The 2025 Six Nations is here, and there are plenty of questions to be answered. Can Ireland make history by becoming the first team ever to win three outright titles in a row? Or will one of England, France or Scotland trump them to the title? Will Wales snap their 12-game losing streak, or will Italy prove to be the surprise nation once again?
Each country has different expectations. With action set to begin on Friday, ESPN writers Tom Hamilton and James Regan have weighed in on what each team should be aiming for, why they can achieve it, and why they might not.
Jump to:
England | Ireland | Wales
Scotland | France | Italy
England
ESPN's Tom Hamilton and James Regan join Mark O'Connor to discuss England and head coach Steve Borthwick ahead of their Six Nations opener against Ireland this Saturday.
Realistic goal: Challenge for title
Why they can achieve it: They have a team packed with young, exciting talent and a fresh feel under new captain Maro Itoje.
Borthwick is not afraid to give youth its chance and has the pleasant conundrum of weighing up who starts at 10 between Marcus Smith, Fin Smith and the more experienced head in George Ford. But elsewhere, there's young talent breaking through, like Henry Pollock in the back-row and Asher Opoku-Fordjour in the front-row. Then there is the inclusion of Tom Willis in the back-row, but he will have his work cut out trying to get ahead of Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl and Tom Curry.
On that, while England will feel the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Jamie George and Sam Underhill, they have Chessum and Alex Mitchell back fit, so expect England to play with pace, and a slightly less hectic defence.
They also have the benefit of three home matches this turn, but have to navigate those tricky trips to Dublin and Cardiff.
Why they might not: They have been so inconsistent under Steve Borthwick over the past year or so, and have won just one of their last six Test matches, a win which came against Japan in their final match of the November series.
England last won the championship in 2020, but since then their best return was three victories last time out, after recording just two in 2021-23. So if they manage to hit four wins from five, which sources have told ESPN is the target set by the suits, then that's a great return and a sign of progress. But it would need a dramatic improvement in form.
You feel England are still trying to find their style under Borthwick, amid backroom staff upheaval over the past six months or so, and they are still evolving.
Their start to the championship is brutal: Ireland away and then France and Scotland at home. A great start in Dublin and anything is possible, but if they struggle there -- against an Ireland team looking to put down a marker after a mediocre autumn by their high standards -- then the pressure will be on ahead of France, who have a certain scrum-half back in the mix. -- Tom Hamilton
Ireland
ESPN's Tom Hamilton believes Ireland's interim coach Simon Easterby will be looking to "put a marker down" as a head coach in the lead-up to Ireland's Six Nations game against England this Saturday.
Realistic goal: Grand Slam
Why they can achieve it: They're the form team in the northern hemisphere and have a nearly fully fit squad. With Dan Sheehan and James Lowe back fit for duty after playing for Leinster at the weekend in their match against the Stormers, interim coach Simon Easterby has incredible strength in depth to pick from and a team which knows what it takes to win the championship.
There is so much continuity here, and they boast arguably the finest pack in the tournament, and then a backline full of Lions-in-waiting.
Even with Andy Farrell seconded to the British & Irish Lions, they have enough nous and stability in the backroom staff to deliver. Then there is the Jacques Nienaber factor. He is already had a huge impact on Leinster and with 23 of the 36 from that Irish province, expect his wisdom to have some impact on how Ireland manage the breakdown.
Though the team did not always look their normal selves in the autumn, expect a response in the Six Nations.
Why they might not: No team has won the men's Six Nations outright three years in a row, so history goes against Ireland in this regard.
They did also look a little shaky in the autumn, perhaps the sign of a team who have already peaked, but having said this, most of the rugby world expect them to be back to their best this championship.
Then there's the Farrell factor. There is a slight unknown as to how Ireland will be without their top dog present, as he takes his sabbatical to focus on the Lions. Easterby, though, is a brilliant, impressive stand-in and will look to make the whole process as seamless as possible.
There is also that eternal question over who will be first-choice fly-half. That debate on whether it will be Jack Crowley or Sam Prendergast could end up being a frustration if they don't start at 100mph against England. So there are a few distractions -- and the Lions tour looming on the horizon -- which could impact Ireland's title charge. -- Tom Hamilton
Wales
ESPN's James Regan believes there's no coach in the world that loves the "underdog tag" more than Welsh head coach Warren Gatland.
Realistic goal: Three wins (though Warren Gatland believes they can win it)
Why they can achieve it: After their brutally disappointing 2024, any win will do for Wales.
The side went the entirety of last year without a single Test victory, and collected the wooden spoon along the way, so snapping that losing streak is top of their agenda. But chat to Gatland and he is relishing their underdog tag.
Gatland works best when his back is against the wall, and with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) demanding success in this year's championship, Gatland admits his job is on the line. So with that in mind, he wants his Wales team to adopt a "siege mentality" and has called on some old faces to aid their charge.
Liam Williams, Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams are all back in the mix, and Gatland is calling on the spirit of 2019 to help guide his team this year. Back then they went to Paris on the opening night of the tournament as underdogs and managed to stun the hosts. From there they ended up winning a Grand Slam.
