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Six Nations 2025 predictions based upon AI 2024

I can honestly see England finishing 5th. We won't beat Ireland or France, then we have Scotland who have had our number for a long time now. If we go into Italy 0 from 3, the Italians will be massively pumped and eyeing up history. This Italian generation of players will beat England, it's a question of when, not if. Fiji won at Twickenham last year, there's no reason why Italy can't do it.

France - GS
Ireland
Scotland
Italy
England
Wales

Can't see anyone touching France. They beat NZ and comfortably beat Argentina playing at probably 65%. They were nowhere near full-strength in the Autumn either.
 
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I can honestly see England finishing 5th. We won't beat Ireland or France, then we have Scotland who have had our number for a long time now. If we go into Italy 0 from 3, the Italians will be massively pumped and eyeing up history. This Italian generation of players will beat England, it's a question of when, not if. Fiji won at Twickenham last year, there's no reason why Italy can't do it.

France - GS
Ireland
Scotland
Italy
England
Wales

Can't see anyone touching France. They beat NZ and comfortably beat Argentina playing at probably 65%. They were nowhere near full-strength in the Autumn either.
Agree with this. If we can get up for it we can knock over France at home. But not wothout progression and a few changes.
 
Speaking of AI generated, have you seen the slop they've churned out for the new 6N logo?

1733006337201.png
 
As much as I like the 6N, the skewed nature of the fixture lists every year has too much of an effect on the competition in my opinion. Certain years favour certain teams too much. I think the fixtures should be done by a seeding system annually. Yes it would mean that alternating home and away against each opponent may be more difficult but I'd rather it be the case that every team, every year, has a chance of doing well and is not handicapped before the tournament has even started by an uneven draw. There's should be no such thing as a "easier or harder year" of games for any team.
 
Wouldn't seeding it make it MORE skewed?
The fixture list is because each match is a one-off, with no return fixture. In which case there will always be 3 teams with 3 home games, and 2 away; and 3 teams with 3 away and 2 at home - skewing the fixture list.

No way would seeding it so that the top 3 seeds get 2 away and 3 home matches and vice versa, which would be the only way to even up the advantage, and I don't think that would even be possible, as when they play each other, SOMEONE'S got to be at home.
It would also mean turkeys voting for christmas, as teams have to vote to reduce the number of home matches (and pay days) they get.

TL : DR
You'd need to propose how your seeding system would work, allowing for 5 home fixtures in a 2-year cycle, before it could be taken seriously.
 
Have a sneaky feeling England will finally get the W over Scotland at Twickenham. The hoodoo has to end sometime and some of the recent games have been very tight - it hasn't been as one sided as the results suggest. A couple of the wins were primarily down to Finn and Duhan.

I also think Scotland have a decent chance of finally beating a Fazless Ireland at Murrayfield. I think our pack has improved a lot in the past year and might not get bullied like it has in the past. The performance of the back row in particular v Australia was very encouraging. No guarantees of course and it is a fixture where the hope usually ends up killing us.

Think we'll end up with 3 wins - Wales, Italy and one of England/Ireland.

France
Ireland
Scotland
England
Italy
Wales
 
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I think France will most likely do a Grand Slam.

It remains to be seen how Ireland will go without Farrell and this Autumn suggests that they've slipped back from their best by a reasonable degree. I fancy France to beat them and Scotland to have a decent crack. At this moment in time, I can't see England beating them - particularly in Dublin - but at the same time, I feel like this England team is inconsistent which means they'll probably be crap but they still have the ability there to pull of an upset. With it being round 1, you never know.

Scotland don't fear coming to Twickenham anymore and I feel like they are a kind of kryptonite team for England these days, matching us in the tight and ripping apart our naive defence in the loose.

Italy are improving and could run England close. I still don't see them beating us at home though.

TLDR: France for a Grand Slam, Scotland to compete hard for 2nd with a sub par Ireland, England to pick up 2 measly wins. Wales winless for the wooden spoon.

