After he missed last year’s Six Nations, Antoine Dupont’s return for the 2025 Championship is brilliant news not only for France, but for all rugby fans.
The only people who won’t be happy is those who have got to play against him!
We are fortunate to be watching one of the greatest of all time in action in the coming weeks. Dupont is just magnificent.
I was delighted he played sevens for France at last summer’s Olympics and won a gold medal for his country at what was a home Games.
To me, that really sets him apart from the rest. I’ve consistently maintained that rugby’s shorter format is a great breeding ground for talent.
Not only that, it can also help established players get even better, and Dupont is a brilliant example of that.
Antoine Dupont’s return to the Six Nations is something every rugby fan should celebrate
The France scrum-half missed last year’s tournament while preparing for the Olympics
Dupont won gold in Paris in one of the most spectacular sporting events of 2024
Clearly, he was already one of the world’s best before playing sevens. But his Olympic performances were just extraordinary in the way he took on new roles like competing for the ball at the breakdown.
You can’t hide in sevens. You can be badly exposed. But Dupont shone and I can give him no higher praise than saying that in my view, I rank him up there with Sir Gareth Edwards as the best scrum-half to have ever played.
Is Dupont the greatest of all? It is very difficult to say because in lots of ways, rugby has changed a lot over the years.
I actually played against Edwards in my career, so what I can say for certain is there has been no other No 9 over the years who can hold a candle to those two.
Those at the helm of French rugby deserve a great deal of credit for how they’ve managed Dupont, especially with his sevens involvement.
It’s something we need to look at in England and Great Britain. Sevens has sadly gone by the wayside in our country.
It’s such a shame. Can you imagine how good it would be if Marcus Smith played sevens for Great Britain and the interest it would bring?
Sadly, there is too much politics in English rugby for things like that to happen. In France, it’s different. They just get the job done, and that’s why they are where they are.
Wales lost all 12 Tests in 2024 and I am struggling to see them ending that run
Warren Gatland must be having some sleepless nights after a turgid last 12 months
My experience of international rugby is that to have success, you need a world class pair at No 9 and No 10. France have that for this Six Nations, with Dupont back alongside Romain Ntamack for their opener with Wales on Friday.
I’ve got to be honest, I just can’t see a way Wales can win. It would be one of the biggest upsets in Six Nations history if they did.
I like Warren Gatland and the Championship needs a strong Wales, but he must be having some sleepless nights right now.
The Six Nations is all about competition. But I think the opening night could be a seriously one-sided game which we don’t want to see. Expect Dupont to be at the heart of it.
On Saturday, Scotland begin their campaign having lost their captain Sione Tuipulotu, a significant blow as he could easily have been the Lions’ starting inside centre.
It will give Italy a boost and I think they are going the right way and have every chance of finishing above their first-round opponents in the final table.
Last year, Italy beat both Wales and Scotland and drew with France. The French game was also one they should have won, so the signs are promising.
Italy should be very confident of beating Wales at home in round two and Tuipulotu’s injury means for me, the Scotland tie is toss-up.
Losing captain Sione Tuipulotu (centre) is a huge blow for Scotland ahead of the Six Nations
Scotland have won the last four Calcutta Cup matches but I can’t see them winning the title
Scotland are a very frustrating team. They’ve had England’s number in the last few years and beaten France in Paris. But for some reason, it never sees to all come together.
Tuipulotu isn’t their only absence either, with Scott Cummings and Josh Bayliss also injured, so Gregor Townsend has a big job on his hands. Scottish fans thought this was going to be the year for a title bid, but I just can’t see it happening.
After a tough 2024 in which they won only five of 12 games, it doesn’t get any easier for England at the start of this Six Nations.
Ireland away and then France at home is as difficult as it gets for Steve Borthwick and his players when it comes to the first two rounds.
But as I’ve constantly maintained, international rugby is always and only about your next game. For Borthwick and England, the Ireland game is everything. There is no tomorrow. Forget about France.
If I was in Borthwick’s position as head coach, I’d really be ramping up the pressure. Are England good enough to beat Ireland? Absolutely yes. Anyone who says that is wrong is deluded.
