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Women’s Six Nations predictions
- Ireland +43 vs France – 10/11 with BoyleSports
- Scotland +12 vs Wales – 10/11 with William Hill
- England -45.5 vs Italy – 41/50 with Unibet
The Women’s Six Nations continues to go from strength to strength and the 2024 edition is set to be another watershed tournament, even if the final outcome seems obvious.
England have made this tournament their own, winning five successive titles and they’ll be bidding for a third Grand Slam in a row this year.
As the best-supported national side on the planet and with a seemingly inexhaustible list of top-talent, it will take something monumental from one of the five other teams to knock the Red Roses off their perch as the northern hemisphere’s top team.
France are usually put up as England’s biggest challenger and nearly ruined their Slam party in front of a record-breaking crowd at Twickenham last year. However, they would come up short, as has often been the case extending their losing run against England to 12 games.
Les Bleues will at least have home advantage in their final round clash with England this year on Super Saturday on April 27, and it’s set to be a bumper crowd at the 34,000-seater Stade Chaban-Delmas.
France are not the only ones taking their games to bigger capacity venues with England returning to Twickenham to face Ireland in round four, while Wales will play at the Principality Stadium against Italy on the final weekend.
Interest in women’s rugby continues to trend upwards, despite the slightly predictable nature of the Six Nations with England and France already pencilled in for the top two spots.
Wales have finished best of the rest the last two years and will be desperate to hold on to that position with third place team in this year's Women’s Six Nations gaining automatic qualification to the 2025 World Cup.
Italy, Scotland and Ireland, who finished with the Wooden Spoon last year, will be looking to chase Wales down.
In the main, though, the challenge for those four nations is to try and make their games against England and France more competitive, and we’ll get an indication of how far they’ve come in round one.
With the outright betting options limited on rugby betting sites, we’ve gone with three handicap selections in round one.
France vs Ireland predictions
(2.15pm Saturday, BBC iPlayer)
France are seeking their first title since 2018 but don’t come into the tournament in the best of form after a disappointing showing at last year’s inaugural WXV1 competition.
They are also unable to call up a few key players from the sevens team, who are focused on this summer’s Paris Olympics and the handicap set by betting sites may be a little on the large side.
Unlike their opponents, Ireland have been able to call up their sevens stars, who were sorely missed last season when Ireland finished bottom of the standings for the first time since 2004.
That was the low point in a tricky year for the Irish, but under new head coach Scott Bemand they won the third-tier WXV3 series in Dubai and should be far more competitive this time around.
Ireland haven’t beaten France since 2017 and may not end that streak on Saturday, but it should be a tighter game than last year’s nine-try rout against a Les Bleues team that’s covered a 43-point handicap in just one of their last 10 outings on French soil.
France vs Ireland Tip: Ireland +43 – 10/11 with BoyleSports
Wales vs Scotland predictions
(4.45pm Saturday, BBC Two)
The most competitive game of the weekend, on paper at least, should come from Cardiff Arms Park where Scotland are going for a seventh win in a row after an excellent end to 2023.
The Scots appear to be a rising force in women’s rugby, winning the second-tier WXV2 title in fine style as they enter year two as a professional outfit.
Wales are a little further into their professional journey and their squad contains a large number of players that have powered Gloucester-Hartpury to the top of the Premier 15s.
They are also boosted by ex-England Under 20s ace Jenny Hesketh’s switch of nationalities, and she makes her debut at full-back in this one.
Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham will expect a response after a bruising WXV1 series but it’s not in the team’s style to blow their opponents away, giving hope Scotland can hang around.
Just five points separated these two sides in the final standings last year and games between these two tend to be close with the last seven meetings settled by 12 points or less.
Wales vs Scotland tip: Scotland +12 – 10/11 with William Hill
Italy vs England predictions
(3pm Sunday, BBC Two)
If gambling sites ran a wooden spoon market, Italy would be challenging for favouristim and they face a tough start at home to England.
It’s been a tricky build-up for the Azzurre amid wranglings over professional contracts, which have overshadowed what was a strong WXV2 showing as they finished runners-up to Scotland.
The handicap markets on betting apps make an ageing Italian side 47-point underdogs, but they may not have gone far enough
The stats from last year’s Six Nations suggest England’s pack should steamroller the hosts in John Mitchell’s first Six Nations game in charge of the Red Roses.
Mitchell wants the WXV1 winners to play with more pace, which is a worry for the slow-paced Italians.
England are boosted by the returns of fly-half Zoe Harrison, centre Emily Scarratt and lock Abbie Ward, who haven’t played since the 2022 World Cup final.
Skipper Marlie Packer wins her 100th cap in a fixture England have dominated recently with their smallest margin of victory in the last five meetings being 54 points.
Italy vs England tip: England -45.5 – 41/50 with Unibet
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Last Updated: 22nd March 2024, 01:00 PM