Could lightning strike twice? It's unlikely. A return of three wins from five -- including perhaps a victory over old foes England in their final match of the championship -- would be significant progress.
Why they might not: They come into this in the worst form in recent memory, and against five teams who are all taking steps forward.
For so long, Italy would've been the perennial wooden spoon contenders, but they are improving under Gonzalo Quesada and have had Wales' number in recent times. Wales are on a 12-match losing run in Test matches, and morale will be fragile in camp. Gatland has drafted in British & Irish Lions prop Adam Jones to bring some guidance to the scrum in training, and his addition to the backroom staff will be a huge boost.
Still, Wales need to find a way of making themselves tougher than ever to beat.
The lack of experience at fly-half is a concern, while they also look inexperienced in other areas. Then there is the psychosis of last year and the difficulty in professional sport of snapping losing streaks. They desperately need to be competitive and push France close in Paris. Lose that by a few and it's an uphill task. -- Tom Hamilton
Scotland
ESPN's Tom Hamilton and James Regan join Mark O'Connor to debate whether this is the year Scotland can finally earn their first Six Nations title.
Realistic goal: Challenge for the title
Why they can achieve it: There is no doubt that Scotland can beat anyone on their day. However, the challenge for Gregor Townsend's players has always been to build a consistent, dominant run of games that can help them to a first Championship since 1999.
Scottish fans will have rejoiced at the sight of winger Darcy Graham returning to the fold in November and alongside Duhan van der Merwe on the other flank, Blair Kinghorn at fullback and Finn Russell driving the team at fly-half, they have a backline that can produce plenty of points.
Graham, with 29 tries and Van der Merwe with 30 will be battling it out to be Scotland's all-time try scorer until the end of their careers, so expect them to get the most out of each other. There are also a host of players in the squad who are on the cusp of being selected for the Lions this summer, so there is every reason they will all raise their game in the coming weeks.
Why they might not: Scotland's increasingly crowded medical room must prove a real concern for Townsend, who must now do without captain Sione Tuipulotu, Dylan Richardson, Scott Cummings and Josh Bayliss.
The significance of Tuipulotu's abcense cannot be understated: He took on the captaincy in the autumn and made a strong show of his first challenge. Scotland will desperately miss his leadership and experience on and off the pitch at a time when their depleted squad will be robustly tested.
Scotland will play hosts to Ireland, Italy and Wales, but their toughest Tests will come in London and Paris this year. The latter of those two will be on the Championship's final weekend, and Scotland will need to produce a series of superb performances to make that a crowning moment. -- James Regan
France
ESPN's Tom Hamilton and James Regan speak about the importance of having Antoine Dupont back in the French team ahead of their Six Nations game vs. Wales.
Realistic goal: Grand Slam
Why they can achieve it: After an underwhelming 2024 tournament in which they struggled with a World Cup hangover following their disappointing 2023 campaign and missed key players, France should well and truly be back in 2025.
They went unbeaten in the autumn internationals with impressive wins over Argentina and New Zealand and welcomed back Antoine Dupont after his Olympic tilt. This year, fly-half Romain Ntamack also returns, with injuries having kept him out of international rugby since 2023.
They have a dominant scrum, and individual brilliance across the backline, particularly in the form of wingers Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Look for Les Blues to come back with a vengeance this year. They have the potential, and should they beat England at Twickenham, a Grand Slam could be a real possibility as well.
Why they might not: While they have the majority of ingredients that helped them to the Grand Slam in 2022, the Championship is now so strong that any off day will almost certainly be punished.
They have plenty of depth, but England at Twickenham and Ireland in Dublin will test them to the extremes. They have some younger players who, while they have plenty of talent, lack the experience under pressure that comes with a Six Nations tilt. They have the talent on paper to dream big, but making good on those plans could prove difficult. -- James Regan
Italy
Mark O'Connor is joined by ESPN's Tom Hamilton and James Regan to discuss whether Italy can cause major upsets in this season's Six Nations.
Realistic goal: Avoiding the wooden spoon
Why they can achieve it: Italy showed tremendous progress and promise in last year's tournament. They were resilient in defeat against England in the opening game, beat Scotland and Wales and mustered a thrilling draw against France. While bettering that will be a major challenge, they must stay consistent and not take a backward step.
The Azzruri can use their 25th anniversary of being in the competition as strong motivation to show why they deserve to be there, but key players like the returning Giosuè Zilocchi and Stephen Varney, as well as the usual threats of Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Allan and Monty Ioane, will be crucial to their chances of a successful tournament.
Why they might not: Italy's biggest challenge in equalling or going past last year's efforts lies in the strength of the other nations. France, who they snatched a draw against, will be better, Scotland will be desperate to avoid a second straight defeat to Italy, and Wales have no choice but to improve.
Italy are always up against it in such a fiercely competitive tournament, and with four teams who could realistically win the Championship, all the pressure will be on Italy to step up in any way they can. -- James Regan
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