This weekend sees the start of February and with it the 6 Nations returns with the opening weekend sure to set the tone for what awaits.
Here’s a quick form guide as to how each team performed over the past 12 months and who needs a good tournament to start off their Rugby World Cup year.
The first game sees France take on Wales in the Stade de France, on Friday, kick off 20 00.
Wales are the team on the up with wins over South Africa and two over Argentina last summer coupled with a clean sweep in the November internationals giving them a seven-game winning streak since last years tournament.
It’s that time of year again. Dau fis llawn cyffro. #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/AF9VuyKfE0
— Welsh Rugby Union ? (@WelshRugbyUnion) January 28, 2025
On the other hand, France had a lacklustre 2018, with only two wins in the 6 Nations, followed up by a 3-0 series lose to New Zealand in the summer. November was no different as they won one of three matches including a first loss to Fiji.
Both teams will be looking to kick start their year off with a win with the World Cup only around the corner.
Saturday hosts a double header with Scotland taking on Italy at Murrayfield at 14 15.
The hosts head into the fixture after a missed year finishing last years tournament in third, during the summer they bet Canada and Argentina but fell to defeat to the USA. Their year ended with two wins from four in the November series.
Guinness Six Nations start this week! ?? Which Stuart Hogg are you feeling? ? #AsOne pic.twitter.com/H56BOXUugY
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) January 28, 2025
Italy are a team in desperate need of some form before the world cup and here would be a good place to start as they only narrowly lost out 29-27 in the teams encounter last year.
Conor O’Shea’s men come in to the tournament on the back of two wins in eleven last year while finishing in last place with a single point from the competition last year.
A win for either side would be a welcome opening to the new international rugby year.
In the final game of the weekend last years Grand Slam winners Ireland host an England team looking to end a three-game losing streak in the 6 Nations.
Ireland begin the tournament as favourites after what was arguably the best year in their history.
They took the 6 Nations and Grand Slam crown home last year with a 24-15 win over England. They then headed out to Australia in the summer and claiming a 2-1 series win on southern hemisphere soil for the first time since 1979.
The year concluded with four wins from four in November, including a 16-9 win over New Zealand.
England had mixed fortunes last year, ending their 6 Nations campaign with three defeats on the bounce and in fifth place in the table. Eddie Jones’ men then lost 2-1 in their summer tour of South Africa.
They ended on an almost perfect high, winning three of their four November series games and coming so close to a clean sweep only losing out 15-16 to New Zealand.
These are the two teams that will have the most pressure on their shoulders coming into the tournament and a win would be a perfect way to ease that.
Besides the last 12 months, and in terms of 6 Nations titles, Ireland and England have shared the last five. With Ireland coming out on top in 2014, 2015, and 2018, while England completed the double between 2016 and 2017.
From looking at all of this it is hard to look past Ireland or Wales due to form, but we all know how quickly things can change in sport.
Heading into this year’s tournament form will only be one factor, now we will have to wait and see if that form continues as we expect.
We can’t wait to see who’ll be playing in Round One of the 2019 #GuinnessSixNations?
? To find out when all six team announcements will take place this week, click herehttps://t.co/vKxbQRebmU pic.twitter.com/jPytU7kluf
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 28, 2025
