5 Bold Predictions for the 2025 Men's Guinness Six Nations

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As the anticipation continues to build around the 2025 Men’s Guinness Six Nations, the battles lines are being drawn for the start of the upcoming Championship. With just over three weeks to go before France and Wales ignite the competition on Friday 31st January in Paris, we’ve dusted off the crystal ball to make some bold predictions for the tournament.

What makes the Six Nations such an attraction is the unpredictability of the competition, with even the most unlikely result proving possible should fortune favour the brave. Ireland and France and once again the front-runners for this years Grand Slam, with the nations ranked at second and fourth in the official World Rugby standings. Ireland are out to make history, as should they win the competition for the third year in a row, it will be the first three-peat of victories from any side since the tournament expanded to include Italy in 2000.

So, before the competition kicks off in the French capital, as Fabien Galthie’s Blues host Warren Gatland’s fire-breathing Dragons, lets lay out our five bold predictions for the tournament. Be wary that the following predictions do fluctuate in likelihood, but then again, that’s what separates a bold prediction from a sure-fire bet. Here’s what we think could unfold across February and March’s blockbuster competition.

1. England shock the world with an opening round win in Dublin

Picture the scene, it is 18-18 at the Aviva Stadium, with less than a minute left on the clock. England have pressure on the Irish 22m, and everyone in Dublin’s riverside stadium watches on with baited breath. The ball pops back to Marcus Smith, and in a mirror image of last year’s dramatic finale at Twickenham, he nails a dramatic match-winning drop goal to silence the sea of green jerseys.

Whilst we appreciate that it is unlikely for lightning to quite literally strike twice, England could well shock the rugby world with an opening round win to kick-start their competition. Steve Borthwick’s side are by no means a world away from such a victory, having fallen twice at the final hurdle against the All Blacks and Wallabies in the latest Autumn Nations Series. The potential is certainly there for England to take the proverbial scalps of their top tier opponents, and Borthwick will be determined for an unexpected win upon the Emerald Isle.

Had George Ford’s last ditch penalty or subsequent drop goal gone through the posts, England would have secured a colossal win over New Zealand. Likewise, had Maro Itoje not knocked-on the re-start after scoring the last-ditch try, the Australians would not have regained possession for Max Jorgensen’s winning try. Test match rugby is celebrated a contest that’s decided by the fine margins, and should England fall on the right side of such margins on Feburary 1st, we could well see some another underdog win against the Irish.

Whilst there is never a ‘perfect’ time to take on Ireland, the opening round of the 2025 Six Nations could well catch a re-structured side off-guard. The aura of Ireland dwindled throughout the latest Autumn Nations Series, after succumbing to a defeat against New Zealand, and narrowly scraped unconvincing wins over Australia and Argentina.

Andy Farrell has also stepped away from his head coach role to focus upon his British & Irish Lions responsibilities, and will be absent from an Ireland coaching box for the first time since 2016. The pressure will be firmly upon the shoulders of Intirim head coach Simon Easterby, as even the subtlest of disjointed defensive structures could open the door for England to strike.

2. France win the 2025 Men’s Six Nations Championship

France are in search of their first Men’s Six Nations title since 2022, having finished second behind Ireland in the latest two competitions. Fabien Galthie’s men have built some meteoric momentum heading into the tournament, as Les Bleus ended the Autumn Nations Series as the only undefeated Six Nations side. France recorded solid wins over Japan and Argentina, yet the stand out triumph of last November was the seismic 30-29 victory over the All Blacks.

It was an incredible night in the Stade de France, as Galthie’s men tied the record for French men’s home wins against the All Blacks, in what was their third consecutive home victory against New Zealand. France looked to have solidified their claim for the 2025 Six Nations title, with Galthie nailing down his strongest side, after experimenting with some breakthrough talents on the 2024 Summer tour of Argentina. France handed Los Pumas an emphatic 37-23 defeat in the Autumn, which was a far cry from the drawn two-match series in Buenos Aires.

Leading the French push to reclaim their men’s Six Nations crown will of course be Antoine Dupont, as the player widely regarded as the best in the world, has slotted seamlessly back into life in rugby union. Having led the France Sevens side to their first Olympic Gold Medals this past Summer, Dupont is adamant to win more hardware in Paris. A recent spanner in the works for Fabien Galthie is the injury absence of Charles Ollivon, as the back row injured his right knee on Top 14 duty with RC Toulon.

However, looking across at the 2025 Six Nations playing field, and France would be backed as comfortable favorites against four of their five incoming opponents. There are no prizes for guessing who could potentially deny Les Bleus the clean sweep of the victories, yet we believe that France’s stacked deck of talent have what it takes to win them the 2025 Six Nations title.

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