Five talking points from opening Six Nations games

Holders Ireland got off to a winning start against England, France’s Antoine Dupont returned to Six Nations action with a bang against Wales, and Huw Jones’ hat-trick of tries helped Scotland to an opening victory against Italy.

Here’s our round-up of the big talking points from the first round of fixtures in the 2025 tournament.

England were on the wrong side of several narrow defeats having held second-half leads during 2024, and that pattern continued against Ireland on Saturday.

Steve Borthwick’s side were 10-5 ahead at the interval in Dublin, but the hosts scored 22 second-half points on their way to a 27-22 victory.

Former Scotland back row John Barclay told the BBC’s Six Nations Rugby Special there were “certainly positives” for England.

“I thought they defended much better. You look at the autumn in particular and the chaos that was around how they were defending. For the large part [against Ireland] they defended very well and there were great individual performances around the breakdown.

“But it’s the same narrative, there’s no getting away from that. It’s a game England had in control and the drop-off in the last 20-30 minutes, in a game where they had pressure upon pressure – they didn’t have an answer.”

On the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast, former Ireland winger Tommy Bowe questioned whether England have the fitness levels to sustain a high-tempo effort throughout a full 80 minutes, while a lack of impact from the replacements bench and players’ decision-making were also under the microscope.

In his BBC Sport column, 2003 World Cup winner Matt Dawson outlined how England’s gameplan was “perhaps too demanding”, but added that there was enough in their first-half display to “maintain positivity” before France visit Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

On Rugby Special, ex-Wales captain Sam Warburton added: “I don’t think England need to reinvent the wheel. I think it’s just individual skill errors and some ill-disciplined and poor moments from some players off the bench.

“I don’t think they need to panic, I think it’s just fine-tuning a few things.”

Ireland are aiming to become the first team to win three successive men’s titles since Italy joined the expanded Six Nations tournament in 2000.

Under interim head coach Simon Easterby, with Andy Farrell preparing to lead the British and Irish Lions in Australia this summer, they produced a fine second-half display to ensure that quest began with a victory.

“If I’m Ireland, I’m probably quite enjoying everyone saying we’re maybe past our peak,” said Barclay. “It was 27-10 realistically, England came away and scored a couple of [late] tries.

“Ireland weren’t at their best either and they won convincingly, that’s the reality.

“They’ve got serious quality coming back in so if you write Ireland off at this stage, do it at your peril.”

Ireland face Scotland away next, and Bowe said: “Murrayfield is a difficult place to go, it’s always really confrontational. If Scotland can get parity up front to unleash the backs they have, they are really dangerous.

“But I’m really excited about this Irish team, particularly their performance in the second half – to weather the storm from England, to be put under the cosh, maybe question themselves at times, and to be able to find a way out.”

Scotland were without injured captain Sione Tuipulotu but fellow centre Jones scored three tries in a 31-19 win over Italy at Murrayfield.

Jones’ treble grabbed the headlines, but Barclay described co-captain Rory Darge’s performance in the back row as “world class”, while wingers Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham played pivotal roles in setting up Jones’ first two scores.

“In a top team, which Scotland are now, you need players who can just do something,” said Warburton. “We’ve seen other teams who don’t have that spark, but they have it.”

Graham’s second-half run – beating a series of defenders before sending Jones clear – was the moment of the game.

“The game was in the balance at 19-19,” added Warburton. “There was some questionable defending but you’ve got to have some brilliant ability, footwork and pace to do that.

“And then he’s got the presence of mind [to pass to Jones] and he makes it look easy. We’ve seen so many guys make the line break and then butcher that last pass.”

Both wingers touched the ball nine times during the match and Barclay added: “You want your wingers with double-digit touches and without Tuipulotu, those guys have to touch the ball in the game as much as possible.”

Dupont opted out of the 2024 Six Nations, instead choosing to focus on representing France in rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics last summer.

That decision paid off spectacularly as the Toulouse scrum-half helped the host nation win gold in one of the most memorable moments of the Games.

Back at Stade de France on Friday, Dupont produced some moments of magic in a 43-0 thrashing of Wales.

An inch-perfect chipped kick out wide set up Theo Attissogbe for the opening try, while Dupont darted and danced through the Welsh backline for the winger’s second.

The result was beyond doubt by half-time and, early in the second period, he was withdrawn to allow him to rest up for Saturday’s match at Twickenham.

Barclay said: “His rugby IQ sits on a different level. When was the last time we had a player who is still playing, who is 28 years old, and we’re saying, ‘Is this the best player we’ve ever seen play the game?'”

Warburton continued: “Law changes have come in to protect the number nine so that they can play more. It’s going to make him even better.

“We’ve asked for a while if he’s the greatest player. Hands down, in this generation, it’s not even a conversation. He’s by far the best player that this generation has seen. And 100% one of the all-timers, if not the best ever.”

The defeat in Paris was Wales’ record-extending 13th consecutive Test loss and the first time since the tournament expanded in 2000 that they had failed to score a point in a Six Nations match.

Their attention is now on a potentially pivotal contest against Italy in Rome on Saturday, as they seek to avoid finishing bottom of the table for the second year in a row.

On ITV’s coverage of the loss to France, former fly-half Dan Biggar said the Italy game was the “biggest in Welsh rugby for 15-20 years”.

Warburton said: “I don’t think it’s their biggest game – they’ve had Grand Slam games and semi-finals.

“I think what Dan meant was the consequences could be some of the biggest consequences in the past 15 years.

“If they lose that game, they’ve then got Ireland, Scotland and England – it’s tricky to see where the win’s going to come and I think that’s why people are pinning so much pressure on this game.

“If they lose, there are going to be no changes made during the Six Nations from a staffing perspective.

“But if they lose to Italy, that’s 14 in a row and they’re staring down the barrel of 17 losses in a row, which is just unheard of for Welsh rugby.

“That’s why he means it’s a big game, because the consequences could be big.”