France vs Scotland
Kickoff: 1pm Saturday
Stadium: Stade Marcel Deflandre, La Rochelle
Watch on: BBC Iplayer
Team news
France
1.Brosseau 2.Bigot 3.Bernadou 4.M.Feleu 5.Fall Raclot
6.Escudero 7.Okemba 8.T.Feleu 9.Bourdon Sansus 10.Arbez
11.Llorens Vigneres 12.Amedee 13.M.Menager 14.Arbey 15.Bourgeois
16.Riffonneau 17.Mwayembe 18.Joyeux 19.Zago
20.Berthoumieu 21.Champon 22.Chambon 23.Queyroi
Scotland
1.Young 2.Skeldon 3.Clarke 4.Cunningham 5.Bonar
6.Malcolm(C) 7.McLachlan 8.Konkel 9.Brebner-Holden 10.Nelson
11.McGhie 12.Thomson 13.Orr 14.Lloyd 15.Rollie
16.Martin 17.Bartlett 18.Poolman 19.Ferrie
20.Boyd 21.Stewart 22.Mattinson 23.Wills
Scotland registered a needed win in week one but it did not come easily. Wales pushed them all the way but the Scots were able to edge them out in the end. This week the pressure is off somewhat; Scotland are no longer the favourites and now have an opportunity to take on a side well above them in the World Rankings. They have had enough positive results to feel that this game could easily be very close once again. The French survived a scare last week against Ireland and will look at this as the other game they must win in order to cement themselves as the premier challengers to the rampaging Red Roses. They will have to do so without their star inside centre, Vernier, who was sent off in the second half last weekend.
Prediction
France 26 vs 17 Scotland
Wales vs England
Kickoff: 4:45pm Saturday
Stadium: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Watch on BBC Iplayer/ BBC 2
Team news
Wales
1.G.Pyrs 2.Phillips 3.Scoble 4.Fleming 5.Crabb
6.Williams 7.Lewis 8.Evans 9.Bevan 10.George
11.Cox 12.Powell 13.Jones(C) 14.Neumann 15.Joyce
16.Jones 17.Davies 18.Rose 19.A.Pyrs
20.King 21.Davies 22.Keight 23.Metcalfe
England
1.Carson 2.Atkin-Davies 3.Bern 4.Talling 5.Ward
6.Aldcroft(C) 7.Kabeya 8.Feaunati 9.Hunt 10.Harrison
11.Breach 12.Heard 13.Jones 14.Dow 15.Kildunne
16.Cokayne 17.Botterman 18.Muir 19.Galligan
20.Burton 21.Packer 22.Aitchison 23.Rowland
Wales will host England at the Principality Stadium on Saturday evening in a game they will no doubt be looking forward to. After losing by a margin of 36 points in 2024, this rejuvenated Welsh side will be looking to go closer this time around. Their opponents on Saturday have made a raft of changed from the rotated XV that swept aside Italy. The most notable changes come in the halfbacks with Natasha Hunt starting alongside Zoe Harrison at fly-half. England's other fly-halves( Holly Aitchison and Helena Rowland) are both on the bench although both have also shown the ability to play other positions. Aitchison was selected at inside centre last weekend and Rowland has spent time at fullback in the past. However, the starting fullback for England this weekend is their regular one - Ellie Kildunne. The 2024 World Player of the Year is set to once again light up this tournament for her country. Wales will also need to watch out for the power coming from England's bench: Muir, Botterman and Packer are all physical monsters of the women's game and frequently wreak havoc on tiring defences.
Prediction
England 38 vs 8 Wales
Italy vs Ireland
Kickoff: 3pm Sunday
Stadium: Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
Watch on: BBC Iplayer
Team news
Italy
1.Turani 2.Vecchini 3.Maris 4.Fedrighi 5.Duca
6.Tounesi 7.Scorbini 8.Giordano(C) 9.Stefan 10.Stevanin
11.D'Inca 12.Rigoni 13.Sillari 14.Muzzo 15.Granzotto
16.Gurioli 17.Zanette 18.Seye 19.Veronese
20.Ranuccini 21.Bitonci 22.Mannini 23.Capomaggi
Ireland
1.O'Dowd 2.Jones 3.Djougang 4.Campbell 5.Tuite
6.McMahon 7.King 8.Wafer 9.Reilly 10.O'Brien
11.Costigan 12.Higgins 13.Dalton 14.McGann 15.Flood
16.Moloney 17.McCarthy 18.Haney 19.Moore
20.Wall 21.Hogan 22.Lane 23.Breen
Italy can come into this taking great confidence from their second half display against England. They didn't produce much going forward but, after a messy first-half, they were able to stifle England to the point that the Red Roses only managed to score one 5-point try in the second forty minutes. Ireland, on the other hand, will view their opening game as a huge missed opportunity to cause a big upset in this competition and really establish themselves. France's ill discipline went unpunished in the end as the home side pulled away from the flailing Irish in the final minutes. Having said all that, there was still many bright spots to take away from that game and bring into this week as well as the others. The main one being the continued brilliance of brace-scorer Aoife Wafer who is putting herself forward to be player of the tournament already.
Prediction
Italy 16 vs 30 Ireland
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