by France and Ireland have named their 23s for Friday night’s crunch clash in Marseille.
Both teams will have to do without their talismans – French clearance Antoine Dupont will be missing for the entire Six Nations to focus on the Olympics, and Johnny Sexton is retired – but it gives fresh faces a chance to stake their claim. pressure.
England are also without key players, although this is mainly due to injury. George Ford starts at flyhalf against Italy on Saturday in the absence of Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith, while Alex Mitchell passed a late fitness test to claim the No 9 jersey.
When is the 2024 Six Nations?
The 2024 Six Nations kicks off on February 2, 2024 at 8pm (UK time) with France hosting Ireland.
The last time either team took the field at the Stade de France for the World Cup quarter-finals was in October, when they were knocked out of the competition on consecutive nights.
England kick off their match against Italy at 2.15pm (UK time) on February 3. Steve Borthwick’s side will be hoping to improve on their previous showing at the Six Nations after finishing fourth with 10 points, 17 behind the winners Ireland.
How to watch the 2024 Six Nations on TV
This year’s games will continue to be shown on both BBC and ITV in the UK. Live streams will be available for free on the BBC iPlayer and ITVX apps, and will be available to download on mobile or tablet devices.
The long-term future of the Six Nations on free-to-air television is uncertain after the government rejected calls to add the tournament to the list of sporting events that must be shown free-to-air.
2024 The Six Nations Fortress in its entirety
All times GMT
Round one
Friday, February 2: France v Ireland
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Kick forward: 8 p.m
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Centre: Orange Velodrome, Marseille
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Referee: Karl Dickinson (English)
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Channel: ITV
Saturday, February 3: Italy v England
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Kick forward : 2.15 p.m
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Centre: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
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Channel: ITV
Saturday 3 February: Wales v Scotland
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Kick forward: 4.45 p.m
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Centre: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
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Referee: Ben O’Keefe (NZ)
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Channel: BBC
Round two
Saturday, February 10: Scotland v France
Saturday, February 10: England v Wales
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Start: 4.45 p.m
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Centre: Twickenham Stadium, London
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Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
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Channel: ITV
Sunday, February 11: Ireland v Italy
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Kick forward:3 p.m
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Centre: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
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Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
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Channel: ITV
Round three
Saturday, February 24: Ireland v Wales
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Kick forward: 2.15 p.m
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Centre: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
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Referee: Andrea Piardi (Iita)
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Channel: ITV
Saturday, February 24: Scotland v England
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Start: 4.45 p.m
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Centre: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
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Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
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Channel: BBC
Sunday, February 25: France v Italy
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Kick forward:3 p.m
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Centre: Arena Decathlon, Lille
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Referee: Christophe Ridley (English)
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Channel: ITV
Round four
Saturday, March 9: Italy v Scotland
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Start: 2.15 p.m
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Centre: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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Referee: Jaco Peyper (USA)
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Channel: ITV
Saturday, March 9: England v Ireland
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Start: 4.45 p.m
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Centre: Twickenham Stadium, Cardiff
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Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
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Channel: ITV
Sunday, March 10: Wales v France
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Kick forward:3 p.m
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Centre: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
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Referee: Luke Pearce (English)
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Channel: BBC
Round five
Saturday, March 16th: Wales v Italy,
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Kick forward: 2.15 p.m
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Centre: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
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Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
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Channel: BBC
Saturday, March 16th: Ireland v Scotland
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Start: 4.45 p.m
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Centre: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
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Referee: Matthew Carley (English)
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Channel: ITV
Saturday, March 16th: France v England
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Start: 8 p.m
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Centre: Groupama Stadium, Lyon
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Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
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Channel: ITV
The latest news from the England team
England have started center Fraser Dingwall and winger Ethan Roots.
Head coach Steve Borthwick also named three uncapped players on the bench in fullback Chandler Cunningham-South, flyhalf Fin Smith and winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Alex Mitchell has overcome an infected cut on his leg to form half-back with George Ford, who has been named as one of two vice-captains alongside Maro Itoje and Jamie George in charge of the team at the Stadio Olimpico.
Ford has edged out rookie Fin Smith for the No. 1 jersey.
Tommy Freeman has won his fourth cap and first since 2022 on the right wing in reward for a superb season for Premier League pace-setter Gallagher, who also supplies Dingwall and Mitchell to the starting line-up.
Joe Marler and Will Stuart are their preferred props, keeping Ellis Genge and Dan Cole on the bench, while Itoje and Ollie Chessum are paired together in two familiar locks.
What is the Six Nations squad?
Who is in the Wales squad?
The Wales coach, Warren Gatland, named Dafydd Jenkins as his captain. At 21, Jenkins has just 12 caps to his name and, in the absence of Jac Morgan and the injured Dewi Lake, will become the second youngest man to captain his country.
Gatland has named five uncapped players in his squad, with another six still to play in the Six Nations. Louis Rees-Zammit is not in the squad after deciding to try and get into the NFL.
Who is in the Scotland squad?
England under-18 and under-20 player Arron Reed has been named in Scotland’s 39-man squad. Coach Gregor Townsend named Finn Russell and Rory Darge as co-captains for the tournament.
Who is in the French squad?
New Zealand-born Toulouse behemoth Emmanuel Meafou is a step closer to a France debut after being included as one of six uncapped players in Fabien Galthié’s Six Nations squad.
Meafou, who was only eligible for Les Bleus after qualifying for last year’s World Cup on residency, has made a name for himself since arriving at Toulouse in 2019 as one of Europe’s most prolific starters.
In the absence of Antoine Dupont, who will miss the entire Six Nations to focus on a potential sevens appearance at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, La Rochelle skipper Grégory Alldritt will captain France.
Who is in the Italy squad?
The headline story from Italy’s squad announcement is the selection of former South African-born player Ross Vintcent.
Who is in the Ireland squad?
Munster full-back Peter O’Mahony was named the new Ireland captain as Farrell ushered in the post-Johnny Sexton era by naming an experienced 34-man squad to defend his Six Nations title.
O’Mahony, 34, captained the side 10 times before leading Ireland at under-age level before winning his first of 101 caps. He has skippered Munster for years and captained the British and Irish Lions in the opening test for the 2017 tour.
Who are the favorites to win the 2024 Six Nations?
Ireland and France are the bookmakers’ favourites, with England a little behind. Scotland, Wales and Italy are not favoured.
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France to win: 5/4
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Ireland to win: 15/8
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England to win: 13/2
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Scotland to win: 14/1
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Wales to win: 50/1
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Italy to win: 500/1
Correct odds on February 1st
Who are the referees?
Karl Dickson will referee the Six Nations final which will pit Ireland against 2022 champions France, winners of the 2023 Grand Slam.
Eight assistant referees will be making their Six Nations debut including Scot Hollie Davidson.
Read the full list of referee appointments here.
How do I get tickets for games?
You should consult each country’s association website for match ticket information. Availability will vary greatly depending on the event you are hoping to get tickets for.
