The Six Nations is almost here as rugby’s annual spring spectacular returns with perhaps the most open edition yet.
Defending champions Ireland are on the hunt for an unprecedented three-peat, but face a potentially tricky opener against the team that denied them back-to-back grand slams a year ago. England have had precious little success since that Twickenham win yet head to Dublin with a degree of confidence – Steve Borthwick named his side for the Aviva Stadium clash two days ahead of schedule as he looks to get on the front foot ahead of a defining campaign.
France and Wales have confirmed their XVs today ahead of their opening night battle at the Stade de France. Can a wounded Welsh side end their winless woe? Or will this be the start of another Antoine Dupont-inspired success for Fabien Galthie’s men? The form book suggests only one conclusion but this grand old championship has a habit of throwing up a surprise or two…
Follow all of the latest build-up and analysis ahead of the start of the Six Nations in our live blog below:
Six Nations LIVE
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Six Nations set to begin with an open tournament expected
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France and Wales kick start the championship on Friday night
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Antoine Dupont returns to skipper tournament favourites but Thibaud Flament and Damian Penaud ruled out
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No Taulupe Faletau for Wales as Ben Thomas handed starting fly half’s shirt
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England have named their line-up for the clash with Ireland with the Curry twins paired for the first time
Six new faces to watch in this year’s tournament
12:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Hope springs eternal as the Six Nations sides renew hostilities in rugby’s grandest old championship.
Another competitive edition of the tournament looks likely in 2025 with questions for each and every one of the competing sextet, and with the fixtures given an extra edge in a British and Irish Lions year.
A fresh crop of new faces just taking their first steps on the international stage will be out to make their mark over the next few weeks, with places on the plane to Australia perhaps up for grabs for those eligible.
There will be plenty of excitement around France and Italy, too, as the pair continue to unearth new talent.
The Independent has picked out one new(ish) face from each nation who could be set for a breakthrough tournament:
Six new faces to watch in the 2025 Six Nations
Maro Itoje demands hard work as England look to put difficult 2024 behind them
12:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Maro Itoje has made realising England’s potential his number one priority after being installed as captain for the Six Nations.
Itoje has taken charge of the team in place of Jamie George following a 2024 that produced just five wins in 12 Tests, a disappointing year that has turned the upcoming tournament into a pivotal period for head coach Steve Borthwick.
The nadir of those results was three successive losses at Allianz Stadium during the autumn and England were roundly criticised as a result, but Itoje insists proving people wrong cannot be the motivation for delivering in the Championship.
Maro Itoje demands hard work as England look to put difficult 2024 behind them
Finn Russell and Scotland plot a ‘different’ answer to the same old Six Nations question
11:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Yet more injury worries are not what Scotland want after a couple of difficult weeks on the fitness front. That has rather punctured the optimism that this could be their year – but Finn Russell and his side have a plan, as I found out when I spoke with the fly half ahead of the tournament:
Finn Russell and Scotland plot a ‘different’ answer to same old question
Wales name team for France clash
11:36 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Warren Gatland has handed Ben Thomas a first Six Nations start at fly half for Wales’s clash with France on Friday, but there is no Taulupe Faletau in his squad.
Wales XV: 1 Gareth Thomas, 2 Evan Lloyd, 3 Henry Thomas; 4 Will Rowlands, 5 Dafydd Jenkins; 6 James Botham, 7 Jac Morgan (captain), 8 Aaron Wainwright; 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Ben Thomas; 11 Josh Adams, 12 Owen Watkin, 13 Nick Tompkins, 14 Tom Rogers; 15 Liam Williams.
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Freddie. Thomas, 20 Tommy Reffell; 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Dan Edwards, 23 Blair Murray.
Steve Tandy hopeful Duhan van der Merwe will be fit for Scotland’s Italy clash
11:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Steve Tandy indicated that Scotland’s record try-scorer Duhan van der Merwe will be fit and available for selection for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Italy.
The South Africa-born wing sat out training with the national team early last week after missing Edinburgh’s Challenge Cup match against Black Lion on January 19 with an ankle injury sustained against Vannes the previous weekend.
Asked how Van der Merwe was progressing, defence coach Tandy said on Monday: “Duhan’s been in training today, he’s been good, he’s done everything today.”
‘Proud Welshman’ Adam Jones gives clear verdict on Warren Gatland ahead of Six Nations
10:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Adam Jones has backed Warren Gatland to turn Wales’s fortunes around as they head into a Six Nations campaign on the back of 12 successive Test defeats.
Opening night could hardly be tougher for Wales – France rugby in Paris on Friday – with Les Bleus welcoming star player Antoine Dupont back to the Six Nations stage following his Olympic sevens gold medal heroics last summer.
Wales have not won a Test since beating 2023 World Cup pool opponents Georgia almost 16 months ago, a miserable run that has piled pressure on head coach Gatland and his players.
