England 2025/26

[OllyM97]

OK then, here’s my take on the coming year for England:

6 Nations - Definitely think we’ll finish top two. Heart says 5/5 and a Grand Slam, head says 4/5 and a close loss in Paris. We’ll beat Wales and Italy. Scotland at Murrayfield could go either way but I’d have us narrow favourites. Ireland at Twickenham will be tricky but I think we win by 8-10 points with home advantage. We’re definitely capable of beating France away but if they handle the pressure (I think they’ll be 4/4 going into the last game as well) and their big names turn up, then I think their ceiling at the moment is a bit higher than ours, especially with home advantage. 1st or 2nd, but runners up more likely IMO.

Nations Championship - This one is a bit up in the air because you don’t know how some teams will approach it but, bar SA away, I expect us to win all the other fixtures. Argentina away will be tough but we’ve got an excellent record against them over the last 15 years or so. It’s a shame we’re not playing Fiji in Suva, that would have been a different challenge. As for our home matches in November, 3 wins are on the cards. I think the fixtures fall our way in terms of topping the Northern Hemisphere section. I’m going for an England v SA final, and for England to upset the World Champs at home with a big crowd behind them and win a tournament that ultimately has very little bearing on the RWC.

 

[BPM]

I’d be very happy with that.

Feels like we’re pretty much on the same page.

Building a winning mentality is important but I don’t think that is solely defined by winning the Six Nations or the Nations Championship. Both are very challenging competitions and I don’t think the format of this year’s fixtures favours us with the two toughest games being away from home. As I said in my previous post, I could accept losing to France in the 6 Nations if we’ve picked up good wins against Scotland and Ireland. Very few teams win in SA, so if we don’t win there it won’t be a disaster. As always, it’s about performance. If we play well in those games but come out on the wrong side of a tight game, I’m OK with it.

Ultimately, it’s about peaking at the right time and I see this year as part of the climb towards that peak rather than the peak itself. I feel like we’re going in the right direction and a good 2026 is about continuing to build upon the positivity of 2025.

Let’s put it this way - I’d much prefer a RWC win in 2027 to a Grand Slam or Nations Championship in 2026.

If this year continues on the current trajectory, I will be a lot more bullish about next year.

 

[Ddanno]

Getting a win over SA this year would be immense, but I neither expect it, nor in some weird way particularly want it, because I'd rather we had the desire for vengeance (instead of them) if we clash at the WC.

Other than that, I think France and the ABs will have a very good shot at turning us over as well, but reckon we'll have another good year. I'm looking forward to it whatever happens.

Kudos to Sriracha'd Bigwick, he's got me believing in the side again after a few torrid years

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I'd agree with all of the above but more than anything I just want us to put in a bloody convincing game against the Scots for once. There is something about that fixture where we just go to pieces and the Scots treat it as their world cup final. For the love of God can we just actually turn up for that game and put in a proper performance?

 

[Ddanno]

I'd agree with all of the above but more than anything I just want us to put in a bloody convincing game against the Scots for once. There is something about that fixture where we just go to pieces and the Scots treat it as their world cup final. For the love of God can we just actually turn up for that game and put in a proper performance?

Amen. If we can smack them in Edinburgh, and not by just one point I'll grin like Jiffy in 2013.