England
Fixtures: 7 Feb, Wales (h); 14 Feb, Scotland (a); 21 Feb, Ireland (h); 7 Mar, Italy (a); 14 Mar, France (a)
Last year’s finish: 2nd
The sense of optimism is palpable in Steve Borthwick’s camp. On a run of 11 straight victories and with more than enough strength in depth to cope with front-row injuries and the attritional nature of a six-week tournament, England have high hopes of a first title since 2020. Starting at home against a desperate Wales side is an ideal way to kick off and the bullishness is reflected in Borthwick’s call to arms to supporters to flood to Paris on the final weekend. It was out of character but traditionally the best England sides have always walked tall. George Furbank’s return to fitness will add another dimension to the back division as the tournament wears on but this is a settled England side and Borthwick is hoping to reap the rewards. If there is one concern about England it is that a few players - Ben Earl being the most obvious one - are out of form and surely feeling some effects of last summer’s British & Irish Lions tour. Borthwick must be ruthless if there is no upturn in the opening rounds.
Player to watch: Henry Arundell. The Bath flyer has express pace and has improved his aerial game no end. That Borthwick opted against picking Tommy Freeman on the wing, or selecting Elliot Daly, is a considerable show of faith. The challenge for England now is to get the ball to Arundell in space.
Key match: Scotland. The Calcutta Cup tends to make or break England campaigns these days and this year is no different. England wrestled the trophy back with a one-point victory at Twickenham last year but have won at Murrayfield only once since Eddie Jones’s first game in charge.
France
Fixtures: 5 Feb, Ireland (h); 15 Feb, Wales (a); 22 Feb, Italy (h); 7 Mar, Scotland (a); 14 Mar, England (h)
Last year’s finish: 1st
Fabien Galthié has dispensed with more than 200 caps by omitting Damian Penaud, Grégory Alldritt and Gaël Fickou, which constitutes a radical overhaul by any measure. Midway through the World Cup cycle, Galthié evidently believes now is the time for change. You sense that Galthié has been spooked by the manner in which France were dismantled by South Africa in the autumn but Les Bleus are the defending champions and, with three home fixtures, they are favourites with the bookmakers. The desperate news about Uini Atonio, who has retired after a heart attack, could serve as a motivating factor and France have some wonderful young talents to introduce to the side, none more so than the 20-year-old Kalvin Gourgues. Antoine Dupont is back after suffering a long-term knee injury in last year’s tournament while it will be fascinating to see if Galthié trusts Matthieu Jalibert at fly-half and, if so, whether he can replicate his Bordeaux form in national colours. France used to be bankers in the Six Nations after Lions tours – they won the first three in a row – and it should not be ignored that their most recent grand slam came in 2022.
Player to watch: Théo Attissogbe. The 21-year-old Pau winger is the beneficiary of Galthié’s decision to jettison Penaud, not least because he has aerial skills to die for. If France are to kick to compete more than they traditionally do, Attissogbe can cement his place in the side.
Key match: Ireland. The past two fixtures against Ireland have been definitive for France. Two years ago they never recovered from a comprehensive beating in Marseille, last year they exacted revenge in Dublin. Another emphatic win would set them up nicely.
Ireland
Fixtures: 5 Feb, France (a); 14 Feb, Italy (h); 21 Feb, England (a); 6 Mar, Wales (h); 14 Mar, Scotland (h)
Last year’s finish: 3rd
A litany of injuries in key positions, disciplinary problems and the nation most likely to feel the effects of a Lions hangover, Ireland begin the championship in troubled waters already. They have been badly hit by injuries up front and in the back three, with Hugo Keenan’s absence a particular blow. Bundee Aki has been sent a clear message with the manner in which his transgression has been dealt with but he is a popular figure among the players and will be missed. On top of that, Andy Farrell has a squad full of ageing players and a few young thrusters who need more exposure at this level. As has been the case since Johnny Sexton’s retirement, the question of who starts at fly-half is the source of much intrigue, with Sam Prendergast getting the nod in Paris. Two years ago, the suspicion was Ireland would still be getting World Cup disappointment out of their system but they proceeded to thump France away in their opener. Repeating the trick this year, however, is an altogether more difficult task.
