2022 Six Nations: France, England and Ireland rise as top contenders

It’s almost time for the 2022 Six Nations Championship! This year’s tournament will mark the 23rd edition of the annual rugby union competition, and the 128th edition including its previous incarnations as the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship. The tournament is scheduled to start on February 5, 2022, and run through March 19, when the final match – a potential Grand Slam showdown – will be played between France and England, at Stade de France, in Saint-Denis.

While every year we hear that the upcoming Six Nations will be particularly interesting, it does seem that this year we’ll see a tough contention, as five of the six teams have demonstrated to be capable of beating each other on any given day.

Wales and Scotland are undoubtedly serious threats – despite their recent poor performances during the Autumn Internationals – with the Scots relying on the great form of Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg to win their first Six Nations title. 

After going undefeated in the Autumn Internationals and defeating all of the Rugby Championship sides, France, England, and Ireland all have strong claims to be the best team in the world right now.

The tournament’s schedule was released on April 28, 2021, and includes a Friday night game for the first time since the first match of the 2019 Six Nations Championship – on March 11, Wales will host France at the MIllennium Stadium, in Cardiff.

After topping the table in the 2021 tournament, Wales enter the tournament as the defending champions, but are only at 7/1 odds to win the title. At 135/100 odds to win the tournament, France are the overwhelming favourites, and sure seem ready to take their first title since 2010. England and Ireland, at 11/4 and 7/2 respectively, are also among the top contenders for the 2022 Six Nations Championship title.

France

Looking to win some silverware after coming very close over the past two seasons, the French are the clear favourites for the 2022 Six Nations title. Fresh off their first win over New Zealand in Paris since 1973, beating the All Blacks in commanding fashion, Les Bleus have been in constant improvement of their youthful squad under Fabien Galthié and their most reliable coaching staff since the La Porte era.

Led by World Rugby Player of the Year Antoine Dupont, and also relying on incredibly talented players such as Romain Ntamack and Gael Fickou, France seem ready to establish themselves as the top side in the Northern Hemisphere.

England

Going through somewhat of a transition period, with potential world-class young players in the likes of Freddie Stewart and Marcus Smith joining established veterans like Tom Curry and Maro Itoje, England’s recent performances would put them behind Ireland in the title race. However, given the fact that they are hosting the Irish in this year’s tournament, the English have a slight upper-hand.

Oddsmakers have England as the second favourites to win the 2022 Six Nations title, and if you’re an England fan, there certainly is reason to be excited about this team. Nevertheless, Eddie Jones’ job might be in jeopardy, since he presided over two 5th place finishes in the last four years, including a disastrous campaign in 2021.

Ireland

With great performances during the Autumn Internationals, which included a 29-20 win over New Zealand – that could have been much wider on the scoreboard – the Irish are certainly looking good heading into the championship. They will likely maintain this form into the Six Nations, ensuring them a solid tournament and at least a third-place finish.

Some of their recent attacking plays – especially against the All Blacks – and their defensive performances have led fans to believe they are close to doing something special this year. But with home advantage likely to be the deciding factor in this year’s tournament, and Ireland visiting both England and France, their chances at a Six Nations title have decreased significantly.

Wales

Even though the Principality Stadium is a tough place to win – and Wales will host France, Scotland, and Italy in this year’s tournament – the Welsh are not expected to put up great performances in the 2022 Six Nations. With disappointing displays during the Autumn Internationals, the defending champions left a lot to be desired in recent months.

However, Wales usually play above themselves in the Six Nations, and their 2021 title is a perfect example of that – despite many fans and pundits suggesting that were it not for red cards they would have lost to both Ireland and Scotland.