Six Nations Round One Preview

The 2025 Six Nations Championship is set to commence with an exciting first round, featuring three compelling fixtures that promise to set the tone for the tournament.

As rugby fans anticipate the kick-off, each match presents unique narratives and key players to watch.

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France vs Wales

The Championship opens on Friday 31st January, with France hosting Wales at the Stade de France in Paris. France – returning to their traditional venue after its use in the 2024 Summer Olympics – aims to leverage home advantage. The return of star scrum-half Antoine Dupont, fresh from his Olympic rugby sevens triumph, adds a significant boost to the French side.

His addition to the half-backs will be key, as will the return of fly-half Romain Ntamack. His last international appearance came back in August of 2023 and since then it has been full-back Thomas Ramos filling in for him. The return of Ntamack means Ramos can return to his favoured position, from which he scored three tries in five games in the 2023 Six Nations. He’ll no doubt be more comfortable with the 15 on his back and looks good value at 14/1 to score first.

Wales, under the guidance of Warren Gatland, face the challenge of overcoming a record 12-match losing streak. Gatland’s focus will be on rebuilding confidence and securing a positive start to the tournament. The team’s performance in this opener could be crucial for their campaign, but they face off against tournament favourites and will need to produce something special to get a result, and they’re 14/1 to do so.

Wales will likely have to resort to some ‘old school’ rugby here as they look very unlikely to outclass France. This could open the door for Evan Lloyd who looks to fill the void of suspended captain Dewi Lake. Lake touched over three times as Wales used the driving lineout to full effect over the summer, and at 28/1 it could be worth chancing Lloyd to benefit from a similar approach and score first.

Scotland vs Italy

On Saturday 1st February, Scotland welcome Italy to Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. Scotland’s coach, Gregor Townsend, has made strategic selections, notably pairing Stafford McDowall with Huw Jones in the midfield due to captain Sione Tuipulotu’s injury. McDowall’s inclusion aims to bolster the backline’s dynamism. Scotland’s wingers are predicted to give Italy a headache, and Duhan van der Merwe looks the obvious choice to score first at 13/2. He notched five in the 2024 Six Nations to add to the three he got the year prior, so expected to be amongst the tries again this year.

Italy, under coach Gonzalo Quesada, has shown significant improvement, securing two wins and a draw in the previous year. They aim to build on this momentum and challenge Scotland on their home turf. The Azzurri’s evolving competitiveness makes them a team to watch in this encounter but remain as outsiders at 7/1 to come away victorious. They surprised a few with their performances last year and flying winger Monty Ioane played a big part. In his 15 appearances for Italy last season he went over 11 times, making him a tempting choice to open the scoring at 18/1.

Ireland vs England

The round concludes on Sunday 2nd February, with reigning champions Ireland hosting England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Ireland, led by interim head coach Simon Easterby, is adapting to changes in leadership as Andy Farrell leads the British and Irish Lions tour. Despite these adjustments, Ireland remain a formidable force, and are 7/4 to claim a third consecutive Championship title.

With the tried and trusted Sam Prendergast preferred over the more energetic, athletic Jack Crowley at fly-half, Ireland seem to expect a battle here. With that in mind it may be worth looking to the pack to find a first try scorer. Josh van der Flier was the most prolific of Ireland forwards towards the back end of 2024, notching three in his last four, and can be taken at 14/1 to power over first.

England, under Steve Borthwick, has made bold selections, notably starting twins Tom and Ben Curry together in the back row for the first time. This decision reflects a strategic gamble to enhance athleticism and work rate, addressing previous performance concerns. The leadership of new captain Maro Itoje will also be under scrutiny as England seeks to make a strong statement in their opener.

Ireland’s defence has been on another level since Andy Farrel took over and it won’t be an easy task for England to overcome that. With Marcus Smith now a mainstay at fly-half, expect his flair to come to the fore in anything England are able to produce in attack. His Harlequins teammate Caden Murley comes into the side following a strong start to the Premiership season and look a good bet to finish off any slick attacking moves from the England backline at 12/1 to score first.

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