u20 Six Nations - What you need to know

The u20 Six Nations kicks off tomorrow with Ireland and England opening the tournament. On Friday, Scotland takes on Italy while France and Wales play the last match in round 1.

Here are 5 top stats from each clash coming up

Ireland v England

1.Ireland have only suffered one defeat in their last six U20 Six Nations matches against England (W4, D1) and have not lost at home against them since 2017.

2.Ireland are unbeaten in 15 U20 Six Nations matches, winning 13 in a row before drawing with England in round four of last year’s Championship and then beating Scotland in the final round.

3.At home, Ireland are on a 13 game winning streak, with their last defeat on Irish soil coming in 2018, when Wales won a thriller at Donnybrook, 41-38, James Botham and Tommy Reffell among the try-scorers for the visitors that day.

4.England won all three of their away games in the 2024 U20 Six Nations, the first time they’d recorded three away wins in a championship since 2010 (exc. 2021 edition held in Cardiff).

5.Ireland averaged 3.1 points scored per attacking 22 entry in the 2024 U20 Six Nations, the highest rate of any side, however, England conceded just 2.1 per entry in last year’s Championship, the lowest rate of any nation.

Scotland v Italy

1.Italy have won six of their last seven U20 Six Nations matches against Scotland, a one-point defeat in 2020 the only blip in this streak; this run includes victory in their last four meetings, those wins coming by an average margin of 28 points.

2.Scotland have led at half-time in each of their last two clashes with Italy in the U20 Six Nations, going on to lose both matches however, conceding a combined 75 second half points and scoring just seven themselves in those two games.

3.Scotland have picked up just one win in their last 20 U20 Six Nations matches, an 18-17 victory over Wales in 2023 which meant they didn’t pick up the wooden spoon that year, the only exception since 2021 when they’ve not finished bottom of the pile.

4.Italy have picked up six wins across their last 13 away games (L7) in the U20 Six Nations, including wins against Wales, Scotland and France, prior to that they’d picked up just one win in 27 attempts

5.Scotland come into the tournament having lifted the World Rugby U20 Trophy in July last year, hosted in Scotland they won all four of their matches by more than 35 points and secured promotion to the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship in the process.

France v Wales

1.France have won seven of their last eight U20 Six Nations games against Wales, including the last four in a row and they’ve not lost at home in this fixture since 2013.

2.Wales have lost their last seven away games in the U20 Six Nations, their last such victory coming in 2020 at Kingsholm against England, their last three games on the road have seen them lose by an average margin of 35 points.

3.This will be France’s third U20 Six Nations fixture at Stade de la Rabine, home of RC Vannes, they beat England there in 2012 and Wales in 2019; the Welsh also played there in the 2013 Junior World Championship, beating South Africa in the semi-finals before losing to England in the final.

4.France lost all three of their home games in the 2024 Six Nations, as many losses as they’d suffered in their 23 previous such fixtures.

5.Les Bleues lost their final game of the 2024 U20 Championship (31-45 v England), but they’ve not lost consecutive matches in the Championship since a three game streak in 2013.