Six Nations: Can England challenge? Will Ireland make history?

The 2025 Six Nations is right here, and there are many inquiries to be answered. Can Eire make historical past by turning into the primary crew ever to win three outright titles in a row? Or will certainly one of England, France or Scotland trump them to the title? Will Wales snap their 12-game shedding streak, or will Italy show to be the shock nation as soon as once more?

Every nation has totally different expectations. With motion set to start on Friday, ESPN writers Tom Hamilton and James Regan have weighed in on what every crew ought to be aiming for, why they’ll obtain it, and why they may not.

Soar to:
England | Eire | Wales
Scotland | France | Italy

England

Lifelike purpose: Problem for title

Why they’ll obtain it: They’ve a crew filled with younger, thrilling expertise and a recent really feel below new captain Maro Itoje.

Borthwick is just not afraid to provide youth its probability and has the nice conundrum of weighing up who begins at 10 between Marcus Smith, Fin Smith and the extra skilled head in George Ford. However elsewhere, there’s younger expertise breaking by, like Henry Pollock within the back-row and Asher Opoku-Fordjour within the front-row. Then there’s the inclusion of Tom Willis within the back-row, however he may have his work reduce out attempting to get forward of Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl and Tom Curry.

On that, whereas England will really feel the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Jamie George and Sam Underhill, they’ve Chessum and Alex Mitchell again match, so anticipate England to play with tempo, and a barely much less hectic defence.

Additionally they get pleasure from three house matches this flip, however need to navigate these difficult journeys to Dublin and Cardiff.

Why they may not: They’ve been so inconsistent below Steve Borthwick over the previous 12 months or so, and have gained simply certainly one of their final six Check matches, a win which got here towards Japan of their closing match of the November sequence.

England final gained the championship in 2020, however since then their finest return was three victories final day out, after recording simply two in 2021-23. So in the event that they handle to hit 4 wins from 5, which sources have informed ESPN is the goal set by the fits, then that is an amazing return and an indication of progress. However it will want a dramatic enchancment in kind.

You are feeling England are nonetheless looking for their model below Borthwick, amid backroom employees upheaval over the previous six months or so, and they’re nonetheless evolving.

Their begin to the championship is brutal: Eire away after which France and Scotland at house. An ideal begin in Dublin and something is feasible, but when they wrestle there — towards an Eire crew seeking to put down a marker after a mediocre autumn by their excessive requirements — then the stress will likely be on forward of France, who’ve a sure scrum-half again within the combine. — Tom Hamilton

Eire

Lifelike purpose: Grand Slam

Why they’ll obtain it: They’re the shape crew within the northern hemisphere and have an almost absolutely match squad. With Dan Sheehan and James Lowe again match for responsibility after enjoying for Leinster on the weekend of their match towards the Stormers, interim coach Simon Easterby has unimaginable power in depth to select from and a crew which is aware of what it takes to win the championship.

There’s a lot continuity right here, and so they boast arguably the best pack within the event, after which a backline filled with Lions-in-waiting.

Even with Andy Farrell seconded to the British & Irish Lions, they’ve sufficient nous and stability within the backroom employees to ship. Then there’s the Jacques Nienaber issue. He’s already had a huge effect on Leinster and with 23 of the 36 from that Irish province, anticipate his knowledge to have some affect on how Eire handle the breakdown.

Although the crew didn’t all the time look their regular selves within the autumn, anticipate a response within the Six Nations.

Why they may not: No crew has gained the boys’s Six Nations outright three years in a row, so historical past goes towards Eire on this regard.

They did additionally look a bit of shaky within the autumn, maybe the signal of a crew who’ve already peaked, however having mentioned this, many of the rugby world anticipate them to be again to their finest this championship.

Then there’s the Farrell issue. There’s a slight unknown as to how Eire will likely be with out their high canine current, as he takes his sabbatical to give attention to the Lions. Easterby, although, is a superb, spectacular stand-in and can look to make the entire course of as seamless as doable.

There’s additionally that everlasting query over who will likely be first-choice fly-half. That debate on whether or not it is going to be Jack Crowley or Sam Prendergast may find yourself being a frustration if they do not begin at 100mph towards England. So there are just a few distractions — and the Lions tour looming on the horizon — which may affect Eire’s title cost. — Tom Hamilton

Wales

Lifelike purpose: Three wins (although Warren Gatland believes they’ll win it)

Why they’ll obtain it: After their brutally disappointing 2024, any win will do for Wales.

The facet went the whole thing of final 12 months and not using a single Check victory, and picked up the wood spoon alongside the way in which, so snapping that shedding streak is high of their agenda. However chat to Gatland and he’s relishing their underdog tag.

Gatland works finest when his again is towards the wall, and with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) demanding success on this 12 months’s championship, Gatland admits his job is on the road. So with that in thoughts, he needs his Wales crew to undertake a “siege mentality” and has referred to as on some previous faces to help their cost.

Liam Williams, Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams are all again within the combine, and Gatland is looking on the spirit of 2019 to assist information his crew this 12 months. Again then they went to Paris on the opening night time of the event as underdogs and managed to stun the hosts. From there they ended up successful a Grand Slam.

May lightning strike twice? It is unlikely. A return of three wins from 5 — together with maybe a victory over previous foes England of their closing match of the championship — can be vital progress.

Why they may not: They arrive into this within the worst kind in current reminiscence, and towards 5 groups who’re all taking steps ahead.

For thus lengthy, Italy would’ve been the perennial wood spoon contenders, however they’re enhancing below Gonzalo Quesada and have had Wales’ quantity in current occasions. Wales are on a 12-match shedding run in Check matches, and morale will likely be fragile in camp. Gatland has drafted in British & Irish Lions prop Adam Jones to deliver some steering to the scrum in coaching, and his addition to the backroom employees will likely be an enormous increase.

Nonetheless, Wales have to discover a means of constructing themselves harder than ever to beat.

The shortage of expertise at fly-half is a priority, whereas in addition they look inexperienced in different areas. Then there’s the psychosis of final 12 months and the issue in skilled sport of snapping shedding streaks. They desperately should be aggressive and push France shut in Paris. Lose that by just a few and it is an uphill process. — Tom Hamilton

Scotland

Lifelike purpose: Problem for the title

Why they’ll obtain it: There isn’t a doubt that Scotland can beat anybody on their day. Nevertheless, the problem for Gregor Townsend’s gamers has all the time been to construct a constant, dominant run of video games that may assist them to a primary Championship since 1999.

Scottish followers may have rejoiced on the sight of winger Darcy Graham returning to the fold in November and alongside Duhan van der Merwe on the opposite flank, Blair Kinghorn at fullback and Finn Russell driving the crew at fly-half, they’ve a backline that may produce loads of factors.

Graham, with 29 tries and Van der Merwe with 30 will likely be battling it out to be Scotland’s all-time strive scorer till the top of their careers, so anticipate them to get probably the most out of one another. There are additionally a bunch of gamers within the squad who’re on the cusp of being chosen for the Lions this summer season, so there’s each motive they may all elevate their sport within the coming weeks.

Why they may not: Scotland’s more and more crowded medical room should show an actual concern for Townsend, who should now do with out captain Sione Tuipulotu, Dylan Richardson, Scott Cummings and Josh Bayliss.

The importance of Tuipulotu’s abcense can’t be understated: He took on the captaincy within the autumn and made a robust present of his first problem. Scotland will desperately miss his management and expertise on and off the pitch at a time when their depleted squad will likely be robustly examined.

Scotland will play hosts to Eire, Italy and Wales, however their hardest Assessments will are available in London and Paris this 12 months. The latter of these two will likely be on the Championship’s closing weekend, and Scotland might want to produce a sequence of excellent performances to make {that a} crowning second. — James Regan

France

Lifelike purpose: Grand Slam

Why they’ll obtain it: After an underwhelming 2024 event wherein they struggled with a World Cup hangover following their disappointing 2023 marketing campaign and missed key gamers, France ought to nicely and really be again in 2025.

They went unbeaten within the autumn internationals with spectacular wins over Argentina and New Zealand and welcomed again Antoine Dupont after his Olympic tilt. This 12 months, fly-half Romain Ntamack additionally returns, with accidents having saved him out of worldwide rugby since 2023.

They’ve a dominant scrum, and particular person brilliance throughout the backline, significantly within the type of wingers Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Search for Les Blues to come back again with a vengeance this 12 months. They’ve the potential, and may they beat England at Twickenham, a Grand Slam might be an actual risk as nicely.

Why they may not: Whereas they’ve nearly all of substances that helped them to the Grand Slam in 2022, the Championship is now so robust that any off day will virtually definitely be punished.

They’ve loads of depth, however England at Twickenham and Eire in Dublin will take a look at them to the extremes. They’ve some youthful gamers who, whereas they’ve loads of expertise, lack the expertise below stress that comes with a Six Nations tilt. They’ve the expertise on paper to dream massive, however making good on these plans may show troublesome. — James Regan

Italy

Lifelike purpose: Avoiding the wood spoon

Why they’ll obtain it: Italy confirmed super progress and promise in final 12 months’s event. They have been resilient in defeat towards England within the opening sport, beat Scotland and Wales and mustered an exhilarating draw towards France. Whereas bettering that will likely be a serious problem, they need to keep constant and never take a backward step.

The Azzruri can use their twenty fifth anniversary of being within the competitors as robust motivation to indicate why they need to be there, however key gamers just like the returning Giosuè Zilocchi and Stephen Varney, in addition to the standard threats of Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Allan and Monty Ioane, will likely be essential to their probabilities of a profitable event.

Why they may not: Italy’s greatest problem in equalling or going previous final 12 months’s efforts lies within the power of the opposite nations. France, who they snatched a draw towards, will likely be higher, Scotland will likely be determined to keep away from a second straight defeat to Italy, and Wales don’t have any selection however to enhance.

Italy are all the time up towards it in such a fiercely aggressive event, and with 4 groups who may realistically win the Championship, all of the stress will likely be on Italy to step up in any means they’ll. — James Regan

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