It was contested by England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

To get round this problem, the new format saw each team play each other's fixtures in a rotational period of scheduling.

The 1974 tournament was closely contested with three of the matches ending in draws.

Both France and Wales had chances to win the title, but both lost their last games.

Welsh winger J. J. Williams appeared to score a winning try late in their game against England, but it was disallowed by referee John West, an Irishman, leading singer and Welsh rugby fan Max Boyce to compose a song about "blind Irish referees".