No one thought England had a chance against the men in green last season. But they produced a brilliant display to down the defending Grand Slam champions at the death thanks to Smith’s last-gasp drop-goal.
That game was on home soil. There’s no doubt it’ll be tougher to replicate that result at the Aviva Stadium, but it’s also entirely possible for England to do just that.
England produced a brilliant display to beat Ireland last year but it will be harder on Irish soil
Marcus Smith’s last-gasp drop-goal put the finishing touches on an excellent performance
Borthwick has my backing. But it’s also true to say that his honeymoon period in charge of the team is now over.
I think he is a very good coach, but after 18 months or so at the helm, he needs to start delivering results.
England’s players need to turn up for him. Borthwick’s message pre-Ireland needs to be that the international careers of both him and the players are on the line in Dublin.
I certainly think that’s true. Going into a game with that sort of narrative as a coach is certainly a bold move because if you lose, you’re then in a very tricky spot! However, it can work wonders.
When I was England coach in 2003, we went to Ireland with a Grand Slam on the line. My message before that match was that if we were to take ourselves seriously as World Cup contenders later that year, we had to win.
The players involved responded by producing a brilliant performance to seal a clean sweep with a comprehensive 42-6 win.
Clearly, England can’t expect a repeat scoreline this time, but a repeat outcome is undoubtedly feasible.
England have done a lot of good going into the game.
Promoting star man Maro Itoje to captain was the right decision by Steve Borthwick
Borthwick had an astonishing 25 support staff with him in England’s Girona training camp
I’m sure promoting Maro Itoje to captain over Jamie George was a tough decision for Borthwick. But it was also the right one and it’s been made for all the right reasons.
The biggest thing for England is how they play the game. They don’t have any excuses because English rugby has more depth and funding than any other nation.
For England to have 25 support staff at their pre-Six Nations training camp in Girona is extraordinary! Twenty-five! When I was coach, we had nowhere near that number.
Ireland losing Tadhg Furlong is another positive for England. Time will tell if this is the case, but Borthwick’s team selection suggests he will go for broke.
With full-back George Furbank injured, I can understand why he has gone for Freddie Steward at No 15 and not been tempted to move Marcus Smith from fly-half.
The real intrigue is in the back row, where England have essentially selected dual opensides in the Curry twins – Tom and Ben.
Doing so will allow England to play with the utmost pace – something I’ve long said they have to do – and with a triple breakdown threat.
The flip side of that is England will lose a lineout jumper. I’m sure Ireland as a result will kick a lot of ball to the corners and look to target their set-piece.
Joe McCarthy and Ireland will try to cause havoc with England’s lineout this weekend
The Ireland match is a huge game for centre pairing Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence
England need to be savvy. They can’t concede penalties and allow Ireland easy territory as it will be tough to disrupt the home lineout.
England will want to keep the ball on the field and run Ireland ragged. They did that the last time the two sides met and it paid off handsomely.
Hopefully, a high-octane game will suit England. They need to start the match with a strut and quieten the crowd.
It’s a big game for the centres Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence.
That partnership hasn’t quite clicked yet and time is running out for them.
I’m backing England to win narrowly in round one and such a result would do wonders for the team’s confidence.
But I can’t see past France for the overall tournament, even if a Grand Slam may just prove beyond them.
I know they have to play Ireland and England away. But France’s players – led by the irresistible Dupont – are in such remarkable form that on paper, they look close to unbeatable.
Romain Ntamack will form a devastating partnership with Dupont in France’s midfield
Louis Bielle-Biarrey is another France star to watch out for in this year’s Six Nations
Toulouse and Bordeaux have been on fire this season and their players form the heart of the French side.
France’s rugby system is light years ahead of England’s. That is to their great credit, but it is also a damning indictment of the RFU’s running of the game in this country.
If England finish second or third in this Six Nations, that would represent a good tournament.
The brutal truth is I’d be shocked if they won it.
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD’S SIX NATIONS PREDICTION
6th: Wales
5th: Scotland
4th: Italy
3rd: England
2nd: Ireland
1st: FRANCE
