2026 Six Nations Championship in Review

Relive the 2026 Six Nations Championship here at RugbyPass. From Italy’s first ever victory over England to a classic encounter for the ages between France and England in the final clash of the tournament, the 2026 edition of the Six Nations was one of the best of the modern era. Read our 2026 Six Nations review to relive all of the action. 

2026 Six Nations Stats: Who Won the Six Nations 2026?

Six Nations 2026 Winner: France

Six Nations 2026 was held between Thursday 5 February and Saturday 14 March. It was the 132nd edition of the competition, including the Home and Five Nations, and was the 27th edition of the modern format of the competition, which began in 2000. 

After five fierce rounds of competition, France were crowned Six Nations champions. Meanwhile, Ireland, who finished second, claimed the Triple Crown. 

Interestingly, the result of the 2026 edition of the tournament went down to the final kick of the final match of the tournament. France went into their fixture (a home match against England) knowing that a victory was enough to win the tournament. However, with the clock about to go into the red, they trailed by a single point. Then, a penalty call against England gave Thomas Ramos the chance to put France into the lead. He took his opportunity and, with the final kick of the tournament, won the trophy for France. 

In addition to his last-gasp heroics, Thomas Ramos had an exceptional tournament for Les Bleus. He finished as the tournament’s top point-scorer, with 74 championship points. Meanwhile, his compatriot, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, was the tournament’s top try-scorer with nine. This was a new championship record. 

Round One Review

Match one: France 36-14 Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Match two: Italy 18-15 Scotland (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)

Match three: England 48-7 Wales (Twickenham Stadium, London)

Six Nations 2026 began with France vs Ireland, where Les Bleus laid down an immediate marker. In truth, France dominated throughout and despite an Irish resurgence in the second half, Fabien Galthié’s men were rarely troubled and ran out as comfortable winners. Interestingly, this was the first Six Nations match to ever take place on a Thursday night. 

The second match saw the first upset of the tournament, as Italy edged past Scotland. The match was tight throughout, with the teams separated by a single penalty. At full-time the Italian supporters were sent into raptures as Italy won their opening match in the tournament for the first time since 2013. 

The first round of the 2026 Six Nations culminated with England vs Wales at a sold out Twickenham. England entered the game much fancied and immediately flexed their muscles, notching four first-half tries, including a hat-trick from Henry Arundell, before running out 48-7 winners. 

Round Two Review

Match one: Ireland 20-13 Italy (Aviva Stadium, Dublin) 

Match two: Scotland 31-20 England (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)

Match three: Wales 12-54 France (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 

Ireland bounced back from their defeat against France with a victory over an inspired Italian side. The men in green were made to work hard for their victory by Italy, who left Dublin with a losing bonus point. 

In the second match of round two, Scotland overpowered England. Huw Jones’ 9th-minute try set the tone and England had to answer to Scotland’s brilliance. Even a 77th-minute try from Ben Earl couldn’t save England’s blushes, as Scotland reclaimed the Calcutta Cup in resounding fashion. 

In the final fixture of the round, Welsh fans were left fearing the worst after Émilien Gailleton crossed the tryline in the first minute of the match. Sadly, their worst fears of another heavy home defeat were confirmed at full-time, with France winning 12-54. 

Round Three Review

Match one: England 21-42 Ireland (Twickenham Stadium, London)

Match two: Wales 23-26 Scotland (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

Match three: France 33-8 Italy (Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq)

By the end of round three, England’s hopes of claiming the Six Nations title were all but extinguished. They were heavily beaten at home by Ireland, who put 42 points past them. For a second week in a row, only a late consolation try could help spare England’s blushes and make the score look closer than the game suggested. Not the way England’s Maro Itoje would have wished to celebrate his 100th cap for his country. 

In the second fixture, Wales gave Scotland a scare. The team bounced back well from their heavy defeat against France, scoring two converted tries in the first 20 minutes of the match. However, they couldn’t quite hold on and a 74th-minute George Turner try sealed a win for Scotland. 

In match three, France kept their Grand Slam hopes alive. They overpowered Italy 33-8 en route to retaining the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy.

Round Four Review

Match one: Ireland 27-17 Wales (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

Match two: Scotland 50-40 France (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)

Match three: Italy 23-18 England (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)

Round four started with Ireland picking up a routine victory over Wales, who again showed fight before being beaten. 

Then, the match of the tournament (so far) followed. At a packed out Murrayfield, Scotland put 50 points past France (who responded with 40 of their own). This ended France’s Grand Slam hopes and meant that Scotland reclaimed the Auld Alliance Trophy for the first time since 2021. 

Then, the real shock of the tournament occurred. While many people expected England to get back on track against Italy, they were beaten in Rome. 

Italy’s 23-18 victory marked the Azzurri’s first ever win against England. They’d previously been beaten on 32 consecutive occasions! 

Round Five Review

Match one: Ireland 43-21 Scotland (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

Match two: Wales 31-17 Italy (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

Match three: France 48-46 England (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Scotland were eliminated from title contention by Ireland in the final round of fixtures, with Ireland’s bonus point victory meaning that France would have to beat England if they wanted to claim the title. However, a spirited Scotland side certainly left the tournament with plenty of positives after an inauspicious start. 

Following this, the hardy Welsh fans were finally given reason to cheer. Although they still finished bottom of the table, Wales at least managed to defeat Italy 31-17 in their final fixture. This was their first Six Nations win in 16 matches and their first home win since 2022! 

For many, the final match of the tournament will live long in the memory. England and France scored 13 tries in an encounter where the teams almost notched 100 points combined! 

Astonishingly after their recent poor performances, England found form at the Stade de France. With the clock entering the 80th minute, the title was heading to Ireland. However, a last-minute high tackle by England gifted France a penalty. Sensing his chance, Thomas Ramos coolly slotted the kick between the posts to ensure a 48-46 victory. As a result, when the final whistle blew, France were crowned as champions.

Six Nations Table 2026

Here are the Six Nations results from 2026:

Entering the tournament as reigning champions, France were the favourites and proved the bookies correct as they held onto their crown in spectacular fashion at the Stade de France. Although they suffered a disappointing defeat against Scotland and were run close by an under-performing England, they were clearly a cut above the rest and rightfully reclaimed their title. 

On the flip side, Wales’ torrid time at the tournament continued and they once more picked up the wooden spoon. However, the main surprise from the tournament was the performance of England. After an impressive 2025, many fans expected Steve Borthwick’s men to run France close, with the final match of the tournament acting as a decider. Sadly for English supporters, the reverse was true. England lost four of their five matches and left the tournament with far more questions than answers.