Ireland celebrate winning the 2023 Six Nations title. Photo / AP
International men’s rugby returns with round one of the Six Nations, which starts on Saturday morning NZT. All six teams suffered heartbreak at the Rugby World Cup with England the only side to reach the semifinals.
The Six Nations tournament kicks off with a blockbuster between France and Ireland.
Here’s a look at each team’s chances.
World ranking: 5
Captain: Jamie George
Coach: Steve Borthwick
Recent Six Nations history
2019 2nd
2020 1st
2021 5th
2022 3rd
2023 4th
Prospects: Back to reality. England can be proud of making the semifinals at the Rugby World Cup but it won’t mask that they are not in the league of the world’s top four teams. England scraped past Samoa and Fiji and led South Africa in the semifinals until the set-piece was smashed. That was the last shot of an aged team that also reached the 2019 World Cup final and last won the Six Nations in 2020. Only 16 of the World Cup squad start the Six Nations due to retirements, injuries, transfers to France, and in the case of long-time captain Owen Farrell, a mental health break. Farrell’s distinguished test career appears to be over after he also decided to move to France next season. His exit might finally allow England to sort out their unsettled 10-12-13 combination. England has the talent to win their first three matches until they run into Ireland and France in the last two rounds.
The likes of Ben Earl, Ollie Chessum and Freddie Steward thrived at their first World Cup and the reinforcements are intriguing. There’s the son of a Scotland Lion, flyhalf Fin Smith; Cardiff-born outside back Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; a former New Zealand Maori, flanker Ethan Roots; and a former New Zealand Warriors rugby league trainee, back-rower Chandler Cunningham-Smith.
World ranking: 4
Captain: Gregory Alldritt
Coach: Fabien Galthie
Recent Six Nations history
2019 4th
2020 2nd
2021 2nd
2022 1st
2023 2nd
Prospects: Advantage France. Les Tricolores and Ireland, both a cut above the other teams, have decided the title in the past two years. The home team in this matchup has won and gone on to the title and they will meet in the very first match on Saturday in Marseille. Coach Fabien Galthie doesn’t have the inspirational Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Anthony Jelonch and Gabin Villiere but still has 12 starters and six reserves from the one-point quarterfinal loss to eventual Rugby World Cup champion South Africa in October. Tight five forwards Uini Atonio and Romain Taofifenua ended brief post-World Cup retirements due to the chance of another Six Nations title. The highly anticipated debut of new citizen Emmanuel Meafou, the big Toulouse lock with Samoan heritage, has been delayed by a knee injury. But there won’t be any like-for-like replacement for Dupont, the three-time Six Nations player of the year. The totemic captain is trying to fulfil a wish he revealed to the French staff nearly two years ago to win a Paris Olympics medal in sevens. Damian Penaud almost went with Dupont, but Galthie says the star winger decided to uphold his commitment to his new club this season. France blew a golden chance at their home World Cup and Galthie says “this scar will stay with us for life,” but added, “That is part of our journey. It becomes experience, knowledge and the possibility of being even better.”
Squad: Forwards: Esteban Abadie, Dorian Aldegheri, Grégory Alldritt (captain), Uini Atonio, Cyril Baille, Gaëtan Barlot, Paul Boudehent, François Cros, Paul Gabrillagues, Matthias Halagahu, Thomas Laclayat, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Charles Ollivon, Alexandre Roumat, Romain Taofifenua, Sébastien Taofifenua, Reda Wardi, Paul Willemse, Cameron Woki. Backs: Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Jonathan Danty, Nicolas Depoortere, Gaël Fickou, Emilien Gailleton, Antoine Gibert, Matthieu Jalibert, Melvyn Jaminet, Nolann Le Garrec, Matthis Lebel, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos.
World ranking: 2
Captain: Peter O’Mahony
Coach: Andy Farrell
Recent Six Nations history
2019 3rd
2020 3rd
2021 3rd
2022 2nd
2023 1st
Prospects: It all depends on the first game. France in Marseille will determine the fate of Ireland’s first title defense in five years. Ireland last beat France in France in 2018 thanks to a long-range drop goal by the great Jonathan Sexton after 41 phases in injury time in the rain. Sexton and his 118 caps and record 1,108 Irish points are retired. The flyhalf options are Jack Crowley, Harry Byrne and Ciaran Frawley who have a combined 12 caps and 38 points. Crowley, who went to the Rugby World Cup, looks to have the inside running. He’ll be fine in Ireland’s cut-and-paste attack, as eloquently described by New Zealand coach Ian Foster, but Sexton’s grit, vision and poise will be missed. The captaincy is with the uncompromising Peter O’Mahony, one of 13 surviving starters and six reserves from the stunning loss to the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals in October. Injured winger Mack Hansen is the other missing starter. The few absences have coach Andy Farrell confidently saying Ireland is not starting a new era but resuming the current one. This era has 17 wins in 18 matches.
Squad: Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Ronan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Joe McCarthy, Peter O’Mahony (captain), Tom O’Toole, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier. Backs: Bundee Aki, Harry Byrne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash, Garry Ringrose, Jacob Stockdale.