Player to watch: Joe McCarthy. The hulking second-rower was tracking so well on the Lions tour until injury struck and Ireland will desperately need his heft in what promises to be a bruising championship.
Key match: England. France away first up is an almighty challenge and by the time Farrell’s side arrive at Twickenham they could well be playing to keep their campaign alive.
Italy
Fixtures: 7 Feb, Scotland (h); 14 Feb, Ireland (a); 22 Feb, France (a); 7 Mar, England (h); 14 Mar, Wales (a)
Last year’s finish: 5th
A third straight tournament avoiding bottom spot will be the aim for Italy and Gonzalo Quesada, who has spoken of the need for consistency. That would seem an altogether harder task in a truncated tournament in which back-to-back trips to Dublin and Paris look perilous. The injury-enforced absence of Ange Capuozzo is a shame but in Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello, Italy have a centre pairing that is the envy of all other sides in the competition. An autumn campaign in which they defeated Australia and avoided a shellacking by South Africa is a cause for a degree of optimism but last year’s 73-24 defeat by France was a demonstration of the gulf between Italy and the elite when they hit their straps. Nonetheless, Italy will always be worth a watch and will be sure to give some of the big boys a scare or two.
Player to watch: Louis Lynagh. Made a fast start to his Italy career in the competition two years ago and the former Harlequins man showed his class with a try against Australia – the country with which his father, Michael, won the World Cup – in November.
Key match: Scotland. Italy beat Scotland in Rome two years ago but if they fall to Townsend’s men, with trips to Dublin and Paris to follow, it will look like a long tournament for the Azzurri.
Scotland
Fixtures: 7 Feb, Italy (a); 14 Feb, England (h); 21 Feb, Wales (a); 7 Mar, France (h); Ireland (a), 14 Mar
Last year’s finish: 4th
As sure as death and taxes, we arrived in late January with the nagging suspicion that this could be Scotland’s year. Gregor Townsend might have come under considerable pressure in an autumn campaign in which Scotland missed a glaring opportunity against the All Blacks and let a sizeable lead slip against Argentina but Glasgow’s form in the URC and the Champions Cup gives rise to optimism. It would be typical, then, if Scotland proceeded to lose their opening fixture to Italy. Come through in Rome and continue their impressive run at home to England, however, and all of a sudden Scotland are firmly in the mix. The worry for Townsend is that he does not have the strength in depth in key positions to cope with the kind of injury toll that feels inevitable in a competition that now features only one rest week.
Player to watch: Jack Dempsey. The Australia-born back-rower was in devastating form when Glasgow sent Saracens homeward last month and gives Scotland a welcome hard-nosed edge.
Key match: England. If Finn Russell can mastermind another Murrayfield victory over the auld enemy then optimism will be rife that this is finally Scotland’s year.
Wales
Fixtures: 7 Feb, England (a); 15 Feb, France (h); 21 Feb, Scotland (h); 6 Mar, Ireland (a); 14 Mar, Italy (h)
Last year’s finish: 6th
The stats paint a bleak picture for Wales – they have not won a game in the Six Nations since 2023 and have not won more than one in a championship since 2021 (when they won the tournament). Yet that barely scratches the surface. Uncertainty around the future of the regions led to the players’ association to issue a thinly veiled threat of industrial action and while that appears to have been averted for now, the landscape is an unholy mess in Wales. Compounding matters, their tireless captain, Jac Morgan, is absent injured from a competition that begins with fixtures against the two favourites for the tournament. If we are looking for positives, they scraped home against Japan in the autumn and in Tomos Williams they have a scrum-half of genuine quality. It is easy to see their final match against Italy as a shootout to avoid the wooden spoon, however.
Player to watch: Olly Cracknell. The Leicester Tigers back-rower has few frills but has remarkable consistency and was man of the match in his first start against Japan in the autumn.
Key match: Scotland. Cardiff used to be the unhappiest of hunting grounds for Scotland and Steve Tandy will be targeting this fixture for a morale-boosting victory after matches against England and France to begin Wales’s campaign.
