There are no meaningless weekends during the Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship. Every single set of fixtures throws up an ancient rivalry, a must-win match, or a tactical clash – and often all 3 at once! The spectacle that this tournament provides keeps the rugby world on tenterhooks for 6 weeks straight - that the Six Nations is merely days away, then, is cause for excitement!
The opening weekend of the 2022 Six Nations kicks-off on Saturday 5 February, with Ireland v Wales and Scotland v England, and then France host Italy on Sunday 6 February. A small number of match tickets are still available for all 3 fixtures. Matches then run weekly or fortnightly until Saturday 19 March.
Ireland v Wales promises to be a brilliant game. The Irish carry home advantage into the match, and will be buoyed up by their Autumn Nations Series victory over the All Blacks a couple of months ago, so they should be on top form! Although the Welsh will be without their titanic talisman, and captain, Alun Wyn Jones, they are still a world-class test side, and of course the reigning Six Nations champions! They also beat Ireland in Cardiff in last year’s tournament. All things considered, it’s not an easy match to call, but it is the perfect way to start the Championship!
Only a couple of hours after that, Scotland will host their “auld enemy”, England, at Murrayfield. As one of the oldest formal sporting rivalries in the world, Scotland v England needs little introduction, but the recent history of this fixture is just as significant as its storied past; on the opening weekend of last year’s competition, Scotland beat England 6-11 at Twickenham, setting the English on a Six Nations spiral from which they never really recovered. Eddie Jones’ England will therefore be keener than ever to start their tournament the right way, and to avenge that humiliating loss. Scotland, backed by their home fans in Edinburgh and encouraged by a win over Australia in the autumn, might have something to say about that!
On Sunday 6 February, the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy is up for grabs, as Italy travels to Paris to take on France, at 16:00 local time. This continental clash always throws up plenty of tries, and many fans will be interested to see how capable the French look, after an impressive Autumn Nations Series, and plenty of end-of-year plaudits for their star players. Italy, meanwhile, have never finished higher than 4th in the Six Nations, and are currently on a run of 6 6th-placed finishes in a row. They’ll be giving everything to ensure it doesn’t become 7 in a row this year.
Click below for more information on matches, including ticket prices:
- Ireland v Wales, Saturday 5 February 2022
- Scotland v England, Saturday 5 February 2022
- France v Italy, Sunday 6 February 2022
Click here for more information on the Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship.