Rugby Union
Six Nations Round Four Preview
With three more games on the cards in week four of the Six Nations, the competition is set to heat up—especially with a top-of-the-table clash on the horizon.
We break down all three fixtures below.
Ireland (5/6) vs France (EVS) – Saturday, 14:15
The standout game of the round takes place in Dublin, where France will be looking to derail Ireland’s bid for a third consecutive Six Nations trophy and a Grand Slam. However, Ireland come into this fixture with an impressive 10-game home winning streak. Historically, though, France hold the upper hand, winning 59 of their 99 meetings since 1909, compared to Ireland’s 37 victories.
Ireland have dominated the last two encounters, winning 38-17 in 2024 and 32-19 in 2023. Yet, France’s attacking firepower is undeniable—Louis Bielle-Biarrey is the 2/5favourite to be the tournament’s top try scorer, having already notched five. In fact, three of the top six try scorers in the tournament are French, while no Irish players make the list.
France lead the way in total tries scored (21) compared to Ireland’s 10, suggesting that if they can break through Ireland’s defence, this could be a tightly contested game.
Ireland will look to James Lowe and Dan Sheehan to deliver crucial tries and establish an early lead. Their recent performance against Wales showed a strong intent to start fast both at kick-off and after halftime, before tightening up defensively in the later stages. Given this pattern, Ireland at 5/6 to score first looks like an enticing bet.
Scotland (1/9) vs Wales (6/1) – Saturday, 16:45
The Saturday evening clash looks to be a straightforward win for Scotland. Wales have struggled throughout the tournament and have the lowest tackle evasion rate (17%), not helping with try chances and are the 1/9 favourites to finish bottom of the table as a result. Defeats in all three matches so far – 18-27 against Ireland, 43-0 to France, and a 22-15 loss to Italy—suggest their 6/1 odds to beat Scotland are generous.
Scotland, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back after their Calcutta Cup defeat in Round Three. With little at stake for the team, individual performances come into focus—Blair Kinghorn has the most carries (58) and meters gained (371) in the competition. Ben White has scored in every game so far, but it is Huw Jones who is currently 9/4 to finish as the tournament’s top try scorer.
The Scots dominate the betting markets at 1/3 to score the first try, while captain Sione Tuipulotu will be determined to lead his side to a third consecutive win over the Welsh.
England (1/25) vs Italy (9/1) – Sunday, 15:00
While England remain in contention for the Six Nations title—currently priced at 10/1—they need a commanding victory here to keep their hopes alive. Their sharp finishing last time out against Scotland, where they converted all four of their tries, suggests they’ll be looking for the same precision here.
England are overwhelming favourites, while Italy will be desperate to avoid the wooden spoon. Sebastian Neri has made the most tackles in the tournament so far (50) and must produce something special to keep the England team from scoring. Currently 11/2 to finish bottom, the Italians will rely on Tommaso Allan to spark their attack. Allan, with 38 points already in the tournament, remains a key player and is second-favourite at 9/4 to finish as the competition’s top points scorer.
Despite being clear favourites, England’s last two victories have been by just a single point. With the need for points crucial to their title hopes, they’ll be targeting a bonus point win by scoring four or more tries—a golden opportunity to close the gap on the tournament’s top two. The need to put points on the board opens up 11-15 (13/2) and 16-20 (5/1) point winning margins as potential betting options.
