i's guide to the Six Nations: match schedule, team guides, predictions and players to watch (2023)

It's that time of year again when rugby union fans plan their weekends 24 hours a daysix nationsthe plan.

BBC and ITV continue to share coverageof the competition that begins withWalesAccommodationIrelandon Saturday February 4th.

The Six Nations conclude on 'Super' Saturday 18th March with a potentially decisive match between Ireland and Ireland in DublinEngland.

HalterFrancehowever, hopes to have closed the title earlier that day, and with oneThe World Cup will be held later this year,Blueshe might make a few stops on his mission to erect a marker.

Here's our team-by-team guide to the Six Nations, with our players from each nation featured below...

England

• Trainer:Steve Borthwick
• captain: Owen Farrell
• Six Nations 2022:3º
• EUpredict: 5ª

After seven years under Eddie Jones, England face a race against time to adapt.A new trainer and a new stylebefore the start of the Rugby World Cup in September.

Steve Borthwick will have to work miracles, then to put England in position to win the Six Nations two months after taking over as Jones' successor. He'll likely go back to basics to do so. Borthwick, who captained England in the Six Nations just 14 years ago, is pretty much everything Jones isn't - reserved, empathetic, down to earth... oh, and English.

They share a common trait when it comes to attention to detail, however, and Borthwick offered an insight into the end of Jones' reign, which didn't survive much beyond a 27-13 loss to South Africa in November.

"The reality is," Borthwick said, "that in the Autumn Series games, when the pressure was really building, when things went wrong or were challenged, the England team didn't have the clarity to move forward."

Borthwick's goal will be to simplify England's game plan, particularly up front, where the crowd needs to be improved and the line-up tightened under a manager who has seen these facets like bread and butter in 57 games for his country.

Borthwicksfirst squad selectionit shows he will opt for form - there have been five uncapped players in his expanded 37-man squad - and he hopes the team will enjoy it more now that the shackles of the Jones era have been removed , free to play.

A first-round loss at home to old opponents Scotland would put Borthwick in trouble early on, however, as Wales are sidelined in the tournament final, France at home and Ireland away are not for the faint of heart.

France

• Trainer:Fabien Galthie
• Captain:Antoine DuPont
• Six Nations 2022:1º
• EUpredict: 2º

What's better than a perfect year? That's the only real question for manager Fabien Galthié after his team peaked in 2022 by ending a calendar year of Test rugby on a perfect winning tally for the first time.

Ten straight wins extended France's total streak to 13, a streak that includes wins against every other top 10. But Galthié has his eye on the biggest prize of all, the Rugby World Cup, which slipped past Les Tricolores after three final defeats.

France are currently the most feared team in world rugby but Galthie needs to keep up the pace. For that, he says, he needs to make some changes.

So he instructed defensive coach Laurent Labit to improve the team's attacking game after narrow victories last November against Australia (30-29) and world champions South Africa (30-26).

"Maybe we need to use the ball more in all areas of the field now," Labit said. That means Thomas Ramos is expected to be replaced by Melvyn Jaminet as central defender in Italy on February 5.

A disciplined penalty taker, Jaminet has a fantastic reach that Galthié describes as "the longest and tallest on the international circuit". But Ramos (below) is better on the ball and a quick, elusive runner.

His presence gives France an unpredictable advantage to complement the better halves: Antoine Dupont, best player in the world 2021 and Romain Ntamack.

Speed, Dexterity, Accuracy, Talent. They will likely be paired throughout the tournament with the World Cup in mind. But Ntamack will be under constant pressure from the silky Matthieu Jalibert, who would be used at most other sides.

Ethan Dumortier, top scorer in the top 14, could start on the left against the Scots as Gabin Villière is still recovering from a broken tibia. With injured lockout Cameron Woki out for the entire tournament, his place has to go to Thibaud Flament.

