Six Nations LIVE: Latest news as Sam Prendergast starts for champions Ireland against England
Interim boss Simon Easterby faces a key call at fly half, with Scotland and Italy also set to reveal their line-ups today
The Six Nations is almost here as rugby’s annual spring spectacular returns with perhaps the most open edition yet.
Defending champions Ireland are on the hunt for an unprecedented three-peat, but face a potentially tricky opener against the team that denied them back-to-back grand slams a year ago. England have had precious little success since that Twickenham win yet head to Dublin with a degree of confidence - Steve Borthwick named his side for the Aviva Stadium clash two days ahead of schedule as he looks to get on the front foot ahead of a defining campaign. Interim boss Simon Easterby has now confirmed the hosts side, with a key call made at fly half with Sam Prendergast beating Jack Crowley for the starting shirt
France and Wales confirmed their XVs yesterday ahead of their opening night battle at the Stade de France. Can a wounded Welsh side end their winless woe? Or will this be the start of another Antoine Dupont-inspired success for Fabien Galthie’s men? The form book suggests only one conclusion but this grand old championship has a habit of throwing up a surprise or two...
Follow all of the latest build-up and analysis ahead of the start of the Six Nations in our live blog below:
Williams and Adam's return to break dismal record
Wales have been boosted by the return of winger Josh Adams and Fullback Liam Williams for their Six Nations opener against France in Paris on Friday.
The experienced Adams and Williams missed much of the last season with Injury, as they now seek to end a dismal team record run of 12 defeats in a row dating back to the 2023 Rugby World Cup which has put coach Warren Gatland under the spotlight.
Gatland admitted their strategy going forward was to let the experienced voices lead the team with the return of veterans like Adams and Williams: “Part of our thinking was bringing some experience back and getting some balance in. Having a voice and getting some confidence in those around them.”
“There has been a good buzz around the team, the next couple of days it’s about coaches taking a step back and allowing players to lead.”
Former England prop Henry Thomas set for first Wales start in Six Nations opener against France
Former England prop Henry Thomas will make his first Wales start in Friday’s Guinness Six Nations opener against France.
The ex-Sale and Bath tighthead, who also played French club rugby for Castres and Montpellier, has won four caps as a replacement since switching allegiance to Wales in 2023.
Thomas, whose father is from Swansea, was able to make the move under World Rugby regulations because his last England appearance had been more than three years earlier.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has also handed a full Test bow to 23-year-old Cardiff hooker Evan Lloyd, who steps up with Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias both injured, against a juggernaut French pack in Paris.
Former England prop Henry Thomas set for first Wales start in Six Nations opener
Andy Farrell appoints first members of British and Irish Lions coaching staff
The British and Irish Lions have confirmed David Nucifora and Aled Walters as the first appointments to Andy Farrell's backroom staff for this summer's tour to Australia.
Nucifora has been seconded from Scottish Rugby and will perform the role of general manager of performance, while head of athletic performance Walters joins from the Irish Rugby Football Union.
Completing the trio of recruits for the 10-fixture tour is Ireland's Vinny Hammond, who will travel Down Under as head of analysis.
Nucifora is Australian, won two caps in the early 1990s and worked closely with current Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt when they were both employed by the IRFU, while Walters helped South Africa win the 2019 World Cup.
Andy Farrell appoints first members of British and Irish Lions coaching staff
Ireland suffer crushing injury blow ahead of England Six Nations clash
Ireland suffered a major blow ahead of their Six Nations opener against England this weekend with talismanic prop Tadhg Furlong ruled out of the clash through injury.
The 32-year-old has suffered a recurrence of a calf problem while training in Portugal and will be sidelined for Saturday’s clash at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin that kicks off Ireland’s Six Nations title defence.
Tighthead Furlong has flown home for further assessment and has been replaced in the squad by uncapped Connacht front-rower Jack Aungier, with Finlay Bealham likely to start in the No 3 jersey against England.
