England captain Maro Itoje leaves the pitch upon being substituted during the Six Nations defeat to Ireland at Twickenham, England. Photo by Brendan Moran/SportsfileIt feels a long time since we were making our pre-Six Nations predictions and for most of us it’d be better if those projections stayed buried deep. This has been the first Six Nations without a break between rounds two and three and it’s been all the better for the new schedule, with the tournament having a real momentum as a result.

Source: Irish Independent February 24, 2026 06:00 UTC