England were denied a second-straight Grand Slam after ending their 2017 Six Nations campaign with a 13-9 defeat to Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. It's England's first and only loss of this year's tournament, but it doesn't alter their status as champions.Ireland's win meant they finished as runners-up in the final standings, despite both Scotland and France winning earlier on Super Saturday.Here are the results from Saturday:Here's what the table looks like after the fifth round:RecapJohnny Sexton kicked a penalty and Iain Henderson scored a try as Ireland built a 10-3 half-time lead over champions England in Dublin. Owen Farrell got the visitors on the board with a penalty, something he repeated shortly after the break to reduce the gap to four.Farrell's second penalty helped set a personal milestone for the 25-year-old, according to the team's official Twitter account:Ireland were still the better side, with several players impressing. However, Cian Tracey of the Irish Independent singled out one man in particular for special praise:Meanwhile, ITV's Alastair Stewart felt Sexton was running the show in the vital No. 10 position:Sexton and Farrell traded penalties inside the last 15 minutes to leave Ireland leading 13-9. The hosts remained in control by dominating possession, per Accenture Rugby:Tries from Remi Lamerat and substitute Camille Chat proved enough to help France edge past Wales. A tough and testing battle at the Stade de France saw the hosts exploit width to work the Welsh over.However, the French defending was also stellar, as Wales were denied room out wide and resisted in the pack. Fortunately for the Welsh, their kicking game was strong, with Leigh Halfpenny prolific from the boot. The 28-year-old converted six penalties to keep the game close.Yet the French were ultimately too strong and capable. They may have finished well behind worthy winners England, but the French have shown they are close to returning to their formidable best.Wales may have lost, but the nation deserved some praise for playing its part in an enthralling contest.Earlier, Scotland rebounded from their mauling at the hands of England last week to shut out Italy. Classy No. 10 Finn Russell put on an imperious display, scoring two tries and making a trio of successful conversions.Tommy Seymour, Tim Visser and sub Matt Scott also crossed the line to score. A Stuart Hogg penalty accounted for the rest of Scotland's points.The Scots couldn't deliver on their promise when it counted against England. Yet the nation has proved there is reason to be optimistic about the future of its Rugby team.However, Scotland, France and Ireland still have a long way to go to reach the level England are at as the undisputed dominant force in International Rugby. Head coach Eddie Jones' team has been the class of this tournament and should collect more honours in the near future.
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