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2023 Guinness Six Nations fixtures and kick-off times
Six Nations kick-off times: The final Guinness Six Nations Championship before the Rugby World Cup begins in France later this year could be a blockbuster.
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Six Nations title holders France and world number one team Ireland lead the way on current form, but it a tournament that also has a reputation for veering off-script.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points ahead of kick-off, as well as fixtures and kick-off times below:
An early title decider?
If rugby union’s world rankings provide an accurate form guide, then this season’s Six Nations is a two-horse race between Ireland and France. They dominated the tournament last year, with France winning a first Grand Slam since 2010, and their Dublin showdown in round two on February 11 appears title-defining. There are other hurdles where either team could fall, but they are way ahead at the rankings summit of any European rival, with first-placed Ireland winning a Test series in New Zealand last year, then toppling South Africa and Australia, while France won all 10 of their games in 2022.
Can Steve Borthwick recharge England?
The Eddie Jones era ended in December after a miserable year when England won just five games, with the Rugby Football Union turning to former national team captain Steve Borthwick as his head coach successor. Borthwick’s coaching credentials are impressive, being highlighted by him transforming Leicester from Gallagher Premiership strugglers to champions in two years. A strong assistant coaching team features the likes of Kevin Sinfield and Nick Evans, and there is no doubt that the 43-year-old Cumbrian could make an immediate impact as England boss. Home games against Scotland and Italy should mean a smooth start before trips to Cardiff and Dublin sandwich a Twickenham appointment with France.
Warren Gatland’s Midas touch
When Wales beat South Africa in Pretoria last summer, the odds on Gatland returning as head coach less than six months later would have been greater than 100-1 chance Foinavon winning the 1967 Grand National. But the New Zealander is back for a second stint in the job, having seen Wales win four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and reach two World Cup semi-finals when he was last at the helm between 2008 and 2019. Home defeats against Italy and Georgia underpinned Wayne Pivac’s departure less than a year out from the World Cup, so Gatland has little time to try and turn things around. If anyone can, though, then it is him.
Exciting prospects to emerge?
The Six Nations is a competition usually for the tried and tested, given its high stakes, but there is also room for new faces to shine. This season’s tournament should be no exception, with England, Ireland and Wales possibly leading the way. London Irish wing and England hopeful Ollie Hassell-Collins is among the Gallagher Premiership’s most consistent performers, showcasing blistering pace and exceptional try-scoring ability, while uncapped Ireland centre Jamie Osborne continued his rapid rise with a man-of-the-match display in Leinster’s recent Heineken Champions Cup rout of Gloucester, and Wales possess two of British rugby’s most promising prospects in Exeter forwards Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza.
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World Cup form guide
The Six Nations offers a final chance to see Europe’s major contenders in full throttle before attention switches to the World Cup. Summer warm-up games will allow coaches to make final selection touches, but for serious competitive action, this season’s tournament has extra spice. It will be a major surprise if Ireland or France do not head to the World Cup with a Six Nations title in the locker, although both will have pressures, given that Ireland have never progressed beyond the tournament’s quarter-final phase and France face huge home nation expectation. Time is not on the side of Borthwick and Gatland, given their recent appointments, but both will oversee hugely-competitive squads, while it could be Gregor Townsend’s last Six Nations campaign as Scotland head coach, given speculation that he might be heading to new pastures later this year.
2023 Guinness Six Nations championship fixtures and officials (kick-off times GMT)
February 4
Wales v Ireland (Cardiff, 1415): referee – Karl Dickson (England); assistant referees – Angus Gardner (Australia), Luke Pearce (England).
England v Scotland (Twickenham, 1645): referee – Paul Williams (New Zealand); assistant referees – Ben O’Keeffe, James Doleman (both New Zealand).
February 5
Italy v France (Rome, 1500): referee – Matthew Carley (England); assistant referees – Nic Berry, Jordan Way (both Australia).
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February 11
Ireland v France (Dublin, 1415): referee – Wayne Barnes (England); assistant referees – Matthew Carley (England), Jordan Way (Australia).
Scotland v Wales (Edinburgh, 1645): referee – Andrew Brace (Ireland); assistant referees – Frank Murphy, Chris Busby (both Ireland).
February 12
England v Italy (Twickenham, 1500): referee – James Doleman (New Zealand); assistant referees – Mathieu Raynal, Tual Trainini (both France).
February 25
Italy v Ireland (Rome, 1415): referee – Mike Adamson (Scotland); assistant referees – Wayne Barnes (England), Craig Evans (Wales).
Wales v England (Cardiff, 1645): referee – Mathieu Raynal (France); assistant referees – Andrew Brace (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France).
February 26
France v Scotland (Paris, 1500): referee – Nika Amashukeli (Georgia); assistant referees – Karl Dickson (England), Andrea Piardi (Italy).
March 11
Italy v Wales (Rome, 1415): referee – Damon Murphy (Australia); assistant referees – Karl Dickson (England), Chris Busby (Ireland).
England v France (Twickenham, 1645): referee – Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand; assistant referees – Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Andrea Piardi (Italy).
March 12
Scotland v Ireland (Edinburgh, 1500): referee – Luke Pearce (England); assistant referees – Wayne Barnes, Christophe Ridley (both England).
March 18
Scotland v Italy (Edinburgh, 1230): referee – Angus Gardner (Australia); assistant referees – Matthew Carley (England), Craig Evans (Wales).
France v Wales (Paris, 1445): referee – Nic Berry (Australia); assistant referees – Andrew Brace (Ireland), Christophe Ridley (England).
Ireland v England (Dublin, 1700): referee – Jaco Peyper (South Africa); assistant referees – Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Pierre Brousset (France).
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments