Nobody has ever won three consecutive outright titles in the Six Nations Championship. That’s a rather stupendous stat, considering that this annual round-robin affair for Europe’s top national rugby teams, which kicked off this weekend, dates all the way back to the nineteenth century.
But maybe this is the year: Ireland, the reigning two-time defending champs, took a step toward history on Saturday night in Dublin by pounding England, 27-22, in the opening round of the 2025 tournament. Don’t be fooled by the final score: A pair of garbage-time tries from England covered up Ireland’s actual dominance.
Heading into the matchup against its most despised rival on and off the pitch, Ireland is currently ranked second in the world (behind only South Africa) and has the highest-rated squad in this year’s all-Euro Six Nations field.