France vs Ireland

Kickoff: 8:10pm, Thursday 5th February

Venue: Stade de France

Watch on: ITV1

2025 result: Ireland 27 vs 42 France

These teams both look quite different to the sides that lined up in this fixture last year. Ireland's changes have been forced upon them whereas France's are entirely by choice. This looks to be a tournament of transition for Ireland with more than a dozen injuries forcing Andy Farrell's hand with his squad selection. France are many people's favourite to win the tournament, despite making many changes, and are expected to handily dispatch this Irish team on Thursday.

The big news for France comes in the back line with confirmation that Jalibert is France's starting fly-half in a huge change from his previous standing within the French squad. He has had multiple tiffs with Fabian Galthie in his France career and was, at one point, the 4th-choice fly-half for his country behind Ntamack, Ramos and Dupont. Yes, he was beneath a scrum-half and a fullback in the fly-half pecking order. However, his stellar form for Bourdeaux is now being rewarded with a starting place in his national team. This move gives France two unpredictable playmakers as half-backs and could take some attention away from Dupont, thus unlocking his full potential one again. In the autumn series, teams found success against France by targeting Dupont without having to worry about the presence of another, equally deadly playmaker. Jalibert is someone of that ilk and could take France to the next level.

The other big change is the centre partnership. Depoortere is now the first-choice outside centre for his country ahead of Fickou, but there have been a lot of questions about who would join him in midfield. Despite having ridiculous depth across their squad, France lacks legitimate inside centres. Fickou was tried in that spot but never quite fit in the position which left Moefana, who also plays at outside centre and on the wing. These are two talented players, but success is far from a guarantee with this new partnership. 

Elsewhere, Damian Penaud has been replaced by Theo Attissogbe on the right wing. Attissogbe has impressed in his limited appearances for France with 2 tries in his first Six Nations game last year being followed by a strong showing on France's summer tour in New Zealand. His selection also tips France's hand from a tactical point of view. The biggest advantages that Attissogbe has over Penaud are his aerial ability and kick-chase. The French had already been showing signs of wanting to use the contested kicking game and this selection seems to show that this will continue to be the case in this tournament.

As I mentioned above, Ireland are missing some key players and will have to overcome those injuries in order to pull off an upset. Jeremy Loughman and Michael Milne, the two loosehead props, have fewer than 10 caps between them whilst Thomas Clarkson will earn his 11th cap when he starts on Thursday night at loosehead prop. Ireland's back 5 is fairly standard with Cian Prendergast the only inexperienced player at this level in the starting XV. Ireland have clearly stacked the bench with experience for the last 20 minutes with Bealham, Ryan, Conan and Kelleher all set to enter the fray in the final period of the game.

At fly-half, Sam Prendergast has once again been given a start ahead of Crowley despite some patchy form for Leinster. Ulster's Stuart McCloskey gets the start at inside centre next to Garry Ringrose. McCloskey is a big unit who should give Ireland more of a punch in their back line. His fellow Ulster player, Jacob Stockdale, will look to take his chance to impress. Stockdale burst onto the scene in 2018 due to his try-scoring prowess but has since fallen out of the Ireland picture due to a combination of injuries and the emergences of Lowe and Hansen. However, he is now back as a more well-rounded winger who could bring some of the athletic abilities that Ireland have lacked in recent years. Jamie Osborne and Tommy O'Brien are both normally squad players who will need to take these big opportunities before the regular starters return.

France have to be favourites for this game but there is a reason that Ireland haven't finished below third since 2013. They are a well-coached team that still has plenty of star-power and experience to compete against a French side that is yet to really hit its stride.

Team news

France 

Starting XV
1.Jean-Baptiste Gros 2.Julien Marchand 3.Dorian Aldegheri 4.Charles Ollivon 5.Mickael Guillard

6.Francois Cros 7.Oscar Jegou 8.Antony Jelonch 9.Antoine Dupont(C) 10.Matthieu Jalibert

11.Louis Bielle-Biarrey 12.Yoram Moefana 13.Nicolas Depoortere 14.Theo Attissogbe 15.Thomas Ramos

Bench

16.Peato Mauvaka 17.Rodrigue Neti 18.Regis Montagne 19.Hugo Auradou

20.Emmanuel Meafou 21.Lenni Nouchi 22.Baptiste Serin 23.Kalvin Gourges

Ireland

Starting XV
1.Jeremy Loughman 2.Dan Sheehan 3.Thomas Clarkson 4.Joe McCarthy 5.Tadhg Beirne