1. France (GS)
2. Ireland
3. Scotland
4. England
5. Italy
6. Wales
 
TLDR: France for a Grand Slam, Scotland to compete hard for 2nd with a sub par Ireland, England to pick up 2 measly wins. Wales winless for the wooden spoon.

1. France (GS)
2. Ireland
3. Scotland
4. England
5. Italy
6. Wales

Very possible. And if that happens, presumably we're looking for a new head coach again given recent run rate, the target of 4 wins, and that 2 wins from 3 home fixtures would be a step back from 24.

I can see us adopting the Ben Youngs principle though and somehow winning an unlikely 3rd in style that gives just enough to cling to thinking things will be better next time. Which they won't.
 
Even then, I just don't think there are many (if any) outstanding alternatives. Or at least none that we can realistically get.

Borthwick is not where he needs to be right now but I do think he will get there eventually. I think we're just going to have to be patient, as a painful as it may be.

I expect a similar story to the Autumn. 3 close (single digit) defeats to Ireland, France and Scotland and two wins against Italy and Wales. Basically close enough to keep saying we're not far off without actually getting the results.

Honestly, I would settle for that IF we see obvious improvements in attack and even more in defence.
 
As much as I like the 6N, the skewed nature of the fixture lists every year has too much of an effect on the competition in my opinion. Certain years favour certain teams too much. I think the fixtures should be done by a seeding system annually. Yes it would mean that alternating home and away against each opponent may be more difficult but I'd rather it be the case that every team, every year, has a chance of doing well and is not handicapped before the tournament has even started by an uneven draw. There's should be no such thing as a "easier or harder year" of games for any team.
All the teams depends on home games for their respective unions funding. You have to even up home and away for that reason alone.
 
Speaking of AI generated, have you seen the slop they've churned out for the new 6N logo?

View attachment 21992
Every single sport I love seems to have the soul absolutely sucked out of it by incompetent, unknowledgable and desperately out of touch corporate.

What an absolute monstrosity.

I'm glad they put the M there though because I hadn't got a ******* clue that men played in this one.
 
PS France will absolutely waltz to the ***le, ENG/SCO/IRE could be close for second with England being in a lot of close games with good sides, Scotland with a strong autumn, and Ireland slightly below par and without Faz.
 
Anywhere between two and five wins is possible for us I think. Our defence will keep us in all games, just need to get the attack back to one that scores 20 points minimum as a habit, fix the lineout and we're contenders imo.

Reckon we get past England but they have been a horrible match up for us since Lancaster's days. Scotland will really fancy their chances against us and actually merit it this time, they really nearly upset us this year. France will be favourites and rightfully so but I still find it hard not to back us in Dublin.

If we make a few minor personell changes and get a bit more youth on the bench (which we did last week in parts to good effect) I can see us making the improvements needed. Equally, I wouldn't be surprised if the team's at the start of a 12 - 18 month journey to get back to being a match for anyone, anywhere.

With Faz gone, it's not the most important 6n we've ever had, the rest of the year will be bigger for various reasons. Not delighted that he's off with the ugly side chick but can't begrudge the man either.
 
Even then, I just don't think there are many (if any) outstanding alternatives. Or at least none that we can realistically get.

Borthwick is not where he needs to be right now but I do think he will get there eventually. I think we're just going to have to be patient, as a painful as it may be.

I expect a similar story to the Autumn. 3 close (single digit) defeats to Ireland, France and Scotland and two wins against Italy and Wales. Basically close enough to keep saying we're not far off without actually getting the results.

Honestly, I would settle for that IF we see obvious improvements in attack and even more in defence.

Agree except that I don't think Bothwick can get to where he needs to be and certainly not in the short to medium term. His only real chance is to recruit and retain top quality assistants…..when Jones and Walters can talk, their opinions might be telling.

Fra GS, Wal WS. The rest could be anything. Ire, Sco, Eng, Ita possibly.
 

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