leading scorers

### Point scorers

| Points | Name | Team | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 34 | Emily Scarratt | England | 4 tries, 4 cons, 2 pens |
| 27 | Niamh Briggs | Ireland | 9 cons, 3 pens |
| 25 | Michaela Staniford | England | 5 tries |
| 22 | Katy McLean | England | 1 try, 4 cons, 3 pens |
| 15 | Aurelie Bailon | France | 3 conv, 3 pen |
| 15 | Caroline Ladagnous | France | 3 tries |
| 15 | Niamh Kavanagh | Ireland | 3 tries |
| 13 | Aurelie Bailon | France | 2 cons, 3 pens |
| 11 | Michela Tondinelli | Italy | 1 con, 2 pen, 1 drop |
