The 2026 Six Nations has left everyone guessing, tearing up the pre-tournament script and making anyone who dares to predict anything look foolish. The final piece awaits the decisive “Super Saturday” when history will be made…
Borthwick fights for the future
England, who had been tipped as title contenders before the tournament, now faces the harsh reality that unless they meet expectations against title-chasing France, they will suffer the worst defeat in the history of the Six Nations and end up with a sole victory.
England manager Steve Borthwick heads to the Stade de France with his future on the line after a landmark first defeat to Italy on Round 4.
Borthwick is confident he has made the necessary adjustments, but they needed proof of their comeback against France and another heavy defeat is likely to test the RFU’s patience ahead of the post-Championship debrief.
The fate of the title is in France’s hands.
France’s crushing 50-40 defeat at Murrayfield last Saturday could be bad news for England and anyone hoping for an upset in Paris.
Fabian Galthie’s team had their hopes of qualifying for a Grand Slam dashed last time, but now they have a clear goal in mind. His goal was to inflict maximum damage on Le Crunch in order to protect his title.
The fate of the championship is in their hands and it’s difficult to look beyond Les Bleus’ successful title defense, considering they know exactly what they need when they step on the field.
France have set the pace throughout the Six Nations and a good result would underline their status as the dominant force in Northern Hemisphere rugby.
If France stumbles, will it be Ireland or Scotland?
In a fascinating three-way battle for the title, Ireland and Scotland will go head-to-head in Dublin for the Triple Crown and the chance to reach the top of the Championship table.
The winner will need England to pull off a big surprise in Paris in the Super Saturday finale to prevent Galthie’s return to the top for the defending champions.
What will happen to the Six Nations standings ahead of ‘Super Saturday’?
Ireland manager Andy Farrell insists that “anything can happen” in the final round and believes underdog England can give his side or Scotland a better result against France.
Asked if England had what it takes to shock the Stade de France, Farrell said: “Of course. Look at the results of the competition. Of course, 100 per cent yes.”
“Everyone knows the players they have, the coaching staff and what they’re capable of. And if there’s any injury to the team, you never know what’s going to happen.
“We’re in a great position as a neutral country to watch the Six Nations this weekend. But there’s nothing surprising. It’s exactly the same as last weekend.”
History beckons to Scotland
Scotland’s sensational Six Nations could reach an even bigger peak in Dublin
Forget about the Six Nations title.
As Gregor Townsend is at pains to point out, the title is out of Scotland’s hands. France will only be awarded the title if they score more match points against Ireland in Dublin than they had against England in Paris.
Even if Scotland miss out on their first Six Nations title, history still beckons to Townsend’s side on many levels.
If he wins, he will become the first Triple Crown champion since 1990. This is a generation-defining victory for Scottish rugby and Townsend’s tenure. There is also an opportunity to end Ireland’s dominance of the game and exorcise Dublin’s demons.
Scotland have lost 11 times against Ireland, their last win coming nine years ago, and they haven’t won in the Irish capital since 2010 at Croke Park.
It goes without saying how important a title-clinching victory would be, but there’s still a lot more to come.
Can Wales end the drought?
Wales aim for first Six Nations win in three years after 15 consecutive defeats
Saturday’s kick-off against Italy in Cardiff will mark 1,099 days since Wales last tasted victory in the Six Nations.
Since defeating Italy in March 2023, Wales have lost 15 straight Championship games in three barren years, their worst run in the competition’s history.
Wales conceded 102 goals in their opening games against England and France, but have shown signs of recovery under manager Steve Tandy, and have made significant progress in their last two matches against Scotland and Ireland.
Scotland came within five minutes of defeat in Cardiff to win 26-23, while Wales came within a point of Ireland with four minutes remaining in last weekend’s 27-17 defeat in Dublin.
Italy head to Cardiff with perhaps their biggest win in their history after defeating England, but will be expected to combine the positive elements from Wales’ campaign to produce a complete performance that will allow them to finish the competition on a high.
