2025 6Nations - The good and the bad
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The 2025 6Nations went down to the wire, as France snatched the title with a one point difference between second placed England, and two ahead of third placed Ireland. Join us as we take a look at the good and the bad.
The Good - French Dominance
The return of French skipper Antoine Dupont proved to be the missing piece in a perfectly shaped French puzzle. After his international sevens rugby hiatus, Dupont returned to the French sqaud pairing up with fellow halfback and Toulouse team Romain Ntamack. Although Ntamack was hit with a two match ban after recieving a red card against Wales, the two formed what could argurably be the best halfbak combination in test rugby right now. The French also expirimented with the 6-2 split, often used by the reigning world champion Springboks. The move proved to be very vital as a rejuvinated French pack proved to be the difference in all their games. France also managed to score more than 40 points against outgoing champions Ireland, Italy and Wales. The French will now look towards the south, as New Zealand lye waiting in the land of the long white cloud.
The Bad - Welsh Poor Performance
Things have been extremely turbulent for the once dominant nation of Wales, as they again collected the wooden spoon for the second year in a row. Things have not been eay for the Welsh, as they also saw the sacking of long time head coach Warren Gatland after his second tenure with the team, during the competition. This forced Wales to restructure right before a crucial clash with Ireland that they almost won (see highlights below). The Welsh have unfortunately found themselves on the wrong side of history as they suffered a 17th successive defeat, the most for a tier-one nation in the professional era and equalling Scotland's losing streak between 1951 and 1955. This may result in minimal selction and representation for the upcoming British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia.
Extra - Why Sam Prendergast Won Rising Star Award Over Bielle-Biarrey
Louis Bielle-Biarrey had a tournament to remember. The Bordeaux-Bégles winger broke Jacob Stockdale's record for most tries in a Six Nations tournament with 8 tries, with each one coming off the back of his frankly ridiculous pace. His nickname online of "Louis Beep-Beep" is quite apt as he looks like the Road Runner on the pitch as he is able to run around pretty much every player on the pitch.
Prendergast in his own right had a very impressive tournament. The 22-year old looked like a seasoned veteran at out-half as Ireland won 4 of their 5 matches, finishing third in the table. He may not have broken a record like Bielle-Biarrey but in his first tournament Sam Prendergast made a name for himself in international test rugby.
Ireland youngster Sam Prendergast has won the inaugural 2025 BKT Rising Player Award in the Guinness Men's Six Nations Championship!
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 15, 2025
The BKT Rising Player Award was introduced in 2025 to celebrate players who have made significant contributions to their team throughout the… pic.twitter.com/fBpjSKyXsx