The versatile Yoram Moefana is expected to switch from the wing to the center to replace the injured Jonathan Danty.

Italy

• Trainer:Kieran Crowley
• Captain:Michele Lamaro
• Six Nations 2022:6º
• EUpredict: 6º

It's still about small steps. Coach Kieran Crowley believes they are three to four years from peak due to the team's limited experience. A dozen players are still in the single digits.

The team isn't as smart as the others, Crowley says. But for the first time in nine years, Italy will start a championship with a win.

In the closing moments of last March's preliminary round in Cardiff, defender Ange Capuozzo scored from midfield, punching Josh Adams to break free and sending winger Edoardo Padovani to the post. Paolo Garbisi converted the winner as Italy celebrated their first Six Nations win since 2015 and their first for Wales. Italy were still bottom for the seventh straight year, but their 36-game losing streak was now over.

Progress was evident with victories over Australia and Samoa in the autumn. Captain Michele Lamaro says the results have given Italy a firm belief in the path chosen by Crowley. He adds that his main goals are not to concede goals from errors and to stay in the fight until the end of games.

As usual, Italy will not be favorites in any game. Crucially, they are absent at least in the early rounds without Garbisi, rower Toa Halafihi, who was among the turnover leaders in 2022, hookers Gianmarco Lucchesi and Hame Faiva and winger Montanna Ioane (until after Super Rugby). On the positive side, Jake Polledri, Marco Riccioni and Matteo Minozzi recalled.

Ireland

• Trainer:Andy Farell
• Captain:Jonathan Kuster
• Six Nations 2022:2º
• EUpredict: 1º

The Irish are keen on a bumpy trip to Wales - they haven't won a league game in Cardiff for 10 years - but France's visit to the second round is likely to decide the fate of the trophy.

Last year's Round 2 clash in Paris decided the championship and lived up to the hype. France got off to an impressive start to move up to 22-7 early in the second half. Ireland struggled to lose 22-21 but France closed 30-24.

France were also responsible for Ireland's last home defeat two years ago. Ireland start the year as world number one and manager Andy Farrell wants them to face the pressure of living up the rankings.

"The pressure is more internal than anything else," says Farrell. “When pressure comes from the outside, it's good for us to be able to handle it. We want to improve for what's to come (the Rugby World Cup) for obvious reasons and dealing with a different kind of pressure will be invaluable for us going forward."

The Ireland national team is in good shape. Captain Jonathan Sexton and Tadhg Furlong recovered from injuries in time this month and James Lowe is available after missing the autumn games. Robbie Henshaw will be there for the rear end after suffering a wrist injury.

As Ireland overtook South Africa and Australia in the autumn to extend their home win streak to a record 12 games, Farrell was pleased his side were finding ways to win under pressure. This Six Nations will be Sexton's 14th and last, and will be retired after the Rugby World Cup. He has won the championship three times: "You want to make the best of every opportunity and it's such a special tournament," says Sexton (left). "It's very difficult to win.

"You talk about how many titles Ireland has won in the last 20 or 30 years, it's not that many."

Near misses since Ireland's last title in 2018 include 2020 when the men in green reached the finals at the top of the standings and 2022 when they finished runners-up to France.

The French are Ireland's biggest hurdle again with a clash at Lansdowne Road on February 11.

Full Six Nations 2023 schedule

round 1

• Wales x Irland- Saturday 4 February 2.15pm - BBC
• england vs scotland- Sat 4 Feb 4.45pm - ITV
• Italy vs France- Sun 5 February 3pm - ITV

