The 2025 Six Nations Championship has wrapped up with France emerging as the winners, showcasing a dominant performance. This year’s tournament was full of surprises, standout players, and unpredictable moments. Let’s dive into the performance of each team, ranked from lowest to highest.
6th Place: Wales – A Tough Year for Welsh Rugby (1/10)
Wales endured a challenging Six Nations, finishing at the bottom of the table. A series of internal struggles, including instability in their coaching staff, marred their campaign. Despite some competitive moments against Ireland and Scotland, Wales failed to deliver the high-quality rugby expected at the international level.
Looking ahead, the Welsh Rugby Union faces an uphill battle to rebuild. With the need for a new coach and key player decisions on the horizon, there’s work to be done. However, the lack of relegation in the Six Nations gives Wales some breathing room, but significant changes are required to restore their former glory.
5th Place: Italy – A Missed Opportunity for Azzurri (2/10)
Italy entered the 2025 Six Nations with ambitions to compete more strongly, but they fell short. Their victory over Wales seemed promising but quickly lost its luster as the tournament progressed. The Azzurri struggled against stronger sides, suffering heavy defeats to France (73-24) and England (47-24).
A lack of resources and a world-class coaching setup continues to hinder Italy’s ability to compete against top-tier nations. To challenge the likes of South Africa, New Zealand, and France, Italy needs to make significant improvements both on and off the field.
4th Place: Scotland – Inconsistent and Middle-of-the-Pack (5/10)
Scotland continued to be a team that’s hard to categorize, sitting firmly in the middle of the Six Nations table. While they started with a solid win over Italy and gave England a tough battle, their consistency was a major issue. Their underwhelming performance against a struggling Wales, where they barely managed to secure a win, was particularly disappointing.
Against stronger teams like France and Ireland, Scotland struggled to make an impact. However, their talent pool suggests that, with the right focus and development, they could rise from their current position and challenge for higher honors in future tournaments.
3rd Place: Ireland – Striving for Improvement (6/10)
After a historic win over South Africa last year, Ireland entered the Six Nations with high expectations but didn’t quite live up to them. Their tournament was marred by inconsistency, with a coaching change and underperforming senior players contributing to their struggles.
Ireland’s heaviest blow came in a 27-42 home loss to France, where they were outplayed. Despite a near loss to England, Ireland finished third. Looking ahead, Ireland’s upcoming fixtures, including games against Georgia and Portugal, offer the opportunity to test new players and prepare for a stronger 2026 campaign.
2nd Place: England – A Resurgent English Team (8/10)
England’s 2025 Six Nations campaign showed real promise. While they faltered in key moments, especially in their opener against Ireland, their ability to defeat France highlighted the team’s potential. England’s forwards were strong throughout the tournament, and their physical, aggressive playstyle posed challenges for all opponents.
England’s biggest hurdle was finishing strong, as missed opportunities cost them a chance at the Grand Slam. With upcoming fixtures, including a high-stakes clash with South Africa in November, England will have the chance to prove they’re back at the top of world rugby.
1st Place: France – Dominance With One Stumble (9/10)
France were the standout team of the 2025 Six Nations, controlling most of their matches with precision and power. Their performance against Scotland and Ireland was clinical, reaffirming their status as one of the world’s top rugby nations. The only blemish on their record came in a dramatic loss to England, where they were defeated in the dying minutes of the match.
Despite this setback, France’s overall play demonstrated why they are a force to be reckoned with. Their squad depth and high-quality performances throughout the tournament earned them top honors, with only the loss to England preventing a perfect 10/10 rating.
Looking to the future, France will aim to maintain their dominance in the upcoming July internationals and end-of-year tests against New Zealand and South Africa respectively.
Final Thoughts: What’s Next for International Rugby?
The 2025 Six Nations was a rollercoaster, with France solidifying their place as the best team, England showing they’re back in the mix, and Ireland in transition. Meanwhile, Scotland, Italy, and Wales will need to reevaluate their strategies for improvement.
With the Rugby Championship, July internationals, and the November Tests on the horizon, there’s plenty of exciting rugby to look forward to. As a Springbok supporter, I’m eager to see how South Africa matches up against these teams in the coming months.