Six Nations news: Six bold predictions for the 2025 Six Nations
The Six Nations gets underway on Friday, January 31 in Paris, as Wales are welcomed by Les Bleus.
Scotland kick off their campaign in Murrayfield against Italy, whereas England face a tough test in Dublin.
In this article, Sports News Blitz’s rugby union writer Luke Ebden gives six overall predictions for this year’s championship.
Italy to get the Wooden Spoon
Italy had a heroic start to 2024, with their great work over a number of years finally coming to fruition.
They were phenomenal in places last year, and could - and should - have won four games from five.
However, they have been hit and miss since, with July and November seeing old habits creep in.
I don’t think they’ll sustain their momentum going into this year - though they will be competitive in some games.
Ireland to win the Grand Slam
Yep, I’ve said it. Ireland to go five from five.
The most important factor? They’ve got England and France at home.
The French are notorious at club and international level for being lacklustre on the road.
While I believe this championship is a step in the right direction in some areas, late injuries ahead of Test week and facing Ireland early in the campaign will make it too challenging for England to get a result.
I don’t think Ireland will miss Andy Farrell much.
He’s been with the team for several years now and has firmly established the environment and culture within the squad.
While there will undoubtedly be communication between him and Simon Easterby when needed, this Irish side feels almost self-sufficient at this point.
The toughest test will be Scotland away. Scotland are the dark horses of this year’s championship.
If they get off to a winning start against Italy, they’ll head into their home clash with Ireland in Round 2 brimming with confidence.
But I believe Ireland will have enough to halt Scotland’s title charge and continue their own.
With the greatest respect to both, Italy and Wales should be formalities for Ireland.
France to lose at Twickenham and the Aviva
As I mentioned, France are poor on the road, and this is where their title shot grinds to a halt for me.
There are also plenty of concerns with their squad.
Thibaud Flament, one of the best second-rows on the planet, looks set to miss part of the Six Nations.
He’s their main man in the lineout, and his absence will be a significant blow.
Moreover, they’ve already lost former captain Charles Ollivon.
He’s an incredibly tough player to replace - his leadership, work rate around the park, and lineout jumping leave massive gaps to fill.
Adding to their woes, France have been hit with another huge injury blow just ahead of the Six Nations, with superstar Damian Penaud ruled out for at least Round 1.
Penaud is the best winger in the Northern Hemisphere and is nearly irreplaceable.
To make matters worse, both centres, Jonathan Danty and Gael Fickou, are out for part or all of the tournament.
These two form a staple pairing for France, and Fickou’s defensive leadership in particular will be a mammoth task to fill - likely filled, you’d assume, by Nicolas Depoortere.
With so many tough games, especially away from home, combined with the squad's injury troubles, it’s hard to see France reclaiming the title - even with the returning Antoine Dupont
Duhan van der Merwe to be top try-scorer
Whilst I don’t think it’ll be a championship to remember for Scotland, it might just be for Duhan van der Merwe.
He has a knack for scoring tries in clusters, and I think home games against Italy and Wales could be particularly lucrative for him.
Van der Merwe is Scotland’s go-to source for tries and has proven to be incredibly consistent in the Six Nations - even managing to cross the line in games Scotland have lost.
In contrast, Ireland’s tries tend to come from a wider variety of players, such as Dan Sheehan, Mack Hansen, and James Lowe.
And with Damian Penaud set to miss at least one game this championship - arguably one of his easiest fixtures - he’s unlikely to top the try-scoring charts this year.
This being a Lions year adds extra motivation, with the Number 11 jersey always one of the most fiercely contested spots.
Van der Merwe will be eager to make his mark, and for me, he’s the clear favourite to finish as the top scorer.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Six Nations Fantasy Game news: Best player for every position in 2025
England to reclaim the Calcutta Cup…
This year feels like the year England finally reclaim the Calcutta Cup.
England certainly have enough in the tank to beat Scotland, yet have consistently fallen short in previous years.
By my predictions, Scotland will come into this on the back of a home loss to Ireland, denting their title charge.
In contrast, England should be riding high after a home win against France, potentially bolstered by the return of key players like Jamie George and Alex Mitchell.
I expect England to edge out Scotland in a close, reasonably high-scoring affair at Twickenham.
…but lose away in Cardiff
Probably the boldest prediction of the six, but I’ve just got a feeling about this one.
Wales have been dismal of late.
However, this championship sees the return of some experienced players like Josh Adams and Liam Williams.
Add in fresh faces - most notably Ospreys fly-half Dan Edwards - and there’s a chance they might find some spark.
Let’s not forget, England only just scraped past Wales 16-14 at home last year.
And the Principality Stadium remains one of the toughest grounds to visit in the Six Nations.
I can see Wales winning away in Rome, enduring an otherwise poor championship, but putting on one last show for the fans.
In a tight thriller in Cardiff against their fiercest rivals, I think Wales might just edge it.
MORE BY LUKE EBDEN: Rugby news: Six Nations Fantasy Game 2025 - Six good picks for each of the Six Nations
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz joint Fantasy rugby league
Sports News Blitz are covering Fantasy rugby for the upcoming Six Nations.
Don’t know how it works? Read this article here.
Time is running out to submit your team, with the deadline being January 31, 8:15pm UK Time.
Once you’ve created your team, join our Fantasy rugby mini-league in collaboration with the RugbyAnalyst on YouTube using one of the links below - if these leagues fill up, more will be created for future articles.
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz 1
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz 2
RugbyAnalyst + Sports News Blitz 3
READ NEXT: NCAA to pay women’s college basketball teams from 2025
