France look to run it back, Ireland and England set to challenge

The 2026 Six Nations opens on Thursday with a blockbuster meeting between France and Ireland, with those two sides having split the last four titles evenly between them.

Both France (in 2022) and Ireland (in 2023) have completed the Grand Slam during that time, so both will expect to be in contention again this time around.

But with England entering the competition off the back of an 11-game winning streak, Steve Borthwick's side are being touted as possible challengers, perhaps for the first time since he took over as head coach in 2022.

Scotland endured a disappointing Autumn series and have finished fourth at each of the last two editions, though their squad boasts plenty of talent, and a kind run of early fixtures could offer them a chance to build some momentum. 

Italy have also improved in recent years and will be confident of getting at least one win on the board, with Wales having taken the Wooden Spoon in both 2024 and 2025.

Ahead of the championship, we delve into the Opta data to pick out the key storylines and players to watch for each of the six teams. 

France

France matched England's record of seven Six Nations successes (since the addition of Italy in 2000) in 2025, and Fabian Galthie's team go into the 2026 edition as favourites to claim the outright record for titles under the current format.

Les Bleus were only denied the Grand Slam by England last year, suffering a dramatic 26-25 defeat to Borthwick's team at Twickenham on matchweek two.

Even a serious injury to Antoine Dupont – who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament rupture during a victory over Ireland and was subsequently sidelined for eight months – was not enough to knock France out of their stride.

And that experience of coping without a bona fide superstar should stand France in good stead this year. While Dupont is back in the reckoning, Galthie raised eyebrows by leaving centre Gael Fickou and wing Damian Penaud out of his squad.

But France's next generation now has time to shine, and the fact that both of their most likely competitors, Ireland and England, must travel to Paris is a major advantage.

France have won 12 of their last 13 Six Nations matches at the Stade de France (L1), including the last seven in a row, with their only defeat in that run coming against Scotland in 2021. 

And their opener against Ireland – the first Six Nations match to take place on a Thursday since 1948 – could set the tone. On six of the last eight occasions where France lost their first match in the Six Nations, the team that defeated them went on to win the championship, including the last four in a row (England in 2017, Ireland in 2018, Wales in 2019, Ireland in 2024).

Les Blues' powerful style – and efficiency from set-pieces – is something their rivals must get to grips with. Throughout the 2025 Six Nations, France lost just one of their 67 lineouts, with their 99% success rate being the best of any team, while only England (97%) recorded a better scrum success rate than them (95%).

In Thomas Ramos, France boast the top points scorer from each of the last three editions of the Six Nations (71 in 2025, 63 in 2024 and 84 in 2023). Ramos is only the second player to achieve that feat after Ireland legend Ronan O'Gara (2005, 2006, 2007), and he needs just 11 more points to become the first player to reach 500 for France in men's Test rugby (489 currently).

Louis Bielle-Biarrey, meanwhile, set a new record for the most tries in a single championship in 2025, with eight. France's firepower means they will keep their favourites tag until another team lays down a statement.

England 

England recovered from an opening defeat to Ireland to finish as runners-up in 2025, winning their final four matches – and they have not stopped winning since then.

Borthwick's team have won each of their last 11 Tests, with France and New Zealand the biggest scalps they have taken as part of this streak.

This is England's longest winning run since they strung together 18 victories between 2015 and 2017, winning back-to-back editions of the Six Nations in the process. 

Borthwick said the "sky is the limit" for his team in this year's competition, and the task is now to build on last year's excellent finish.  

England had the highest dominant carry (38%), tackle evasion (25%) and gainline success (65%) rates of any team in the 2025 Six Nations and, as a result, gained more metres per carry than any other side (4.2) – Saturday's opponents, Wales, averaged the fewest (2.8).

They also had the best scrum success rate last year (97%), as well as winning the most scrum penalties of any team (10).

And of the six players to win five or more turnovers in last year's Six Nations, four played for England, namely Maro Itoje, Ben Earl (both five), Ben Curry and Tom Curry (both six). 

Captain Itoje – who will start on the bench against Wales after leaving the squad to attend his mother's funeral – has won 53 turnovers overall in the Six Nations and needs just one more to overtake Brian O'Driscoll as the player with the most.

England will be major favourites at home to crisis-ridden Wales, though they must avoid slipping up against Scotland at Murrayfield in round two. If they successfully navigate that obstacle, a home match against Ireland on February 21 could tell us how far they can go.

Ireland 

Ireland were led by Simon Easterby for last year's Six Nations, with Andy Farrell absent due to his commitments with the British and Irish Lions. Farrell is back for 2026, though he is presiding over a squad with selection dilemmas in several key areas. 

