ANOTHER campaign floats by without Six Nations success for Ireland, but this time you couldn't feel anything but sorry for them. Despite their 51-24 victory over Italy, France's 46-19 dismissal of Scotland was enough to ensure Bernard Laporte's enigmatic side won the Championship for a second year in a row, and for the third time in four years.

But those simple facts don't go any way towards explaining yesterday's high drama. You couldn't have made it up.

A magnificent performance of running rugby in Rome had put Ireland on the cusp of their first title in 22 years. Their 27point win at Stadio Flaminio meant France would have to beat Scotland by 24 points, and with six points between the sides at the interval, it appeared they'd struggle to reach their target. But things changed as the second half continued. The Irish touch judge at the Stade de France, Donal Courtney, sent the wrong Lamont brother (Sean instead of Rory) to the bin with 25 minutes remaining and an Olivier Milloud score in his absence propelled France into a 25-point lead.

End of the drama? Not in the slightest. With three minutes to go Irish sport nearly had another Gary Mackay in the rather tubby shape of Euan Murray. The prop popped up on the Scottish left wing for some bizarre reason and flopped his way over the line to reduce France's lead to 20 points. Ireland were in Rome waiting to be crowned kings of the continent but there was one last act still to be played.

With the clock ticking past time, France were camped on the Scottish line and Elvis Berneulen appeared to squeeze his way over. Referee Marius Joubert decided to consult his TMO for confirmation. The final twist? The TMO was Irish referee Simon McDowell. As we said, you couldn't make it up. He awarded the try, and the title - bar an improbably high English win over Cardiff - was France's.

Before all that, we were treated to something special in Rome. At the sun-kissed Stadio Flaminio, 17,000 Irish fans crammed into this intimate stadium to get behind their country on their national day.

There was a huge sense of expectation, like the Paddies on Tour were expecting their team to produce something special on St Patrick's Day and they weren't disappointed.

Doubts that Italy, having already won two games in the Championship, wouldn't be fully up for this one were allayed early on when Sergio Parisse knocked poor Girvan Dempsey about five yards backwards in the tackle right on the Italian 22, but the Irish full-back would earn his own revenge. With Ireland 6-3 down and struggling to hold onto possession because of their dodgy line-out, Gordon D'Arcy, Denis Hickie and Brian O'Driscoll combined to put their Leinster colleague away in the corner and although things didn't flow freely straight away, it was to be the start of something special. By half time, Simon Easterby and D'Arcy had crossed the line - even though the centre's try came from a clear forward pass - but Italy remained stubbornly in touch, trailing by just eight at the interval.

And then, it was as though Ireland flicked a switch, as though they decided they were going to have a damn good go off this and never mind the consequences if they failed. In fact, they didn't even seem to contemplate failure. Dempsey, that bastion of good sense, popped up on the end of Ronan O'Gara's inside pass to cross the line and effectively end the game as a contest, and then the fancy boys cut lose. They had, in truth, looked primed to motor all day but now they started running the ball from all parts of the pitch.

Six minutes after Dempsey's try, Brian O'Driscoll ran a stray kick straight back into the Italian 22 and Ireland swung the ball wide impressively for Shane Horgan to cross in the corner. If that was good, then Hickie's try minutes later was even better. O'Gara looped out a lengthy pass to his winger who swerved one way, then the other and even sold a dummy before touching the ball down to put Ireland on their way to the title. Everybody sensed something special was happening and, sure enough, O'Gara trotted over for a try of his own before the hour to give Ireland a 34-point lead. With Brian O'Driscoll now off with yet another hamstring injury, Marco Bortolami scored the home side's first try but that was negated almost immediately by a second mesmorising effort from Hickie, who jinked over from half way. Ireland were back in heaven.

Before the end, they made things unnecessarily by conceding a last-second try to Roland De Marigny but the 51-24 final score line meant France had to beat Scotland by 24 points to snatch the title.

But then came the late, late drama and the title was stolen.

MATCH REPORT AND REACTION, PAGE 35; NEIL FRANCIS'S ANALYSIS AND PLAYER RATINGS, PAGE 34; FRANCE v SCOTLAND, PAGE 33 O'DRISCOLL A DOUBT FOR LEINSTER BRIAN O'DRISCOLL is almost certainly out of Leinster's crucial Heineken Cup quarter-final against Wasps on Saturday week after pulling up with a serious hamstring injury in yesterday's 51-24 demolition of Italy in Rome. Ireland Manager Eddie O'Sullivan revealed that his captain "went down like he was shot which is always a bad sign" and added he expected he would be out of action for some time.

O'Sulliivan said that Simon Easterby came off with a back spasm but should be ok for Llanelli's game against Munster in the same competition.