Round four of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations is upon us, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

With potential Grand Slam deciders and crucial clashes for pride, this weekend promises a thrilling spectacle of rugby.

Get ready for in-depth previews, key matchups, and all the essential details to keep you in the know.

Match Details

What: Ireland vs France

Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin

When: Saturday 8th March, 14:15

How to Watch: ITV1

Match Preview

This weekend’s Round 4 Six Nations clash between Ireland and France in Dublin promises to be a moment of reflection as three of Ireland’s most respected players—Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, and Conor Murray—play their final game at home. The trio, with a combined 371 international caps, will retire after the 2025 Six Nations, marking the end of an era for Irish rugby. Their departure comes amid Ireland’s pursuit of a record-equalling fourth Grand Slam, with the team currently unbeaten in the tournament.

Ireland has been in exceptional form, winning three out of three matches and conceding just 58 points—fewer than 20 per game. Their impressive record of 16 wins in 18 Six Nations matches since 2022 puts them in a strong position, sitting at the top of the standings. The match against second-placed France, a title decider in many eyes, will be crucial for both teams. A win for France could push Ireland down to third in the World Rugby rankings, but they have not won in Dublin since 2011.

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Ireland will also see the return of captain Caelan Doris, while winger Mack Hansen is sidelined due to injury. Head coach Simon Easterby has shifted Jamie Osborne from wing to full-back, with Hugo Keenan returning to the position. France, coached by Fabien Galthié, also has key players returning, including fly-half Romain Ntamack, who missed earlier rounds due to suspension. They’ve opted for a 7-1 bench split, following their big win over Italy.

Key players to watch include Ireland’s Jack Conan, who has scored in consecutive games, and France’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who has scored in every round so far. A key stat: since 2022, Ireland has won every match in which they scored the opening try, while France has an impressive record (5-2) when conceding first.

With both teams vying for the title and Ireland saying goodbye to three legends, this is an emotional and thrilling encounter.

Prediction

Team Lineups

Ireland

15 Hugo Keenan
14 Jamie Osborne
13 Robbie Henshaw
12 Bundee Aki
11 James Lowe
10 Sam Prendergast
9 Jamison Gibson-Park
1 Andrew Porter
2 Dan Sheehan
3 Finlay Bealham
4 Joe McCarthy
5 Tadhg Beirne
6 Peter O’Mahony
7 Josh van der Flier
8 Caelan Doris

Replacements

16 Rob Herring
17 Cian Healy
18 Thomas Clarkson
19 James Ryan
20 Jack Conan
21 Ryan Baird
22 Conor Murray
23 Jack Crowley

France

15 Thomas Ramos
14 Damian Penaud
13 Pierre-Louis Barassi
12 Yoram Moefana
11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey
10 Romain Ntamack
9 Antoine Dupont
1 Jean-Baptiste Gros
2 Peato Mauvaka
3 Uini Atonio
4 Thibaud Flament
5 Mickael Guillard
6 Francois Cros
7 Paul Boudehent
8 Gregory Alldritt

Replacements

16 Julien Marchand
17 Cyril Baille
18 Dorian Aldegheri
19 Emmanuel Meafou
20 Hugo Auradou
21 Oscar Jegou
22 Anthony Jelonch
23 Maxime Lucu

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Match Details

What: Scotland vs. Wales

Where: Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburg

When: Saturday 8th March, 16:45

How to Watch: BBC1

Match Preview

Scotland and Wales will meet in Round Four of the Six Nations Championship at Murrayfield, both teams seeking to break disappointing streaks. Scotland, having suffered two consecutive defeats, have seen their chances of claiming the title slip away. Wales, meanwhile, continue their difficult run, extending their losing streak with a 27-18 loss to Ireland, despite showing some signs of improvement.

For Scotland, this match offers a chance to bounce back and avoid losing three Six Nations games in a row for the first time since 2019. Their confidence is bolstered by recent victories over Wales, winning their last two encounters after a 13-match losing streak. The last meeting in Edinburgh ended in a commanding 35-7 win for Scotland, their largest victory in this 142-year rivalry. However, Wales still lead the overall head-to-head with 75 wins compared to Scotland’s 52.

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Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made one change to his starting lineup, bringing back winger Darcy Graham, who has recovered from a concussion, after a narrow 16-15 loss to England. Finn Russell keeps his spot at fly-half despite facing criticism for his poor kicking performance in the England match, where he missed all three of his attempts, dropping his success rate to 38% this campaign.

