1)England

England have won the last 7 Six Nations Championships and are the favourites to top the table in 2026. Add a World Cup victory to their 7th successive Six Nations title and this team looks formidable. They have depth across the board, even without several big stars who are either pregnant or injured. Scott Mitchell and his players have made it clear that this team is going to continue to evolve their style and personnel over the course of this cycle, so there could be some growing pains, but it's difficult to look past the Red Roses for this title.

2)Ireland

This is a very risky pick, and perhaps it's one made out of hope, but Ireland have shown the potential to cause a big upset in this competition. Last year, they nearly beat France in both the Six Nations and the World Cup. Surely now is the time to get one over the line and earn their biggest scalp in years. Ireland are missing the likes of McMahon and Costigan, and will be away from home against the big 2, but that shouldn't stop them from reaching their potential. Ireland have a physical pack and a pair of excellent half-backs that can easily go toe-to-toe with England and France, having come close against both. It's about time they made it count.

3)France

I have France finishing 3rd in my predictions, but they could realistically finish 1st instead. This French team is still more unpredictable than it should be and will need to be at their best to beat Ireland and England. They have some world-class talent but need to find a more structured way to use them. I honestly don't know what to make of this team and I've taken a more negative view as a result.

4)Scotland

Scotland could be the big disrupters in this competition, but they could also finish last. Their pack is strong, even without stars such as Jade Konkel, and is capable of holding its own against most of the other teams in the tournament. Their backs have enough pace to cause problems for even the likes of England and France but they don't quite have the star power to make them a top 3 team.

5)Italy

Italy are another very exciting team. Their backs are quick and dangerous but their pack sometimes lets them down. If others underperform, Italy are the ultimate banana-skin team that could take advantage. However, if Ireland and Scotland show up with their big packs, Italy could be left to fight Wales to avoid the wooden spoon.

6)Wales

Wales still lack some of the high-quality stars to challenge at the top and don't have a massive edge in any area over Ireland or Scotland. Their pack could gwtter the better of Italy's, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about Sean Lynn's team.