2nd round

• Ireland x France- Sat 11 Feb 2.15pm - ITV
• Scotland vs Wales- Sat 11 Feb 4.45pm - BBC
• england vs italy- Sun 12 Feb 3pm - ITV

round 3

• Italy vs Ireland- Sat 25 Feb 2.15pm - ITV
• Wales x England- Sat 25 Feb 4.45pm - BBC
• france vs scotland- Sun 26 February 3pm - ITV

round 4

• Italy vs Wales- Sat Mar 11 2.15pm - ITV
• england vs france- Sat Mar 11, 4.45pm - ITV
• scotland v ireland- Sun 12 March 3pm - BBC

round 5

• scotland vs italy- Sat 18 Mar 12.30pm - BBC
• France vs Wales- Sat Mar 18, 4.45pm - ITV
• Irland x England- Sat Mar 18 5pm - ITV

Scotland

• Trainer: Gregor Townsend
• Captain:Jamie Ritchie
• Six Nations 2022:4º
• EUpredict: 3º

Scotland, under Gregor Townsend, failed to break through the midfield ceiling with third, fifth, fourth, fourth and fourth place finishes.

Under his stewardship, Scotland have averaged 12 wins, 12 losses and an unforgettable 38-38 draw. In addition to a perfect record against Italy, Scotland have beaten England with three wins and the aforementioned draw. But the team has struggled to stay consistent and has fallen behind over the past year.

The Scots have only had two straight league wins in 2018 and 2020. They start at Twickenham, where they won their opener in 2021. But Townsend is careful.

The 2021 win was in front of empty stands amid the coronavirus pandemic. Twickenham will not be empty this time and Scotland have a sad record of hostile and noisy stadiums. They also imploded by committing 61 penalties in the last Six Nations.

The fall results were so-so. They lost to Australia, overtook Fiji, got another 80-minute lesson from New Zealand and took years to subdue a 14, sometimes 12-man Argentina.

On the plus side, after six straight Tests in which he was dropped, rested or unwanted, Finn Russell was recalled and attacked the line. Also back and at the top was the uncompromising workhorse Jamie Ritchie, whose authority was severely undermined after a tournament-ending Achilles tendon injury in last year's opening round.

Wales

• Trainer:Warren Gatland
• Captain:Ken Owens
• Six Nations 2022:5ª
• EUpredict: 4º

Not for the first time, Welsh rugby is hota mess. At club level, the four professional regions of Wales - Cardiff, Ospreys, Dragons and Scarlets - have been hit by a recruitment freeze as they are yet to reach a new financial agreement with Welsh Rugby Union, raising concerns about the top players whose existing contracts are coming to an end phased out this season may leave Wales.

At board level, the WRU is under close scrutinyAllegations of a culture of sexism and discriminationfollowing complaints from former employees. Then there's the national side, which have slipped to ninth in the world and lost three of their four internationals in the autumn, including one against Georgia, prompting the departure of coach Wayne Pivac.

However, all hope is not lost. Coming to the rescue - Welsh rugby is praying anyway - is Warren Gatland, back in charge of the national team for a second term. In his early days from 2008 to 2019, Wales won four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and reached the World Cup semi-finals twice. Regarded as one of the best rugby coaches in the world, he will need to summon some magic to get Wales back competitive at the top of the sport. He doesn't have much time either – the Rugby World Cup starts in eight months.

"We have a new coaching staff that we need to break in to in a short period of time," says Gatland, "and the most important thing is that we create clarity about how we want to coach the team."

Six Nations players in mind

By Rhys Jones

Nolann Le Garrec (France)

The odds of Nolann Le Garrec, or frankly anyone, beating France's Antoine Dupont are slim to zero.

Few rugby players enjoy the job security that Toulouse's scrum half has. It's just part of being one of the greatest rugby players in the world.

But the France captain's glittering career doesn't detract from the fact that Le Garrec is a hugely promising prospect himself, with the potential to fill Dupont's replacement in a position where France have ridiculous depth.

Le Garrec is a high-profile figure in his own right, but his quick entry into France's Round 23 means the styles and qualities Fabien Galthié has to choose from among his centre-backs are immense.

