England World Cup winner Lewis Moody has blasted the RFU's 'absurd' rule that prevents Jack Willis from playing in the Six Nations. The Rugby Football Union currently enforces a policy that prevents any England-qualified player based overseas from being selected by Steve Borthwick unless it is in exceptional circumstances.

Few without a pulse cannot fail to be moved by the prospect of a French side cutting a swathe throughout northern Europe in the springtime.

The Six Nations starts on Friday and the annual jamboree between the top rugby nations in the northern hemisphere isn’t short of storylines for the 2025 edition.

As always, there has been some pre-tournament tinkering with the rules. The Six Nations will adopt the 20-minute red cards that were trialled during the autumn, although referees can still send a player off permanently for deliberate and dangerous acts of foul play.

Ahead of the opening round of action in the 2025 Six Nations, we run through all the teamsheets. The action gets underway as Antoine Dupont marks his return to the Championship alongside Toulouse teammate Romain Ntamack as France look to kickstart their tournament on a high note against Wales on Friday evening.

The Six Nations is almost here as rugby’s annual spring spectacular returns with perhaps the most open edition yet.Defending champions Ireland are on the hunt for an unprecedented three-peat, but face a potentially tricky opener against the team that denied them back-to-back grand slams a year ago.

France captain Antoine Dupont said Toulouse's thrashing of Leicester in the Champions Cup was the perfect warm-up for the Six Nations.

Ireland are the Six Nations championship title holders and looking to win three in a row but France, who play wooden spoon favourites Wales on Friday, are the bookies' tip to lift the trophy this year

Antoine Dupont returns to Six Nations after a successful Rugby Sevens stint, aiming to lead France to victory. Having skipped last year's contest, he is eager to capitalize on a victorious autumn series.

Dupont links up with Toulouse colleague Romain Ntamack as his half-back partner, and there is a start for exciting Pau wing Theo Attissogbe for the injured Damian Penaud

Antoine Dupont will make a much-awaited return to the Six Nations after a one-year hiatus that cemented his status as one of France's top athletes, hoping Les Bleus can win the tournament on the back of a perfect autumn series.

Les Bleus are in must-win territory as they begin another Six Nations campaign with big consequences for head coach Fabien Galthie in particular