Rugby Union
Ready to bloom? England Red Roses set for another victory
The Women’s Six Nations are set to return on the 11th April and England are heavy favourites to win their eighth six nations in a row, according to William Hill News.
England 1/25
England look to maintain their 33-match winning streak in the tournament against Ireland where they boast an aggregate scoreline of 254-15 in their past 4 matchups. England have superior squad depth to the other nations and can rotate their squad without detrimental effect.
England often win by dominant margins of 20+ points through their strong forwards who dominate mauls and set pieces like scrums. The team’s dominant fitness allows them to pull away in games in the final 20 minutes to secure their large winning margins.
They do show potential weakness due to occasional slow starts against top teams such as France. This is potentially due to the pressure of expectation however they have historically handled this well which is why they are predicted to win the Six Nations yet again.
France 9/1
France are the strongest challengers to England however, the gap has proven difficult to close in recent years. With consistent second place finishes under their belt, they consistently dominate most other teams with the Roses as their exception with their athletic backline.
France struggle with consistency in close games and their bench depth does not rival England’s, however, they should comfortably see off all other teams seeing them be a strong second place contender.
Ireland 50/1
Ireland are an ever-improving side after finishing third in their last Six Nations campaign. Ireland often have competitive games against higher ranked teams and historically dominate Italy and Wales. Ireland are strong in Breakdowns and set pieces due to their powerful forwards and are disciplined in their style.
Ireland have a further lack of depth in comparison to France and England. While they are competitive against top opposition, they struggle to convert this pressure into tries, but are still backed to beat Scotland, Italy and Wales, placing them third.
Wales 150/1
Wales have consistently finished in low positions in recent years and struggle to secure wins going without one their 2025 Six Nations campaign. They are a physical side and placed third in 2023 so may potentially be able to replicate this again though it is highly unlikely.
Wales have very limited attacking threat and finished the last tournament with a -146 points difference. After recent results their confidence will also be suffering which is why they are comfortably predicted to finish near the bottom with their only potential victory being against Italy.
Italy 200/1
Italy have typically finished 4th or 5th in recent tournaments. Against mid-tier teams, they provide a competitive game however are regularly outclassed by top oppositions. They exploit gaps in their opponent’s defence effectively with attacking flair and forward-thinking backs.
Their defensive formation breaks down under sustained pressure and face problems against physically dominant sides. They should confidently beat Wales and potentially Scotland however that would be an upset. They are likely to finish fifth.
Scotland 250/1
Scotland are an unpredictable side despite significant improvement. They often have regular mid-table finishes beating lower ranked opposition routinely but scarcely get results against top sides. They have an expansive attacking style and have backs who facilitate attacking play effectively by creating tries from broken play.
They do suffer with defensive inconsistency, struggling to maintain a disciplined performance across a full 80 minutes. Scotland will need to pull off something special to have a chance at finishing in the top half of the table.
