2022 Six Nations: Round 1 Predictions

The flagship Northern Hemisphere rugby competition kicks off this weekend, which is always an exciting time for fans, marking the beginning of the end of winter, any thoughts of dry January long gone, and 15 Test matches to look forward to.

There’s also a hint that the Rugby will be more entertaining to watch this year, as the teams keep the ball in hand more often, and adapt to the impact of the 50/22 rule.

This could all make it tougher to predict, but I’ll be doing my best each week.

Here are my Six Nations Predictions for Round 1.

Ireland v Wales

Wales are the reigning Six Nations champions, but few people are giving them any chance of winning in Dublin. Whilst there was an element of luck in Wales’ tournament win last season, it seems that luck is against them this year. Ken Owens, Alun Wyn Jones, Josh Navidi, George North and Leigh Halfpenny are all absent, whilst Ireland will be at full strength.

They’ll also be eyeing up for revenge for last year’s narrow defeat in Cardiff, when Peter O’Mahony was sent off early. On paper it looks like a straightforward pick, particularly after Ireland’s impressive autumn campaign, and they should win by a couple of scores. Ireland by 13

Scotland v England

England were awful in last year’s tournament, which included a defeat to Scotland at Twickenham on their way to finishing fifth. Eddie Jones has been forced into several changes though, notably with Marcus Smith at fly-half, and his propensity to attack rather than kick led to some improved performances in the autumn, including a win over the Springboks. But it’s still a team that looks a little green, and a wet day at Murrayfield will be quite a challenge.

The Scots have also kicked on since last year, earning a win over the Wallabies and performing well in defeat to South Africa, and having beaten England last season, they’ll be relishing this Calcutta Cup to open the tournament. Given the weather forecast and the inexperience in England’s ranks, I can see another Scottish win in the rain. Scotland by 4

France v Italy

Italy had a torrid tournament last year, but there are whispers that we might see signs of improvement this year. It won’t be anywhere near enough to beat France of course, but their defence is likely to be much stronger and they shouldn’t leak so many easy points. France are tournament favourites though, and should still win this comfortably. It might take a little while to click for the French, but they should win by plenty. France by 28