Six Nations 2024 LIVE: France vs Ireland build-up and England, Wales and Scotland team news

During the World Cup, Ireland had an undesirable record of never winning in the knockout stages after topping their group, and suffered a heartbreaking defeat to New Zealand in a thrilling quarter-final. Zombies jumped out of the system. whistle.

lb: England could do serious damage with their destructive ball-running if Chandler Cunningham-South or Ethan Roots run out, but it’s another Scottish player in the back row. andy christie People I root for to make an impact. The Saracens star has several international caps but is only now returning to his best form after missing out on the World Cup with a broken arm. There is competition for Scotland’s back-row, but Christie has had a strong career and is a master chop tackler, and his string of man-of-the-match performances against Sarries shows the impact he can have. There is.

HLC: Emmanuel Mairfoux. Mairfoux’s long-awaited French debut is likely to be delayed due to injury, but the Giants’ second row is already one of Europe’s best and should boost Fabien Galthie’s tight five once he recovers. Dexterous, dynamic, and destructive, Meafou is a mountain of a guy, but what stands out is his soft touch and great off-field performance backed by true breakdown acumen. Load his game.

Gregor Townsend has defended Scotland’s decision to keep the roof of the Principality Stadium open for the Guinness Six Nations opener in Cardiff.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland called the decision “unfortunate” and said it would affect the atmosphere and noise at the 74,500-capacity stadium.

Tournament regulations stipulate that both parties must agree to close the roof.

Scotland head coach Townsend said: “I thought I had 48 hours to make a decision but I was told on Wednesday that I had to make a decision.

lb: Hugo Keenan could cement his place as the world’s best full-back with another dominant championship, but it’s another Irish star, No.8 keiran doris Who can have the biggest impact on the team I choose to win the tournament? With Antoine Dupont, who has been an official player for the championship for three of the past four years, absent this time around, a world-class game-destroyer like Doris will be on his way to the Jackal, Carry, and the Prize. I will walk.

England, Ireland, Wales and France are all likely to have new captains, while Italy will start under manager Gonzalo Quesada after a change of managers after the tournament.

Scotland will be hoping to build on their third-place finish a year ago in what is believed to be an open version of one of rugby’s oldest championships.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Luke Baker: The Six Nations could be over after just 80 minutes of play… Of course this is an exaggeration, but France vs. France Ireland On opening night, Friday 2nd February, the competition will begin in Marseille with two of the best teams going head-to-head. In the past two Six Nations, the winner of this match lifted the trophy, while the loser ultimately finished second to him with an otherwise perfect record. It is up to the other four countries to show that this will not happen again. Les Bleus (Antoine Dupont) and the Men in Green (Johnny Sexton) have both lost their talismans since the World Cup, but despite having questions to answer, their team still remains ahead of the rest. Are better. Normally this match would be won by the home team, but given France’s injury concerns, I believe Andy Farrell’s relentless green machine can emerge victorious on their way to the title.

Harry Latham-Coyle: The opening match feels like a de facto deciding match, but I have secret doubts. England Maybe just nick it. It’s been a good start for Steve Borthwick’s side, who have to deal with their duties in Rome and the game against Wales at Twickenham, but it feels like they’re overdue for a good performance in the Calcutta Cup. That will give them confidence and bite heading into the game against Ireland and the trip to Lyon. A win in one of the two games and a bonus point in the other could be enough.

These two were the defining team of the last World Cup cycle, and they have meticulously built their contenders in hopes of ending their disastrous run in the tournament. France manager Fabien Galthie and Ireland manager Andy Farrell have identified areas that need improvement, addressed them appropriately and introduced key personnel to increase depth. They entered and exited the World Cup with few glaring weaknesses. Either one would be a worthy winner.

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.