Six Nations 2025 – You Can’t Go Back

Only we can! Snowdrops are unfurling, days are getting longer, and the 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations is fast approaching. Life is almost worth living again! As the excitement builds, let’s look at how each of the six teams got on in 2024 across their whole year. The middle of the table was very close, and almost every team could have beaten any other on a different day (sorry, Wales), and expectations are that it could be the same story again this year.

IRELAND

Ireland won four matches, as well as the trophy, last year, but lost out on the Grand Slam with a 23-22 loss to England at Twickenham. In the end they got 20 out of a possible 28 points.

After winning the trophy, Ireland continued 2024 with a set of results that most teams would be happy with. They narrowly lost to, then even more narrowly beat, world champions South Africa; lost to New Zealand, thrashed Fiji, and got narrow wins over Argentina and Australia.

Ireland will be hoping for (dare I say, expecting) another tournament win and ideally a Grand Slam, but they are beatable. Their opening fixture against England will set the tone for the rest of Ireland’s tournament. They are also without Head Coach Andy Farrell who is on Lions sabbatical.

Back row Caelan Doris is captaining the side this year which will hopefully lead to even more commentators shouting a little old lady’s name at a 6 ‘4”, 17 stone player.

FRANCE

France won three in last year’s tournament, suffered a comprehensive 17-38 home loss against Ireland and a shock draw against Italy. They came second, with 15 points on the table.

In the rest of 2024, they beat Argentina twice, and lost to them once, as well as convincingly beating Uruguay and Japan, and squeaking past New Zealand 30-29.

Antoine Dupont missed last year’s tournament (to win an Olympic gold medal–probably worth it). His return along with good southern hemisphere results bodes well for their chances of returning to the number one spot after two years in second place.

France open this year’s tournament with what seems likely to be a “Stop, he’s already dead” sort of win over Wales. The most important game is likely to be Ireland, but the game against Italy will be a matter of pride after the Italians were inches from beating France last year.

ENGLAND

England won three games and came third, with their biggest winning margin just three points against Italy. They lost by 2 points to France, meaning the only game decided by more than a penalty was a 9-point loss to Scotland. They had 14 points in the end.

England’s only wins outwith the tournament last year came over Japan, having lost to New Zealand (three times), South Africa and Australia.

After a poor summer and autumn, England will have a point to prove and they’ll try hard to prove it in their opening game against Ireland. They have found Scotland insurmountable opposition for the last few years – do they have it in them to beat Scotland in 2025 at the newly renamed Allianz Stadium Twickenham? (Let’s hope not.)

SCOTLAND

Scotland were a disappointing fourth last year. Their three losses were narrow (the ball touched the grass!), and Italy deserved the win, but every other Scot must be as sick as I am of narrow losses and brave defeats, when they have a team stuffed with talent worthy of more than 12 points.

Scotland had a relatively easy selection of fixtures in the summer and autumn, and won most of their games. Glasgow Warriors (one of just two professional teams in Scotland) won the United Rugby Championship against a Sharks team that heavily featured South African internationals. However, when the two national teams met it was South Africa who took the spoils.

Nobody loves it more than me when Scotland demolish England, but what I would PREFER is for Scotland to employ the skill, power and passion that they use in the Calcutta Cup to beat France or Ireland or–even better—both. And also Italy, please.

Scotland’s forwards need to ensure they’re winning the battles up front, and particularly the lineout, to set the backs free. None of the hookers within the squad (or even outwith it, sorry Johnny Matthews) have me feeling confident about this nor does the injury to Scott Cummings and doubts over Jonny Gray’s fitness. Inside centre is also a concern with Tuipulotu out for the tournament with a pec injury. My mantra this week: It’ll probably all be fine!

Probably.

ITALY

Italy had impressive wins over Scotland and Wales, an agonising/amazing draw against France, and a narrow loss to England. However, they also got battered 36-0 by Ireland. It feels harsh that they came 5th last year (with only one fewer point than Scotland) after some fantastic performances, but the tournament was so close (sorry, Wales) that fine margins made all the difference.

They’ll want to repeat their successes against Wales and Scotland, and do one better than their France draw. Only Ireland feel really unbeatable by Italy. On their day, the Italian flair can win out, with Menoncello likely to be key.

WALES

Not only did Wales lose all five games in the Six Nations, they lost all their other games last year, too. All of them. Yep, they did not win a game in the calendar year 2024.

They do have talented players, including Taulupe Faletau and Adam Beard, and they have nothing to lose this year so they might play fun, exciting rugby and prove a banana skin for other teams. They’ll target Italy as a winnable fixture, but only time will tell.

Whoever you’re supporting, enjoy five weekends of action, and when it’s over—it’s time for the women to play!

The post Six Nations 2025 – You Can’t Go Back appeared first on Scottish Rugby Blog.