Wales, under interim coach Matt Sherratt, showed promise despite their continued defeat to Ireland. The 15th consecutive loss for Wales matches the number of losses in the entire career of New Zealand legend Richie McCaw. A loss to Scotland would mark their tenth straight Six Nations defeat, tying Italy’s record for consecutive losses by a Tier 1 nation. For Wales, captain Jac Morgan leads the unchanged lineup, with Dewi Lake and Keiron Assiratti named to the bench.

Key players to watch include Scotland’s scrum-half Ben White, who is looking to score his first try against Wales. White has scored in each of Scotland’s first three Six Nations games this year, becoming the first Scottish player to do so. For Wales, Aaron Wainwright, starting on the bench, could make an impact after scoring against Scotland in last year’s Six Nations and against Italy in this campaign.

A hot stat ahead of this match: Scotland has scored no more than 31 points in each of their last 11 Six Nations matches.

Prediction

Team Lineups

Scotland

15 Blair Kinghorn
14 Darcy Graham
13 Huw Jones
12 Tom Jordan
11 Duhan van der Merwe
10 Finn Russell
9 Ben White
1 Pierre Schoeman
2 Dave Cherry
3 Zander Fagerson
4 Jonny Gray
5 Grant Gilchrist
6 Jamie Ritchie
7 Rory Darge
8 Jack Dempsey

Replacements

16 Ewan Ashman
17 Rory Sutherland
18 Will Hurd
19 Gregor Brown
20 Matt Fagerson
21 George Horne
22 Stafford McDowall
23 Kyle Rowe

Wales

15 Blair Murray
14 Tom Rogers
13 Max Llewellyn
12 Ben Thomas
11 Ellis Mee
10 Gareth Anscombe
9 Tomos Williams
1 Nicky Smith
2 Elliot Dee
3 WillGriff John
4 Will Rowlands
5 Dafydd Jenkins
6 Jac Morgan
7 Tommy Reffell
8 Taulupe Faletau

Replacements

16 Dewi Lake
17 Gareth Thomas
18 Keiron Assiratti
19 Teddy Williams
20 Aaron Wainwright
21 Rhodri Williams
22 Jarrod Evans
23 Joe Roberts

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Match Details

What: England vs Italy

Where: Allianz Stadium Twickenham, London

When: Sunday 9th March, 15:00

How to Watch: ITV1

Preview

England will face Italy at Allianz Stadium, aiming to keep their Six Nations Championship hopes alive. The two teams have met 31 times since Italy joined the Six Nations in 2000, with England winning all 25 encounters in the tournament. Their closest match came in 2024, when England triumphed 27-24, marking Italy’s narrowest margin of defeat in the Six Nations. England has dominated the rivalry, with an average winning margin of 30 points across the previous clashes.

At Allianz Stadium, England has had mixed success, winning 10 of their 12 Six Nations matches. However, they’ve struggled to score four or more tries, failing to do so in two of those encounters, including a tight 18-11 win in 2013.

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England is still in contention for the 2025 Six Nations title, though they sit third in the standings, four points behind Ireland and one point behind France. After hard-fought wins over France and Scotland, they are outsiders in the title race. England’s recent matches have been close, with their last 15 games against Six Nations and Rugby Championship sides decided by single-digit margins, averaging just 3.5 points.

Italy, after a narrow defeat to Scotland in Round 1, claimed a historic win over Wales in Round 2. However, they were beaten by a strong French side in Round 3.

England will be without George Martin, who is sidelined with knee and shoulder injuries, but back-rowers Tom Willis, Tom Curry, and Ben Earl have been included in the squad after recovering from recent knocks.

Prediction

Team Lineups

England

15 Elliot Daly
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Ollie Lawrence
12 Fraser Dingwall
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell
1 Ellis Genge
2 Jamie George
3 Will Stuart
4 Maro Itoje
5 Ollie Chessum
6 Tom Curry
7 Ben Earl
8 Tom Willis

Replacements

16 Luke Cowan-Dickie
17 Fin Baxter
18 Joe Heyes
19 Ted Hill
20 Chandler Cunningham-South
21 Ben Curry
22 Jack van Poortvliet
23 Marcus Smith

Italy

15 Ange Capuozzo
14 Monty Ioane
13 Juan Ignacio Brex
12 Tommaso Menoncello
11 Matt Gallagher
10 Paolo Garbisi
9 Stephen Varney
1 Danilo Fischetti
2 Giacomo Nicotera
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Niccolo Cannone
5 Federico Ruzza
6 Sebastian Negri
7 Michele Lamaro (C)
8 Ross Vintcent

Replacements

16 Gianmarco Lucchesi
17 Mirco Spagnolo
18 Simone Ferrari
19 Riccardo Favretto
20 Manuel Zuliani
21 Lorenzo Cannone
22 Martin Page-Relo
23 Tommaso Allan

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