Ireland suffer crushing injury blow ahead of England Six Nations clash
Six new faces to watch in this year's tournament
Hope springs eternal as the Six Nations sides renew hostilities in rugby’s grandest old championship.
Another competitive edition of the tournament looks likely in 2025 with questions for each and every one of the competing sextet, and with the fixtures given an extra edge in a British and Irish Lions year.
A fresh crop of new faces just taking their first steps on the international stage will be out to make their mark over the next few weeks, with places on the plane to Australia perhaps up for grabs for those eligible.
There will be plenty of excitement around France and Italy, too, as the pair continue to unearth new talent.
The Independent has picked out one new(ish) face from each nation who could be set for a breakthrough tournament:
Six new faces to watch in the 2025 Six Nations
Maro Itoje demands hard work as England look to put difficult 2024 behind them
Maro Itoje has made realising England’s potential his number one priority after being installed as captain for the Six Nations.
Itoje has taken charge of the team in place of Jamie George following a 2024 that produced just five wins in 12 Tests, a disappointing year that has turned the upcoming tournament into a pivotal period for head coach Steve Borthwick.
The nadir of those results was three successive losses at Allianz Stadium during the autumn and England were roundly criticised as a result, but Itoje insists proving people wrong cannot be the motivation for delivering in the Championship.
Maro Itoje demands hard work as England look to put difficult 2024 behind them
Finn Russell and Scotland plot a ‘different’ answer to the same old Six Nations question
Yet more injury worries are not what Scotland want after a couple of difficult weeks on the fitness front. That has rather punctured the optimism that this could be their year - but Finn Russell and his side have a plan, as I found out when I spoke with the fly half ahead of the tournament:
Finn Russell and Scotland plot a ‘different’ answer to same old question
Wales name team for France clash
Warren Gatland has handed Ben Thomas a first Six Nations start at fly half for Wales’s clash with France on Friday, but there is no Taulupe Faletau in his squad.
Wales XV: 1 Gareth Thomas, 2 Evan Lloyd, 3 Henry Thomas; 4 Will Rowlands, 5 Dafydd Jenkins; 6 James Botham, 7 Jac Morgan (captain), 8 Aaron Wainwright; 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Ben Thomas; 11 Josh Adams, 12 Owen Watkin, 13 Nick Tompkins, 14 Tom Rogers; 15 Liam Williams.
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Freddie. Thomas, 20 Tommy Reffell; 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Dan Edwards, 23 Blair Murray.
Steve Tandy hopeful Duhan van der Merwe will be fit for Scotland’s Italy clash
Steve Tandy indicated that Scotland’s record try-scorer Duhan van der Merwe will be fit and available for selection for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Italy.
The South Africa-born wing sat out training with the national team early last week after missing Edinburgh’s Challenge Cup match against Black Lion on January 19 with an ankle injury sustained against Vannes the previous weekend.
Asked how Van der Merwe was progressing, defence coach Tandy said on Monday: “Duhan’s been in training today, he’s been good, he’s done everything today.”
'Proud Welshman' Adam Jones gives clear verdict on Warren Gatland ahead of Six Nations
Adam Jones has backed Warren Gatland to turn Wales’s fortunes around as they head into a Six Nations campaign on the back of 12 successive Test defeats.
Opening night could hardly be tougher for Wales – France rugby in Paris on Friday – with Les Bleus welcoming star player Antoine Dupont back to the Six Nations stage following his Olympic sevens gold medal heroics last summer.
Wales have not won a Test since beating 2023 World Cup pool opponents Georgia almost 16 months ago, a miserable run that has piled pressure on head coach Gatland and his players.
Former prop Jones featured in three grand slam-winning teams – two of those during Gatland’s first reign as Wales boss from 2008 to 2019 – and won 95 caps, plus five Test appearances for the British and Irish Lions.
He is now back in the Wales fold as scrum coaching consultant on secondment from Gallagher Premiership club Harlequins for the Six Nations duration and the 43-year-old’s infectious enthusiasm and passion for his job look likely to make an immediate impression after he began work at Wales’ training base.
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