Six Nations Predictions – Round 2

Saturday’s battle for the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield is the meat in the middle of a gourmet sandwich, with Ireland kicking things off against Italy in Dublin earlier in the day and Wales and France wrapping up the round in Cardiff on Sunday.

Ireland v Italy

Saturday, 14 February – 16:10

Last Thursday’s Paris opener proved how far Ireland have fallen. Fittingly, their 36-14 defeat to France saw the Irish drop to fifth in the World Rugby rankings, a position they last occupied in March 2022.

Italy, on the other hand, are on a high following their 18-15 victory over Scotland, which moved them up a spot in the rankings at the Scots’ expense to ninth place.

The Azzurri will have a genuine belief that they can pull off a second upset in as many weeks. A win at the Aviva Stadium would be just their fifth-ever against the Irish, and the first since a 22-15 triumph in Rome back in 2013.

Some will be tempted to put a flutter on the Azzurri to win, but I won’t be one of them. After the nightmare start at the Stade de France, I expect Ireland to storm out of the gates like Leinster are renowned to do, and go on from there to bounce back.

Prediction: Ireland by 14.

Suggested Bet: Italy +19 at 1.90.

Scotland v England

Saturday, 14 February – 18:40

Rocked in Rome and with coach Gregor Townsend’s tenure on shaky legs, Scotland HAVE to stand up and deliver a performance that shows that they’re passionate and indeed have a plan they’re working towards after lacking desire and direction in the shock loss to Italy.

The Scots and their supporters are nothing if not ever-optimistic, and even though England are on an imperious run, Finn Russell and company won’t be overly upset that they have to face them up next. That’s because the Scots have won four of the last five meetings between the teams.

After four straight defeats, England finally managed to get the monkey off their back and reclaim the Calcutta Cup with a 16-15 triumph at Twickenham last year. Now, as they go in search of their first win at Murrayfield since 2020, they are primed to prove just how far they’ve progressed in the last 12 months.

As woeful as Wales are, England’s 48-7 win over them last weekend was a masterful massacre that showed how dialed-in Steve Borthwick’s side are and what a total brand of rugby they’re playing.

As hot as they are, they’re not cutting any corners or putting the cart before the horse; they build rock-solid foundations and stay true to every task over the course of 80 minutes to ensure they come out on top.

This game will highlight their immense growth since this time last year as they compound the pressure on Townsend.

Prediction: England by 15.

Suggested Bet: England -8 at 1.90.

Wales v France

Sunday, 15 February – 17:10

Frankly, there’s not much to say about the dreadful Dragons, who were shown to be woefully out of their depth by England last weekend. There were few, if any, positives to take out of the annihilation, with them conceding four yellow cards and seven tries.

France, in contrast, showed that they are the team to beat with their 22-point statement win over Ireland. Fabian Galthie’s much-debated shock selections – opting for young blood ahead of veterans Damien Penaud, Gael Fickou and Gregory Alldritt – paid off in a big way, giving Les Bleus an added edge.

Expect the defending champions to crush this sorry Welsh outfit, who have lost their last 12 Six Nations games in succession.

Prediction: France by 32.

Suggested Bet: France -30 at 1.90.