Former prop Jones featured in three grand slam-winning teams – two of those during Gatland’s first reign as Wales boss from 2008 to 2019 – and won 95 caps, plus five Test appearances for the British and Irish Lions.
He is now back in the Wales fold as scrum coaching consultant on secondment from Gallagher Premiership club Harlequins for the Six Nations duration and the 43-year-old’s infectious enthusiasm and passion for his job look likely to make an immediate impression after he began work at Wales’ training base.
‘Proud Welshman’ Adam Jones gives verdict on Warren Gatland ahead of Six Nations
Predicting the Lions squad
10:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
What could Andy Farrell’s squad look like? After the Autumn Nations Series, we updated our predicted 38-man touring party to take on the Wallabies – but plenty could still change.
British & Irish Lions 2025: Predicting the squad to tour Australia
France reveal line-up for Wales opener
10:07 , Harry Latham-Coyle
France have named their team for the opening clash with Wales. In the absence of Thibaud Flament and Damian Penaud, Alexandre Roumat and Theo Attisogbe start at lock and on the wing respectively, while a six/two bench has plenty of forward might.
France XV: 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 3 Uini Atonio; 4 Alexandre Roumat, 5 Emmanuel Meafou; 6 Francois Cros, 7 Paul Boudehent, 8 Gregory Alldritt; 9 Antoine Dupont (capt.), 10 Romain Ntamack; 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 12 Yoram Moefana, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 14 Theo Attisogbe; 15 Thomas Ramos.
Replacements: 16 Julien Marchand, 17 Cyril Baille, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19, Hugo Auradou, 20 Mickael Guillard, 21 Oscar Jegou, 22 Nolann Le Garrec, 23 Emilien Gailleton.
What will British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell be watching during the Six Nations?
10:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Maro Itoje shapes as one of two captaincy contenders for the British and Irish Lions this summer, with Andy Farrell sure to be keeping a keen eye on his battle within a battle with Ireland’s Caelan Doris on Saturday. But what else will the Lions boss be looking for during the course of this campaign? From tactical trends to the importance of utility, here are a few key themes that might emerge:
What will Lions coach Andy Farrell be watching during the Six Nations?
Maro Itoje fulfils his destiny as England’s ‘world-class’ leader for the present and future
09:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The installation of Maro Itoje as England captain has sometimes felt like an inevitability over the lock’s career – but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been hurdles along the way…
Maro Itoje fulfils destiny as England’s leader for the present and future
Steve Borthwick explains back row selection – and admits to key weakness
09:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
“The back row can run,” Borthwick explained to media at England’s training camp in Girona yesterday after selecting the Curry twins and Ben Earl in his back row.
“All three players have got incredible engines, incredible mobility, they are fantastic players defensively, their tackling and their jackal, and they carry the ball well.
“The feeling now is the three players starting, Ben, Tom and Ben Earl, that combination is what we need, particularly with the work rate they bring.
“Clearly, there’s always a blend and always a trade-off of what you decide to do and why you decide to do it. It is my job to weigh up all those considerations and I am sure Paul O’Connell [forwards coach] and the Irish lineout will look at this and try to attack us in that area. We will have to be very good.”
Curry twins to start in tandem as England reveal team to face Ireland
09:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Identical twins Tom and Ben Curry will start together for England for the first time as Steve Borthwick makes a bold selection call for his side’s Six Nations opener against Ireland.
The Sale pair are deployed at blindside and openside respectively, as they are regularly for their club, having first been named in a matchday squad together during the Autumn Nations Series.
Elsewhere, there is a surprise debut for Cadan Murley on the wing in the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, while Freddie Steward starts at full-back with George Furbank injured.
Marcus Smith continues at fly half after starting all four games in November, with half-back partner Alex Mitchell fit to start having been an injury doubt.
Six forwards, including the in form Tom Willis, are named on the bench as Fin Smith gets the nod ahead of George Ford as cover at 10. Maro Itoje captains England from the start for the first time.
Curry twins to start in tandem as England reveal team to face Ireland
Six Nations 2025 schedule: Fixtures, kick-off times and how to watch
08:59 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The Six Nations gets underway on Friday night with a clash under the lights in Paris. Here’s how you can follow every fixture from this year’s tournament:
Six Nations 2025 schedule: Fixtures, kick-off times and how to watch
Six Nations LIVE
07:53 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Good morning. Rugby’s greatest annual championship is almost upon us, the Six Nations set to return with a mouthwatering edition that feels more open that most. Can England rebound from a difficult 2024? Is this finally Scotland’s year? Is there any end to the Welsh woe? Or is the title destined to be decided by an Irish/French squabble again?
A British and Irish Lions year only adds extra intrigue to a tournament that appears set to thrill. We’ll have all the latest team news, analysis and much, much more throughout the day.
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