While Dupont's style is based on opportunism and improvisation, Le Garrec can take a more pragmatic approach and be a strategist in the mold of Morgan Parra. He could be the perfect counterpoint to Dupont's chaos when France needs a credible option, especially as the opposition's defense know pressure on Dupont is key to stopping France.

But like Dupont, the youngster has the raw speed and intuition to unleash a moment of creativity on a broken pitch or dodge opposing defenses when needed. His mix of caution and inventiveness makes him a good match for any of Galthié's favorite midfielders - Romain Ntamack or Matthieu Jalibert.

Top 14 observers may have noticed that Montpellier's Léo Coly, another high-potential French scrum half, has likely outscored Le Garrec in form this season, but evidence is in Racing 92's recent Champions Cup games against Leinster and Harlequins probably turned the fight in favor of Le Garrec.

Despite losing to Leinster and being eliminated from the tournament, the nine youngsters, along with Finn Russell, managed the game incredibly well, with his side two points behind Leinster at half-time. He also demonstrated his impressive kicks and charges.

But it was last week's game against the Harlequins that showed the composure he has. With 12 men on the field and two points off the scoreboard late in the game, Racing won a penalty from about 40 yards out. With Russell at Sinbin, Le Garrec rushed to the tee and shot the ball over the far post, snatching victory from Quins and cementing his claim to a place on Galthié's team.

A lot has to happen before anyone can defeat Dupont, but if Le Garrec gets his chance to shine at this year's tournament, you can bet he'll raise some eyebrows.

Joe Hawkins (Wales)

Warren Gatland, for whom he is known, announced his Wales squad for Ireland earlier this week and the words 'same but different' spring to mind.

Players like Leigh Halfpenny and Alun Wyn Jones, whose time in the starting XI was recently up, are making a comeback.

While balancing the experience, "Gats" relied on young Rio Dyer and Jac Morgan. Morgan has built an ever-growing reputation, while Dyer is one of the country's most promising sprinters, making his debut against the All Blacks with a wonderful try back in the fall.

Nestled in the middle is Joe Hawkins, a lesser-known product who played against the Wales Under-20s at Colwyn Bay last year. Now the young full-back meets an Irish side who are among the top two teams in the world and have made just four appearances for the Ospreys this season.

He started at 12 against the Wallabies late in the autumn campaign as Wales gambled away a 21-point lead in Cardiff and an already dismal year fell into disaster, leading to the termination of Wayne Pivac. But Hawkins (below) was solid in Welsh midfield and displayed the ball-carrying acumen Ospreys fans are familiar with.

“Being included in the wider roster was a bit unexpected as I didn't play many minutes for the Ospreys. I like playing ball on the field as a center. I think what Wayne saw was my ability to play both a ten and a twelve when needed, offering something different and I will always be grateful to him. said Hawkins.

The 20-year-old is an all-rounder and could be the Swiss army knife Wales have been looking for since Hadleigh Parkes left for Japan after the 2019 World Cup Gatland, while his underrated physique and surprisingly large boot matched the skillful versatility of Gavin Henson and James Reflect Hook who can play in midfield as well as midfield.

Quality midfielders are few and far between, but Wales have struggled to forge an elite midfield partnership of late.

The physical threat Hawkins offers could be perfect for the way Gatland usually likes to play, where a ball-carrying center is an essential part of a plan that builds on the fundamentals and pushes past the payline.

"I thought Joe was really, really good in that game against Australia," Gatland said. “He is a very organized football player and makes very good decisions.

“There was real competition in this position. Keiran Williams has been in the spotlight for the past week. He will also get a chance in this campaign.”

Ben Healy (Scotland)

Ben Healy, one of many up-and-coming Munster players looking to make his mark in the Six Nations this year, made the switch from Shamrock to Thistle after being signed by Gregor Townsend to replace the injured Adam Hastings.

Healy, who joins Edinburgh next season, represented Ireland U20 but qualified for Scotland through his grandparents.

