By David van der Merwe

The 2012 Six Nations is a thing of the past and Wales have been crowned Grand Slam, Triple Crown and Six Nations Champions. The tournament however had some surprises as well as disappointments. Here is a brief recap on each team and their performance over the last 7 weeks.

ENGLAND

England were probably the surprise package of the whole tournament. Who gave them a chance at the beginning when they came in with a brand new caretaker coach in Lancaster. As a team they have never played together and nearly half the squad had less than 10 test caps under their belt. Even the bookies had them as underdogs in the first game against Scotland.

They weathered the storm and walked away 13-6 victors against a Scotland team that looked less experienced then them. Then came Italy and the icy cold weather with a pitch half covered in snow. Again they barely won this one as Italy capitalised on their mistakes. The youngsters however showed good resolve and in the end they were just to good for the Azzuri beating them 19-15.

Against Wales the Roses for the first time struggled to score a try and when they seemed to have done so the TMO ruled that it was held up. England did however test Wales and lost by a mere 6 points, 12-19. This loss did not discourage them as they took on the French. France gave them a good run for their money but in the end England walked away with the spoils 24-22.

England went into the final game with a glimmer of hope that they might actually win the Championship, but new it would be up to France beating Wales and then down to points difference. They took on Ireland and for the first time played clinical and effective rugby. England dominated the game and ended the season on a high by beating Ireland 30-9.

The RFU would be stupid if they didn't appoint Lancaster as head coach after the job he has done. The youngsters flourished under his guidance and they can build on this for the inbound tours later this year. Overall England impressed even their harshest critiques by playing good rugby and showing heart.

FRANCE

France started off the their title hunt with an impressive 30-12 win over Italy. It was a clinical display but still lacked the spark expected from them. The game against Ireland got postponed due to a frozen pitch and this might just have frozen their hopes of winning the title. Their next game was against Scotland and once again they did just enough to win. But already the signs were there that they were starting to slump in form. They beat Scotland by 23-17.

Then came the postponed game against Ireland. This game could keep either side in the hunt for the title but specially France's hopes of a Grand Slam. It ended in a disappointing 17 all draw. France still had a chance if they could beat England. France played with some gusto but the momentum they had after the Italy game was no longer with them. In the end they had to concede victory to England by 22-24.

The last game against Wales saw a repeat of the 2011 RWC semi-final. This time however Wales only played with 14 men for 10 minutes and they were out for revenge. In a game that could still decide who won the championship, albeit not France any more, France put a brave showing. Wales however defended their line with gusto and only conceded penalties. France lost 9-16 and ended 3rd on the table.

France have a lot of reflecting to do. They started out as one of the favourites to win the Six Nations but fizzled out to an average side. Their flair and flamboyance got lost with the snow that melted away after the postponement of their Ireland clash. Poor team selection also cost them. Why would one put Parra and Trinh-Duc on the bench if they are your main play makers?

ITALY

Italy started off as the favourites to win the wooden spoon. Again a team under a new coach and new structures being introduced. In their 30-12 loss to France they showed some enterprising play but just couldn't finish it off. Against England they used their chance and capitalised on the English mistakes but poor goal kicking saw them lose 19-15.

Against Ireland they were never really in the game although their scrum showed signs of being dominant. The 42-10 scoreline told the story of a team improving but not yet able to really compete against stronger teams. Wales came next and they did well to hold them to a 24-3 scoreline. Defensively Italy were getting stronger.

The final game against Scotland was always going to be the game they would target to win. They again showed that their defence is getting better. Scotland never really showed that they could score a try. Italy however kept up the pressure and scored a winning try. It is the first time since 2007 that they have not finished last.

The Azzuri will take a lot from the tournament and will build on their defence. If they can get a proper goal kicker with a 70% plus record they should be able to start competing with the stronger sides.

IRELAND

Ireland went with experience instead of youth and started off the competition with a close 21-23 loss to Wales. Their main down fall in that game was their defence. It had more holes in it than the border fence between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Next up was France but that game got postponed due to a frozen pitch. Something the Irish must have been glad about. It gave them time to mend that defence.

Against the Azzuri Ireland showed that they had a good enough attack as they tore Italy apart and won 42-10, but it took them all of 60 minutes to unlock the defences of Italy. Then came France at last and Ireland still had hope of winning the Championship, but this was snubbed by poor defence and a lacklustre attack. They drew 17 all.

Against Scotland they again showed signs of reviving their pre-season form and they beat the Scottish 32-14. Still their defence showed signs of old age and those holes. Their last game against England held promise, but it was like the promise of a politician campaigning for re-election. In the end it came to nothing. England's youth was just to much for the elders of Ireland and they lost 30-9.

It is truly time for the elder statesmen of Ireland to retire while they are still a head and make space for younger players. Ireland ended 4th and for them this must be highly disappointing. They will have to rebuild and do so quickly if they want to be ready for next year's Six Nations.

SCOTLAND

The most disappointing performance in the Championship must have been Scotland. They failed to win a single game and struggled to score tries. Against England they went in as favourites and ended up losing 13-6. The reason: their inability to finish off try scoring opportunities. Next up was Wales and this time they managed to score a try but still it was not enough against a rampant Welsh side.

Against France they looked a much improved side but this time their defence let them down and they allowed the French to dictate the game to them. They ended up losing 17-23. Ireland basically ran circles around them although the score was only 32-14. Scotland started showing signs of scoring tries but again this cost them on defence.

Their last game against Italy again saw them going in as the favourites. And again they disappointed by losing 13-6 without scoring a try. And again we heard that they would be going back to the drawing board. This line has been used more by Andy Robinson than a £10 note in its entire life span.

Scotland will have to decide if they are willing to see out Robinson's contract or if they are going to spend some money to buy him out of it. My take is get rid off him quicker than Donald Trump can say: "Your fired". He is doing more harm than good at the moment. My 5 year old daughter can do a better job at coaching.

WALES

Pre-season I backed the Welsh to win the Championship and take a Grand Slam and Triple Crown. They started off shakily against Ireland but managed to win 23-21 in the end courtesy of a late penalty. Against Scotland they started hitting their straps and defeated the Scottish 27-13. Their attack and defence looked solid and they had gained momentum.

They went on to beat England 19-12 at Twickenham, something that has only happened twice in the last 14 years. It was not the prettiest win, but as my Dad says: "a win is a win even if it is by half a point". They seemed to struggle against Italy and barely managed to score the 24 points they did. It must be said at this stage the Azzuri's defence improved a lot. Again it did not matter how they won but merely that they had won.

The last game against France wasn't just a game for the Grand Slam and Championship but a game to exact revenge for that game 6 months ago. The Rugby World Cup semi-final. Wales lost that game by 1 point after a controversial red card against captain Sam Warburton. Wales absorbed the early pressure and once they took the lead they defended it with more gusto than a mother bear her cubs. They walked away 16-9 victors and claimed their 3rd Grand Slam in just 8 years and their 11th over all.

Wales deserved this Championship more than any other team in the tournament. They will build on this and have already laid down a marker for the inbound tours in July. If they can put up the same defensive efforts then they will give either one of the All Blacks, Wallabies or Springboks a good run for their money. This would be the real test for them to show that they can really compete against any country.

VERDICT

A good tournament with lots of surprises and action. The referees might need some work yet as they made some real dodgy calls. France will want to look at underground heating very soon and the Irish at a proper defensive coach. Wales, England and Italy will want to build on their respective successes. Scotland might want to crawl under a bed and hide until they can find a new coach. Their players have it in them they just need new ideas and maybe a new drawing board as the one they have must be worn out by Robinson.

Follow Dave on Twitter @djvanman