The Six Nations is an international men’s rugby competition between Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France, and Italy. It’s also the oldest rugby championship tournament in the world.
The event originated in 1883 and expanded to its current six-nation form in the year of the millennium.
The competition launched earlier this month on Saturday the 5th of February, in Dublin, with Ireland competing against Wales as the opening event.
The tournament will draw to a close and conclusion on the 19th of March, also referred to as ‘Super Saturday’, and wraps up with three incredibly competitive events that take place one after the other.
Betting Odds to Win
To enjoy the games in all their glory, fans can, if they haven’t already, start placing bets on who they think is likely to win.
As a tip, research the odds for each time on reputable platforms to determine the likelihood they’ll succeed, and the potential return on investment. Many sportsbooks are also offering free bets to be used in sporting events such as the Six Nations.
To date, the latest odds for each nation to win are as follows;
England 11/4
Ireland 9/2
Wales 6/1
Scotland 11/1
France 13/8
Italy 1000/1
And the positions of each nation in the Six Nations table, as of 22nd February 2022, are;
1st – France
2nd – England
3rd – Ireland
4th – Scotland
5th – Wales
6th – Italy
Spectators Options
After two years, the Six Nations has finally returned in 2022. The six stadiums will gladly see the return of lively fans.
For those unable to attend a tournament, each game is available to watch live on either ITV or the BBC.
Here is the schedule for upcoming tournaments;
- Scotland vs France – Saturday 26th February at 2.15 pm
- England vs Wales – Saturday 26th February at 4.45 pm
- Ireland vs Italy – Sunday 27th February at 3 pm
- Wales vs France – Friday 11th March at 8 pm
- Italy vs Scotland – Saturday 12th March at 2.15 pm
- England vs Ireland – Saturday 12th March at 4.45 pm
- Wales vs Italy – Saturday 19th March at 2.15 pm
- Irelan vs Scotland – Saturday 19th March 4.45
- France vs England – Saturday 19th March at 8 pm
France Set to Win the Grand Slam?
This year’s Six Nations first two rounds have passed, and France has gained the lead – the question is, can they keep it up?
In Paris, Les Bleus reigned victorious after a comfortable win over Italy. Then later followed this up by beating Ireland.
France’s undisputed dominance and weight advantage in the game contributed towards defeating Ireland’s rugby team. But strength isn’t the team’s only asset. Shaun Edwards demonstrated excellent leadership over his team, which inevitably led them to victory.
In response to the tournament, Andy Farrell, Ireland’s coach, commented on the performance stating that the team did go to win and believes his team showed great character throughout the game and how proud of them he was.
With France in the lead, fans are excited for the outcome because this could be their first victory since 2010.
As with any sporting event, the odds for teams to win can change dramatically in a short time.
For instance, England could eventually take the lead, because it’s set to bolster its side, with the hopeful inclusion of Manu Tuilagi in this weekend’s game against Wales.
As reported to the Times, Sam Warburton has faith that Tulagi will have a positive impact on the England team believing he is sort of the player you do not want to face.
Warburton speaks from experience after a pre-season game he had with Tullagi when he was a teenager.
Plus, despite England’s rollercoaster ride since the Six Nations began, they still have a strong team who have already collected a sequence of memorable moments. Such as when Ollie Chessum revealed his potential and made an impression, with his first touch of the six nations ball and it being a lineout steal, which was just a few metres from the try line.
In other news, that could change the league tables, Wales’ Rugby team has called Taulupe Faletau to join the squad and replace Christ Tshiunza, who was released due to a hamstring injury.
Whether team England or Wales is likely to win the tournament this weekend is largely undecided. Particularly as Wales has multiple injured players. And both teams are going through a form phase of transition. But with a rivalry between these teams dating back over a century, this is, if nothing else, likely to inspire players to play with heart regardless.