He was a key player in Ireland U20, securing a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019 and has been a very reliable option for Munster in recent seasons.

Surprisingly, at 47, he has the same number of provincial appearances as Joey Carberry, which shows the amount of experience he has gained and the confidence Munster has in him.

However, the development of Jack Crowley and his choice for the nascent Ireland tour opened the door for Healy to jump to Scotland after initial talks with Townsend. The Scottish manager was full of praise for his new signing and supported his performance.

"He's a really (intelligent) rugby player systemically, connected, has a strong shooting game and has real physical potential in both defense and attack," said Townsend.

"So he's going to bring depth to that position and create real competition for the 10's that we have on our team."

Healy will be a welcome addition to the fly-half hierarchy in dire need of a reliable replacement for Russell.

Hastings' injury problem is worrying and Blair Kinghorn can fill in for him if necessary, but this
The introduction of another specialist 10 like Healy will add an atmosphere of stability that Scotland desperately need when they are missing Russell.

Russell, who was recently asked about Healy following Racing's loss to Leinster at the Aviva, is looking forward to racing with 10 others and is hoping to bring some insider knowledge of Ireland to the Scottish camp.

"There's always competition and Ben, coming from Munster, will bring a different vision of the game and how we can play.

"It will be nice to work with him and work together on what we can build in the Scotland national team."

“He knows the Irish mentality very well, he's from here, so playing in France will help us and me. the team,” added Russell.

While some may have doubted Healy's Scottish ambitions, the 23-year-old has all the skill, experience and winning credentials to fly his flag as Edinburgh's first-choice midfielder.

That could make him an important part of a Scotland squad that needs depth ahead of the World Cup in France later this year.

Jack Crowley (Irlanda)

For the past 20 years, the Ireland half-shirt has been firmly owned by Ronan O'Gara and Johnny Sexton, two men who stand for the shirt.

The Irish were lucky that Sexton was there while O'Gara disappeared, ready to rip his shirt off his back and make it his own.

But the search for Sexton's successor did not go so smoothly. The likes of Jack Carty and Billy Burns were once snubbed as potential substitutes and Joey Carberry seemed destined for the spot, from his standout performance under Joe Schmidt to his departure from the Six Nations squad of the year, with club-mate Jack Crowley -O passed.

Crowley's inclusion represents his natural ascent to a green jersey. He clinched a treble with Ireland at the 2020 Six Nations U20 Championship, which included a stunning one-on-one attempt against Scotland he started as a 22-year-old. From there he was in the burgeoning Irish side that toured South Africa where Crowley was beginning to attract attention.

After the South African tour, he was called up to the Ireland A-squad, which faced the All Blacks XV in the RDS, and received his first senior call-up shortly thereafter.

The Munster 10 replaced the injured Küster in the autumn and started against the Wallabies, a development he only caught sight of about 20 minutes before kick-off. So late that Crowley was forced to wear the same shirt that Sexton was supposed to wear.

The veteran fly-half praised the youngster at this year's Six Nations start, saying: "He was excellent. He didn't give me the shirt back!

But in what was arguably the most pressured match of his career, Crowley was calm but not afraid to step in when things heated up.

He scored a penalty and converted Bundee Aki's attempt before leaving the field for Ross Byrne in the 72nd minute.

The 23-year-old has garnered enthusiastic endorsements from the likes of CJ Stander and Munster head coach Graham Rowntree, with the former label seen as 'the next big 10'.

Stander added: "He has to face Byrne as Sexton's back-up this year but if he can emulate the leadership he exudes in a Munster shirt he will be fine."

Ange Capuozzo (Italy)

This choice is obvious. Ange Capuozzo has been getting stronger and stronger over the past 12 months. He impressed so much at Pro D2 in Grenoble that he was transferred to Toulouse at the end of last season and made his debut appearance for the national team at last year's Six Nations.