Tadhg Furlong, Hugo Keenan, Ryan Baird and Mack Hansen are all injured, while Bundee Aki is suspended for their first three games for "verbal abuse and disrespect" towards match officials during Connacht's loss to Leinster. 

The fact that the 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year nominee will miss matches against France and England is a monumental blow for Farrell, who is also without loose-head Andrew Porter and two of the candidates to replace him, in Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle.

Dan Sheehan said nobody in the Ireland squad is panicking about their list of absentees, and he may need to reprise his form from the last two editions of the Six Nations.

The hooker has scored five tries in each of the last two editions of the Six Nations, and no other forward has scored as many in a single campaign.

Sheehan crossed the line once against France in both campaigns, and a fast start at the Stade de France this week could be crucial to Ireland's hopes.

Ireland have won more opening fixtures than any other team in the Six Nations (W19 D1 L6), just ahead of France and England (both W18 L8), while they also won on their most recent trip to France in 2024 – they have not won on back-to-back visits since 1928 (a run of three straight victories).

They will do well to stay in contention by the end of Aki's suspension, given their two hardest fixtures both come early and away from home. But if they can dig deep and win at least one of those matches, they then finish with back-to-back home games versus Wales and Scotland.

Scotland 

Scotland have struggled to meet the heightened expectations surrounding Gregor Townsend's team in recent editions of the Six Nations.  

And after back-to-back fourth-placed finishes, most onlookers expect more of the same from Scotland, who last won the tournament in the final year of the Five Nations era, in 1999. 

Scotland showcased their potential by racing into a 21-0 lead against Argentina in November, then showed why they still have a long way to go as they crumbled in the second half and were beaten 33-24.

They also blew a huge chance to beat the All Blacks for the very first time, failing to take advantage of three yellow cards for their opponents in a 25-17 loss in Edinburgh. 

Starting well has not been much of an issue for Scotland in recent stagings of the Six Nations – they have won their opening match in seven of the last nine editions (L2), including the last five in a row – no team is currently enjoying a longer winning run in Round 1 fixtures.

But going on the road has been a problem. Scotland have lost their last four away games in the Six Nations, their worst such run since a five-match streak from 2016 to 2018.

A trip to Rome to face Italy represents a major opportunity for them to get up and running on Saturday, with Townsend taking charge of his 41st match in the Championship, the outright second most of any head coach in the Five or Six Nations, behind Warren Gatland (79), and the most of any Scotland head coach.

Italy 

Having finished bottom of the pile in eight straight years between 2016 and 2023, Italy avoided that feat in both 2024 and 2025, and that will be the goal again this time around.

Gonzalo Quesada's side claimed their only victory against Wales last year, one year on from their record haul of 11 points.

But Italy were also highly competitive against Scotland (losing 31-19) and Ireland (losing 22-17), and though their round five match against Wales could be a Wooden Spoon decider, they will have half an eye on another statement victory.

In 23-year-old Tommaso Menoncello, Italy boast one of the best centres in the tournament – he won twice as many turnovers as any other back in last year's Six Nations (six), with only Scotland's Jamie Ritchie (seven) winning more overall.

The Azzurri star also made the most dominant tackles of any back in the Championship, with nine.

However, an injury to 19-year-old winger Edoardo Todaro, who has 10 tries for Northampton this season, will leave Italy without an exciting, dynamic outlet. 

Wales 

Wales have lost their last 11 matches in the Six Nations, with their last victory coming away to Italy in 2023. 

It is their longest-ever run without victory in any iteration of the Championship, having never previously lost more than eight consecutive matches.

Steve Tandy is entering his first championship at the helm, and home games against Scotland and Italy might offer Wales hope of ending their nightmare losing run.

Tandy did oversee two hard-fought victories over Japan last year, and those wins could prove crucial to ensuring Wales stay in the top 12 of the world rankings and avoid slipping into the lower pots for the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw.

They will hope the return of Louis Rees-Zammit – who sensationally turned his back on rugby ahead of the 2024 Six Nations in a bid to forge out an NFL career – can provide them with a spark.

Having tried to live out his American dream, earning practice-squad contracts with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars but never making a single competitive appearance in the NFL, Rees-Zammit is back in the Wales squad this year.

Against England this weekend, he could make his first Six Nations appearance since the final round of the 2023 Championship against France. His last Six Nations try came against England in round three that year, which was also one of just two championship games in which he has gained 100+ metres (109, also 144 versus Italy in 2021).

Rees-Zammit will return to a team that is equipped to create chances for him; Wales moved the ball beyond first receiver on 36% of their attacking phases in the Six Nations last year, more often than any other team, and moved the ball 'wide' from a tournament-high 13% of phases (20+ meters laterally).