World ranking: 11
Captain: Michele Lamaro
Coach: Gonzalo Quesada
Recent Six Nations history
2019 6th
2020 6th
2021 6th
2022 6th
2023 6th
Prospects: Last again. New coach Gonzalo Quesada, the former Argentina flyhalf who has come from coaching Stade Francais, is embracing continuity for now, and the team and staff of predecessor Kieran Crowley, who restored credibility and developed a young, fearless attack. The squad Crowley was building for the 2027 Rugby World Cup has an average age of 25 and is still a work in progress. Quesada wants to start with improving their defense and set-piece, to have the nuts and bolts in order before such exciting backs as Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Edoardo Padovani, Monty Ioane and Paolo Garbisi think of running out of their own half. In terms of identity, the first Argentine coach in the Six Nations wants Italy to show more passion. “I have an Anglo-Saxon way of thinking but I am a Latin,” Quesada says. “Emotions are important, for us a little bit more. Maybe we can fire it up more. To have contact with our Latin side will make us a little stronger.” Quesada wants there to be no excuses for not performing at their best in their two home games, particularly, against England next Saturday and Scotland on March 9. His five new caps include South Africa-born Ross Vintcent, a flanker at Exeter promoted from the ever-improving Italy Under-20s.
World ranking: 6
Captains: Finn Russell and Rory Darge
Coach: Gregor Townsend
Recent Six Nations history
2019 5th
2020 4th
2021 4th
2022 4th
2023 3rd
Prospects: Middling. Scotland hasn’t advanced since Gregor Townsend replaced Vern Cotter as coach in 2017. Scotland has endured pool exits at the last two Rugby World Cups. Townsend may not get a third chance because last year his contract was extended to only 2026. Now and then, the Scots pull off a notable win — they’ve had England’s number lately — but don’t have any follow up. That’s no surprise considering Scotland is limited by a two-team base, Glasgow and Edinburgh, just like Italy. The Scots also have to trawl offshore for talent because the local development pathway is dire. Only 18 players in the squad came through the Scottish system. The new caps include prop Alec Hepburn, who last played for England in 2018. The absentees include 2021 British and Irish Lions Hamish Watson, Rory Sutherland and Chris Harris, plus wing Darcy Graham. World Cup captain Jamie Ritchie is coming back from injury and had his armband given to Finn Russell and Rory Darge, who may be available for round two after a knee injury. Russell’s elevation shows how far he’s come after fallouts with Townsend in 2020 for skipping training and 2022 for an unauthorised pub visit. Scotland starts in Cardiff, where they haven’t beaten Wales in 22 years.
Squad: Forwards: Ewan Ashman, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti, Andy Christie, Luke Crosbie, Scott Cummings, Jack Dempsey, Rory Darge (co-captain), Grant Gilchrist, Richie Gray, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson, Alec Hepburn, Johnny Matthews, Elliot Millar-Mills, WP Nel, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Sam Skinner, George Turner, Glen Young. Backs: Adam Hastings, Ben Healy, George Horne, Rory Hutchinson, Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, Ross McCann, Stafford McDowall, Harry Paterson, Ali Price, Cameron Redpath, Arron Reed, Kyle Rowe, Finn Russell (co-captain), Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben White.
World ranking: 8
Captain: Dafydd Jenkins
Coach: Warren Gatland
Recent Six Nations history
2019 1st
2020 5th
2021 1st
2022 5th
2023 5th
Prospects: Dim. Coach Warren Gatland likes to warn that you write off Wales at your peril. But the Six Nations is not the Rugby World Cup, where Wales avoided the best teams en route to the quarterfinals. Wales will be doing well to beat Scotland and England before heading to Dublin in round three. Post-World Cup turnover has dropped the squad’s average age to 25. Gone are Dan Biggar, Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, and Louis Rees-Zammit, the latter to NFL tryouts. The injury list includes World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, Taulupe Faletau, Christ Tshiunza, Taine Plumtree, and Gareth Anscombe. Dafydd Jenkins, at 21, is set to become the second youngest Wales captain after Gareth Edwards at 20 in 1968 if he breaks up World Cup duo Adam Beard and Will Rowlands. The front row doesn’t scare but recent under-20s back-rower Alex Mann and fullback Cam Winnett excite. “If we start well against Scotland we will build confidence and momentum,” Gatland says. “The thing with Welsh players is they become incredibly tough to beat, and that is what I am pinning my hopes on.”
Squad: Forwards: Corey Domachowski, Kemsley Mathias, Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee, Ryan Elias, Evan Lloyd, Keiron Assiratti, Leon Brown, Archie Griffin, Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins (captain), Will Rowlands, Teddy Williams, Taine Basham, James Botham, Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright. Backs: Gareth Davies, Kieran Hardy, Tomos Williams, Sam Costelow, Cai Evans, Ioan Lloyd, Mason Grady, George North, Joe Roberts, Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Josh Adams, Rio Dyer, Tom Rogers, Cameron Winnett.
France v Ireland, Marseille, Saturday 9am
Italy v England, Rome, Sunday, 3.45am
Wales v Scotland, Cardiff, Sunday, 5.45am
All games will be broadcast on Sky TV.
1st - France
2nd - Ireland
3rd - England
4th - Scotland
5th - Wales
6th - Italy
Forty-three South Island co-ed principals have asked the national body to intervene.