6.Cian Prendergast 7.Josh van der Flier 8.Caelan Doris 9.Jamison Gibson-Park 10.Sam Prendergast

11.Jacob Stockdale 12.Stuart McCloskey 13.Garry Ringrose 14.Tommy O'Brien 15.Jamie Osborne

Bench

16.Ronan Kelleher 17.Michael Milne 18.Finlay Bealham 19.James Ryan

20.Jack Conan 21.Nick Timoney 22.Craig Casey 23.Jack Crowley

Italy vs Scotland

Kickoff: 2:10pm, Saturday 7th February

Venue: Stadio Olympico 

Watch on: BBC TWO

2025 Result: Scotland 31 vs 19 Italy

This could easily be the best game of the first round. Italy are a dangerous team and Scotland are a difficult side to analyse. The home team are without the likes of Ange Capuozzo, Ross Vintcent and Tommaso Allan but still have a strong side. Gregor Townsend has made some big changes for Scotland with some brave decisions that could really pay off.

Italy have a strong pack which is headlined by the Cannone brothers as well as several other stars. Italy's pack has often been an underappreciated aspect of their recent improvement, but it is now comparable to most of the others in the competition. At scrum-half, Fusco has been given the nod with Alessandro Garbisi on the bench despite Stephen Varney's performances for Exeter. Menoncello and Brex will continue as Italy's centre partnership with Monty Ioane being the other regular member of the starting XV. Louis Lynagh and Leonardo Marin make up the rest of the back 3.

Like Italy, Scotland have gone with a 5-3 split on the bench. Max Williamson has made the bench ahead of Richie Gray with Grant Gilchrist joining Scott Cummings in the starting side. Fagerson, Darge and Dempsey keep their positions in the side with Gregor Brown on the bench.

In the backs, the half-backs and centres remain the spine of the team and are unchanged. The interesting calls come in the back 3. At fullback Tom Jordan starts ahead of Blair Kinghorn, who doesn't even make the bench. Jordan is a versatile player who has had success at 10, 12 and 15 which opens up Scotland's attack outside of Finn Russell. Steyn has long been Scotland's in-form winger so it's not much of a surprise to see that he has been picked. What has been a bit of a surprise is the selection of Jamie Dobie ahead of both Graham and van der Merwe. Dobie has probably been in better form than those two, but they have been incredibly successful with the national team and have been trusted by Gregor Townsend for a long time. Duhan van der Merwe not even making the match-day squad is perhaps a sign of a change of tactics from Townsend.

Scotland are the favoured side, but I like Italy in this one. It's the kind of game that Italy win and Scotland lose.

Team news

Italy

Starting XV

1.Danilo Fischetti 2.Giacomo Nicotera 3.Simone Ferrari 4.Niccolo Cannone 5.Andrea Zambonin

6.Michele Lamaro(C) 7.Manuel Zuliani 8.Lorenzo Cannone 9.Alessandro Fusco 10.Paolo Garbisi

11.Monty Ioane 12.Tommaso Menoncello 13.Juan Ignacio Brex 14.Louis Lynagh 15.Leonardo Marin

Bench

16.Tommaso Di Bartolomeo 17.Mirco Spagnolo 18.Muhamed Nasa 19.Federico Ruzza

20.Riccardo Favretto 21.Alessandro Garbisi 22.Giacomo Da Re 23.Lorenzo Pani

Scotland

Starting XV
1.Pierre Schoeman 2.Ewan Ashman 3.Zander Fagerson 4.Scott Cummings 5.Grant Gilchrist

6.Matt Fagerson 7.Rory Darge 8.Jack Dempsey 9.Ben White 10.Finn Russell(C) 

11.Jamie Dobie 12.Sione Tuipulotu 13.Huw Jones 14.Kyle Steyn 15.Tom Jordan

Bench

16.George Turner 17.Nathan Mcbeth 18.Elliot Millar-Mills 19.Max Williamson

20.Gregor Brown 21.George Horne 22.Adam Hastings 23.Darcy Graham

England vs Wales

Kickoff: 4:40pm, Saturday 7th February

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Watch on: ITV1

2025 Result: Wales 14 vs 68 England

These two sides are in very different places; England are on an 11-game winning streak whilst Wales have won twice in their last 22 games. England are dealing with a few injuries, but there is still a gulf in class between these sides. The gap is best summed up by the selection of Archie Griffin at tighthead prop for Wales. Griffin is the 4th-choice tighthead prop at Bath behind: Thomas du Toit( a Springbok), Will Stuart(England's injured starter) and Billy Sela. Sela has made this England squad due to injuries for the aforementioned Will Stuart as well as Asher Opoku-Fordjour. Sela is ahead of Griffin at Bath but is clearly 5th in line for his country. With that being said, let's take a look at who has been selected by Steve Borthwick.

