France look to make it eight wins in a row against Ireland

Stats on all of this weekend’s Six Nations openers

With the two biggest football matches of the weekend taking place on Sunday, rugby fever could grip the nation tomorrow and the good news is that by starting off at home to Italy, England should still be in contention by the end of day one:

England v Italy
England have won all fourteen of their meetings with Italy and will be expected to do so again despite their poor recent form. On five of Italy’s last seven visits to Twickenham they have scored precisely one try. Italy have failed to score ten or more points on any of their last three trips to England and in five of their last seven meetings against them overall. Italy have always lost their opening away game of the tournament.

Ireland v France
Ireland have had the longest wait of all contenders for Six Nations glory having last triumphed in 1985 and if they go empty-handed this year they will equal France’s 1953 record of going 24 tournaments without winning. However, they like to get their fans hopes up with a winning start and have won seven of their last eight openers. The only team to have beaten them on day one over that period was France in 2004 and their odds of 2.52 on Betfair look pretty long as they have won their last seven against Ireland.

Scotland v Wales
Holders Wales are massive favourites but have only won on two of their last eleven trips to Murrayfield, drawing one and losing eight. Wales have won their opener in just three of the last eleven years and on the last three times where they were reigning champions. However, if they win on Sunday, it bodes well for them because they have done the Grand Slam on the last two occasions they have opened with a win.

Posted: February 6th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn |