The Six Nations is back!
The squads have been named, battle lines drawn and international rugby is upon us once again. As ever, there has been plenty of movement and change for all six teams since France lifted the trophy in March last year.
Les Bleus have omitted some big names from their squad, including star winger Damian Penaud. Ireland are missing some key players — at least to start with — such as Andrew Porter, while Mack Hansen is out for the season.
England coach Steve Borthwick named a settled 36-man squad ahead of their first game against Wales, with belief that this could be their year growing among fans.
Ahead of kickoff on Feb. 5, here are ESPN’s pre-tournament power rankings, which will be updated after every round of matches.
1. France
France’s title victory last year took the pressure off coach Fabian Galthié as he continues to lead a golden generation, but Les Bleus will be looking to go one better and clinch a Grand Slam this year. Galthié will be relieved to welcome back superstar Antoine Dupont, who missed a large chunk of last year — including the November internationals — after rupturing his ACL in the penultimate game of the 2025 Six Nations against Ireland.
The success of last year will have been a great experience and confidence booster for the squad’s younger players. But, will they kick on? Or could they potentially get complacent while basking in their success?
Only time will tell.
2. England
Steve Borthwick’s side have shown significant improvement in the last 12 months, namely closing out tight games and beating tier-one nations consistently.
After important wins against Scotland and France last year — finishing second in the Six Nations — England sealed a clean sweep of the November internationals with wins over Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Argentina.
At the end of their autumn campaign, captain Maro Itoje said he is “excited as I’ve ever been” about this side … and expectations are high going into the tournament.
Their young stars such as Henry Pollock and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso now have some decent international experience under their belts, with an air of optimism building around Twickenham.
3. Ireland
It feels like this is going to be a year of transition for Andy Farrell and Ireland, which, two years from a World Cup, is not necessarily a bad thing.
First, Farrell has injuries to contest with. Star outside back Mack Hansen is out for the season having undergone foot surgery in December, while Andrew Porter, Robbie Henshaw and Paddy McCarthy are among those also battling various injuries in the short-to-mid term.
The re-emergence of Harry Byrne as an option at flyhalf could throw a cat among the pigeons in the battle for the No.10 jersey, as Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley continue to try and cement their position as Farrell’s preferred option here. However, it would appear Prendergast has almost won the race.
So, a few things up in the air for Ireland, but they can still beat anyone on their day and if they’re not in the running themselves, they’ll be keen to disrupt a title or Grand Slam push if they can.
4. Scotland
It’s a case of new year, same questions for Scotland. Can they take the next step and become serious title contenders? Is time running out for coach Gregor Townsend? What is stopping them from becoming a consistent force?
They have the individuals, with several European, international and British and Irish Lions stars in their ranks, to beat anyone, but haven’t been able to get over the line. They have the favourable draw this year with England and France at home and you’d think they need to at least win one of those and go close to keep the noise at bay.
The clash against the aforementioned in-transition Ireland is shaping as a tasty one in week five.
5. Italy
After impressing in 2024 with wins over Scotland and Wales, a draw against France and going close against England, Italy failed to kick on in 2025. There appears to be a widening gap between Italy and Wales and the rest, with Scotland the bridge between Ireland, England and France at this stage.
The question for Italy is can they close the gap and cause trouble for the top sides. They have the personnel, with plenty of exciting players, but results are the name of the game and always will be.
6. Wales
Where to start for Wales?
Well, they’ll have Louis Rees-Zammit available for his first Six Nations since 2023. Tom Rogers’ hat trick against New Zealand — and some of the side’s performances in general — was cause for a smile or two, but it’s going to be a long road back for Steve Tandy’s side.
It still seems strange to say, but closing the gap on Italy is the first objective for this side.
Tandy’s problems aren’t his doing amid wider issues with Welsh rugby, but he needs to get the side on the same page and buying into his system quickly. A win would give them a massive lift, but it’s a big ask at this stage.
