Six Nations 2024 LIVE: England v Italy, Wales and Scotland team names announced

Jack Crowley, flyhalf (Ireland)

Having been capped a few times in the past may help the 24-year-old settle in, but running the show from the start, and likely for the foreseeable future, spells sexton out when he needs a breather. This is a completely different outlook. Fortunately, Crawley has a swagger for someone his age and is capable of commanding an elite squad, as his key role in Munster’s United Rugby Championship victory showed. There were no problems. He scored a drop goal in the 77th minute in the iconic URC win over Leinster in the semi-final, but he will likewise need to show his Irish compatriots that this is what it is now. his team.

Nolan Le Garrec, scrumhalf (France)

It’s a testament to France’s remarkable production line that they can call in two of Europe’s most in-form scrum-halves to compensate for the absence of the world’s best players. Maxime Luk is likely to join his Bordeaux-Begles halfback partner Mathieu Jalibert in the starting lineup in Antoine Dupont’s absence, but Racing 92’s Nolan Le Garrec is likely to come off the bench. It is expected that the number will increase.

Le Garrec, 21, is already in his fourth season as a regular starter in the Top 14 and has shown a complete skill set and serious strength. Although he missed last year’s game against Italy as a substitute, Le Garrec has the talent and temperament to thrive in Test rugby.

Munster wing Calvin Nash and Leinster lock Joe McCarthy will make their Six Nations debuts in Ireland’s Championship opener against France, but center Garry Ringrose will be sidelined with a shoulder problem.

Jack Crowley has been selected as Marseille’s fly-half for Friday night’s curtain-raiser following the retirement of former captain Johnny Sexton after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Andy Farrell’s starting line-up, led by flanker Peter O’Mahony, has made just four changes since Ireland lost 28-24 to New Zealand in the quarter-finals on October 14, with one more change. Robbie Henshaw replaced the absent Ringrose.

Glasgow winger Kyle Rowe is ready to break into Scotland’s starting XI for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener away to Wales in the absence of the injured Darcy Graham. he declared.

The 25-year-old has scored seven tries so far in his first season since rejoining the Warriors following the demise of his former club London Irish last summer, including one for manager Gregor Townsend. That includes three tries in the last two games before joining up with the team.

Edinburgh winger Graham will miss at least the first two games, against Cardiff and at home to France, due to a problem with his quad.

Smith was injured during the team’s training camp in Girona on Monday and is now likely to miss additional matches as England wait for a second opinion on the test results before confirming a return date. There is.

Perhaps not since the People’s Spring of 1848 have we seen such profound changes across Europe at this time of year. The Six Nations has arrived with the winds of change blowing. Never before has this tournament been so defined by absentees.

The start of a new World Cup cycle is always a time for a fresh start, but this year has been a dramatic winter of abdications and coronations. Five of the six participating nations will be under new captains, with familiar faces including Jamie George, Peter O’Mahony, Finn Russell and Gregory Aldritt. Dafydd Jenkins and Rory Darge, not so much.

Four of the flyhalves who finished last year’s tournament as their country’s first choice are absent. Last year, England, Wales and Italy’s all-time record holders took their international retirements, and several more centurions laid down their shields.