Injuries to Stuart and Baxter mean that Borthwick has been forced to start his strongest props, Genge and Heyes, with Rodd and Davison starting on the bench. Jamie George starts and captains the team once again due to Itoje being on the bench. Itoje has been grieving the loss of his mother earlier this month but is still in the team for this game. England's back row remains unchanged from the autumn after their impressive performances. Guy Pepper was the breakout star in those games and looks to have secured the no.6 jersey for the time being. 

In the backs, George Ford keeps his spot at fly-half next to Alex Mitchell. Marcus Smith's versatility gives him the edge over Fin Smith to make the bench. In midfield, Borthwick selected the Northampton duo Dingwall and Freeman. There are doubts over the fitness of Ollie Lawrence which may have scuppered Ojomoh's chances as well as his own. Slade and Atkinson impressed in the summer but it looks like Freeman is the long-term option at outside centre for Steve Borthwick. Fraser Dingwall's selection is likely down to his familiarity with Freeman and his creative abilities. Freddie Steward starting at fullback means that England need another playmaker in the back line and Dingwall fills that role perfectly. He is often described as an unsung glue player for his club and national teams which makes him a definite favourite of Borthwick's. On the wings, Arundell starts with Feyi-Waboso to give England a couple of electric options out wide.

As for Wales, they have found some strength at loosehead prop with Smith starting and Carre bringing some energy from the bench. Dewi Lake captains the side in the absence of Jac Morgan with Archie Griffin starting at tighthead prop. The Welsh back row is an area of concern. As I mentioned before, Jac Morgan is still injured so they've lost their big star. Olly Cracknell is unlucky to miss out and would've brought a more physical edge to the Welsh team.

In the backs, the promising partnership of Williams and Edwards continues but with a much-changed group around them. Ben Thomas is back at inside center despite failing to impress thus far in a Welsh jersey. He is probably the biggest beneficiary of his former Cardiff coach, Matt Sherratt, being the Wales attack coach. Next to him, Eddie James has been given another chance and will bring some serious heft to the Welsh back line. Joe Hawkins could consider himself unlucky to miss out after doing well in the autumn. 

Tom Rogers and Blair Murray have been dropped from the back 3 with Rees-Zammit moving to fullback and Ellis Mee starting on the right wing. Josh Adams has kept his place on the left wing despite some very sub-par performances in recent times. This all points to Wales bracing for the inevitable English kicking onslaught that will come on Saturday.

England should win this game comfortably but Wales will be focusing more on performance levels and individual standouts who can become key pieces of the team going forward.

Team news

England

Starting XV

1.Ellis Genge 2.Jamie George(C) 3.Joe Heyes 4.Alex Coles 5.Ollie Chessum

6.Guy Pepper 7.Sam Underhill 8.Ben Earl 9.Alex Mitchell 10.George Ford

11.Henry Arundell 12.Fraser Dingwall 13.Tommy Freeman 14.Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 15.Freddie Steward

Bench

16.Luke Cowan-Dickie 17.Bevan Rodd 18.Trevor Davison 19.Maro Itoje

20.Tom Curry 21.Henry Pollock 22.Ben Spencer 23.Marcus Smith

Wales

Starting XV

1.Nicky Smith 2.Dewi Lake(C) 3.Archie Griffin 4.Dafydd Jenkins 5.Adam Beard

6.Alex Mann 7.Josh Macleod 8.Aaron Wainwright 9.Tomos Williams 10.Dan Edwards

11.Josh Adams 12.Ben Thomas 13.Eddie James 14.Ellis Mee 15.Louis Rees-Zammit

Bench

16.Liam Belcher 17.Rhys Carre 18.Tomas Francis 19.Ben Carter

20.Taine Plumtree 21.Harri Deaves 22.Kieran Hardy 23.Mason Grady