The youngster scored twice on his debut against Scotland which added to the excitement he entered the game with. But it was his second appearance where he grabbed the headlines as Italy came from behind against Wales in Cardiff, ending a 36-game Six Nations losing streak.

In the final moments of the game, the defender launched a sizzling run from his own half, past several Welsh defenders and breaking through a tackle before sending in a pass for Edoardo Padavani to score and Paolo Garbisi to convert, beating Wales by a point. His performance was so important that even Welsh winger Josh Adams was impressed and presented the Italian with his Man of the Match award after the final whistle.

The Italian's magical moments didn't stop there as he scored three tries in Italy's autumn campaign. Once against world champions South Africa and twice against Australia, who won Italy by a single point, defeating the Wallabies for the first time ever. A few days later, Capuozzo won World Rugby's Men's 15s Player of the Year award.

He's a toxic runner with deadly pace and tricks to burn through defenders. He also has a high average number of touches for a player who works mainly on the wings, which shows how important he is to Italy and how his style of play is evolving.

Whenever Capuozzo gets his hands on the ball, there's an exhilarating sense of anticipation that he can create a moment out of nothing. It's a similar feeling to watching Cheslin Kolbe in the two years he enjoyed immense success with South Africa and Toulouse.

Now Capuozzo is in Toulouse, in the midst of a legion of world stars, contesting the number 15 with Melvyn Jaminet and Thomas Ramos. Don't be fooled by her comparatively modest stature. He is of a similar form to Scotsman Darcy Graham, carrying heavy with limited weight and size and consistently attacking men twice his height.

He already has the approval of Italy's greatest player, Sergio Parisse, who said in an interview with Midi Olympique: "The Italian team have some interesting 'X-factors' in their three-quarter line-up, starting with Ange Capuozzo."

Ollie Hassell-Collins (Inglaterra)

Few players deserve an England debut more than 24-year-old Ollie Hassell-Collins. The Irish sprinter from London was part of the team commanded by Eddie Jones but missed a cap.

Now he appears ready to play on the wing against Scotland in the Six Nations and it's no surprise considering he's one of the most consistent players in the Premier League.

With eight tries in the league so far this year, Hassell-Collins has deadly pace and impressive finishing ability.

Beneath the sleek blonde locks and boyish grin lies an incessant urge to get better. London's Irish fans had a front row seat to the youngster's diligence and determination when it comes to the difficult transplant of their own progress.

New England coach Steve Borthwick and defensive lieutenant Kevin Sinfield were equally effusive in their praise of the winger and his game, with the two reportedly being big fans of his defensive stats, shot quality and high-ball reliability.

"That was nice to hear," Hassell-Collins said of the award, speaking to the Daily Mail. "I don't know if my defense has improved, but this year I've put on more weight and muscle which means I'm more confident in being able to hit dominant shots."

Indeed, it was a single tackle that drew Sinfield's defensive prowess in December's 29-20 victory over the Saracens. Which led Borthwick to joke that Sinfield had shown him the clip "at least five times."

The clip in question not only featured a brilliant tackle against the Saracens' Jackson Wray, but also highlighted the defensive breaking effort the winger incorporated hard into his game - all too aware that wingers were being passed over for fear of his defensive weakness .

But that's no distraction from your razor-sharp attacking game. He's a dangerous attacking runner with underrated power and stunning footwork that has helped him become one of the Premiership's most devastating wingers.

It's qualities that are likely to have persuaded Borthwick to lure the London Ireland winger to Leicester Tigers later this season and it will come as no surprise if he shows confidence in a player who was keen to get his hands on him. at club level.

In addition to his work rate on defending and finishing, he's a surprisingly skilled marksman with a powerful left boot who can pull his team out of trouble and unleash one attack at a time.

There are few things in rugby more exciting than a brand new winger charging onto the stage with a handful of tries.

With that in mind, Hassell-Collins has every reason to end this year's tournament with a collection of wonderful results and even more recognition than he already has.