Six Nations

Six Nations Prediction

Find our Topbets Six Nations preview below. There will also be predictions on our site for all matches during the 2024 Six Nations Tournament. 

Presentation of the Six Nations Tournament – Rugby

Six Nations

Six Nations History and Format

Six Nations

The Six Nations Rugby Championship was founded in 1883 by the four Home Nations and has now grown to Europe’s most prestigious rugby tournament. The competition is now contested by England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. The format of the tournament is quite simplistic in nature with each team playing the other over six weeks of competition. During the six weeks each team will have one rest week. After playing each other, the team with the most points after the six rounds will be declared the winner. In the event of a tie the team with the better points differential will be declared the champion. The 130th staging of this elite rugby tournament will be during the period of February 2 to March 16, 2024.

Expert advice for your 6 Nations predictions

Predicting the results of the Six Nations matches is not an easy task and there are many things to consider before the match begins.  Here are some of the key factors that will influence the outcome of a match. Our rugby experts have taken the time to discuss these factors in more detail.

The location of the match

The location of the match will be crucial as the win ratio for teams are above 60% when they play at home. Some teams have excellent home records but the obvious exception is Italy who have lost 16 consecutive Six Nations matches at home. England on the other hand has a fantastic home record but it is important to note that any team is beatable on their day. 

The form of the teams 

The Six Nations is played months after the November internationals so judging a team’s form isn’t the easiest task. Last year after the World Cup, many of the team’s star players either retired or have taken time away from the game. The form of the players is something that must be taken into consideration leading up to the tournament. Injuries to key players could severely dent a team’s performance. 

The playing style of the teams involved 

There are some teams that are more free scoring than others and Scotland springs to mind led by the magician Finn Russell. They like to play a running game but the results are not always in their favour. They will however have one of the more settled squads in this year’s Six Nations as France, England, Wales and Ireland have lost some key players in recent months. 

The usual tactics

The tactics of each team is different and it’s a good idea to know the two teams well before the match starts so you can make a more informed decision before you bet. It will be helpful to know that France favour the set scrum and rolling maul and what is the scrum strength of their opponents? Or can England use their kick and chase game to good effect against a team who are notoriously excellent under the high ball? 

Big name players not available for this year’s competition 

Since the 2023 World Cup, many of the Six Nations teams went through major transitions with player retirements and other players taking a break from the game. Heading into this year’s edition here are some of the biggest names that will not be playing, Ireland Captain and talisman Johnny Sexton has retired from the game. Wales Captain Dan Biggar has also announced his retirement from the game. England Captain Owen Farrell has taken an indefinite break from the game and will not be playing in the 2024 Six Nations. France Captain Anton Dupont has skipped this year’s tournament to focus on playing for the France Sevens team at the Olympics later this year.  

Favourites for the 2024 Title: Ireland

Ireland Grand Slam Championship 2023 | Six Nations

It is hard to look beyond Ireland defending the title but the loss of Johnny Sexton is bound to have major repercussions for the team. They have struggled to find a replacement for him with the likes of Ross Byrne and his brother Harry having little success on the international scene. If either of the brothers can step up this tournament, then they could retain their title. France is the other team that could seriously challenge for the title but the loss of Dupont will be a big hole to fill. Their saving grace is that they have a host of excellent young scrum halves coming through the ranks but it remains to be seen if they can make the step up to the international scene. 

The outsider for the tournament: Scotland 

Our pick for the dark horse has to be Scotland. The Scottish are the most exciting team to watch with their daredevil approach to the game but the results have not gone their way in the major matches. This could be their year especially with the other teams missing key players. The mercurial talent Finn Russell will need to finally fulfil the promise if they are to stake a claim for the title. They certainly have the personnel to do it with the likes of flying wingers Darcy Graham and Duhan Van Der Merwe.  Scotland are certainly worth a wager at 15/1 for the outright win. 

Contenders for the wooden spoon

Italy are again the favourites to finish in sixth place although there has been a resurgence in recent years. They will target their match against Wales as the best opportunity to cause an upset. It will be a major surprise if the Azzurri avoid the wooden spoon in this year’s competition.  

The latest odds on the outright winner for 2024 Six Nations 

  • France 2.10
  • Ireland 2.45
  • England 7.00
  • Scotland 15.00
  • Wales 23.00
  • Italy 501.00