Rugby Union
Six Nations preview: Clash of the titans between Ireland and France
Week two of the Six Nations gets underway this weekend, with the most anticipated match of the series kicking off as Ireland welcome France to the Aviva Stadium.
We preview the best of the action below.
Ireland v France
This is arguably the deciding fixture of the tournament as world number one ranked Ireland take on Grand Slam holders France. Ireland take the lead in the betting at 2/5, even though star hooker Dan Sheehan will be unavailable due to injury.
Ireland head into this game off a brutal battering of Wales in Cardiff where they displayed total dominance, stealing the show with a 34-10 victory to start off their Six Nations campaign with a bang. James Lowe’s interception and try was a particular highlight, with man of the match full-back Hugo Keenan also having a stunning game, denying the Welsh of many try-scoring opportunities.
France will be embarrassed by how Italy managed to keep pace with the squad, holding France to a five-point margin with the game ending 29-24 in Rome. Another game on the road will prove tough for Fabien Galthie’s side, with games in Dublin always proving to be the hardest of grounds to visit.
Regardless of last week’s blunders, Les Bleus went undefeated in 2022 and will want to keep their momentum going as they eye up the World Cup they are set to host later this year. The talent the side possess in the form of Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou and Gregory Alldritt at number eight mean that they can never be ruled out and at 2/1 they don’t seem a bad bet, all but for the incredible form Ireland are in at the moment.
Check out the latest betting odds at William Hill
Scotland v Wales
Scotland come into this game following a critical victory over England last weekend, where Duhan van De Merwe scored one of the greatest tries the Calcutta Cup has ever witnessed. The current Scottish team has flair, pace and power, something which the nation has lacked for a long time having never clinched a Six Nations title.
The Scottish team will welcome Wales to Murrayfield as the 4/11 favourites, which is no shock given Scotland’s classy performance last weekend and the current Welsh struggles. Stuart Hogg will of course play his integral role in the 15 jersey, and collectively this Scottish side will feel confident that they can get the better of the Welsh this Saturday.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Wales; closing out last year’s Six Nations campaign with a loss to Italy and starting off this year’s tournament with a thumping home defeat to Ireland. All in all, the squad is chaotic and hasn’t looked this weak in years – justifying their place as the 9/4 underdogs.
The coaching staff clearly recognise the problems caused by the ageing of their former star players, with a whopping six of the eight forwards being replaced from last weekend for this fixture. Young talent is rife within the team, with the likes of Rio Dyer on the wing sure to cause problems, but this surely won’t be enough to stop an in-form Scotland from securing a home victory.
England v Italy
England will still be feeling the loss from last weekend’s embarrassment, with new coach Steve Borthwick having a rude awakening to the role. Regardless, England head into this game as the overwhelming 1/12 favourites, having never lost to Italy in their 29-game history.
England will look to play to the wings and exploit Italy’s tight defensive formation, with Max Malins looking to add more tries to his record following a brace against Scotland last weekend. Will this weekend see Borthwick earn his first victory for England as a coach, rather than a player?
Italy served up a fierce contest last weekend against France and it can never be doubted that they put their all into every game. This Italian side is the most dangerous we have seen since they joined the Six Nations, with stars such as Ange Capuozzo finally giving the team something to cheer about.
Despite their best efforts, victory at Twickenham will be a tall order at 6/1, especially given England’s heavy motivation to not be further embarrassed following last weekends antics. This Italian squad will be sure to put the pressure on, and we will see if England can keep it together now that the pressure is on.
