Men’s Six Nations Preview
- therookiereporters
- Feb 6
- 3 min read
The Men’s Six Nations Rugby Union Tournament is fast approaching with the opener on the 5th of February. This article will delve into the history of our competitors and which teams are to watch this year.
England
The “Red Roses” are highly rated with a consecutive winning streak of 11, their last match being against Argentina in the Quilter Nations Series. The country has been champions of this series 29 times, their last time being in 2020. Their captain is Maro Itoje, who plays Lock and Flanker in their matches, debuting as captain in last year’s opening match for the M6N on the 1st of February. The country’s home stadium is the Allianz Twickenham Stadium, located in the capital city, London.
Wales
Wales are a strong team but have been missing that mark, with them playing 11 games and only winning 2 in 2025. Last year, they placed plum last in the Six Nations so they will, of course, be hoping to move to at least the middle of the table. The country has only won this series 6 times. Their current captain is Flanker, Dewi Lake and this will be his sixth time captaining his team in an international series.
Scotland
Scotland are currently ranked 9th in the world with experienced stars like Finn Russell and Duhan van der Merwe. The country has the pride of winning the series a total of 23 times but has yet to take the title under the name “Six Nations” since 2000. Their captain is Sione Tuipulotu who plays Centre. He has been leading Scotland’s Rugby Union team for over a year now after taking over from Finn Russell and Rory Darge.
Ireland
A definite force to be reckoned with are the Irish, with incredible players like Bundee Aki and James Lowes. The Irish have taken the title 25 times and are looking to make it 26 after their 24th Triple Crown win, under the captaincy of Caelan Doris. Being ranked 4th in the world shows the odds are in their favour for this year!
France
Also known as “Les Blues,” they are ranked just behind Ireland as 5th in the world. They are currently captained by Antoine Dupont, who primarily plays as Scrum-half but has also played as Fly-half. The French have taken home the title 27 times and are our defending champions after beating England by one point in 2025.
Italy
Italy may have finished 5th in 2025 but they are ranked 10th in the world and are yet to win the Six Nations - could this be their “dark horse” moment? They will be captained by Michele Lamaro as they have been since October 2021, who plays as Italy’s Flanker.
Schedule (GMT)
Round 1:
Thursday 5th Feb 20:10
- France v Ireland
Saturday 7th Feb 14:10
- Italy v Scotland
Saturday 7th Feb 16:40
- England v Wales
Round 2:
Saturday 14th Feb 14:10
- Ireland v Italy
Saturday 14th Feb 16:40
- Scotland v England
Sunday 15th Feb 15:10
- Wales v France
Round 3:
Saturday 21st Feb 14:10
- England v Ireland
Saturday 21st Feb 16:40
- Wales v Scotland
Sunday 22nd Feb 15:10
- France v Italy
Round 4:
Friday 6th March 20:10
- Ireland v Wales
Saturday 7th March 14:10
- Scotland v France
Saturday 7th March 16:40
- Italy v England
Round 5:
Saturday 14th March 14:10
- Ireland v Scotland
Saturday 14th March 16:40
- Wales v Italy
Saturday 14th March 20:10
- France v England
Article by Alice Seager ©️Alice Seager 2026
