Six Nations LIVE: Latest news as Sam Prendergast starts for champions Ireland against England

Eddie Jones will be part of the ITV punditry team for this year’s Six Nations, with the erstwhile England coach on duty for his former side’s opening clash with Ireland in Dublin.

Here’s a reminder of how you can follow all of the action in the men’s tournament over the next couple of months.

The Colosseum in Rome proved a fitting location for the traditional pre-tournament proceedings as the Six Nations launch celebrated 25 years of Italian involvement. Could this be a vintage edition?

Jac Morgan says wanting to prove people wrong is a motivating factor for Wales ahead of their Guinness Six Nations opener against France in Paris.

If the bookmakers and many pundits are to be believed, Wales will be little more than bit-part players at Stade de France on Friday.

They are on the back of a record 12 successive Test defeats and have lost their last six games against France.

As if the task was not tough enough, Les Bleus welcome back captain Antoine Dupont to Six Nations rugby after he missed last year’s tournament because of Olympic commitments that ultimately delivered a gold medal.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has spoken about his players creating a siege mentality as they aim for a first Test win since beating World Cup opponents Georgia almost 16 months ago.

Is Sam Prendergast the man to make history for Ireland? Michael Cooke takes an in-depth look at their bid to win a third successive title.

Ireland fly half Sam Prendergast has been handed his first Six Nations start after beating Jack Crowley to the number 10 jersey against England.

Leinster youngster Prendergast will open Ireland’s title defence as chief playmaker after impressing in his debut international campaign in November.

The 21-year-old, tipped as a long-term successor to Johnny Sexton, displaces Crowley despite the Munsterman’s key role in steering Ireland to the title last year.

The selection is a bold first call from interim coach Simon Easterby, who oversees the squad for this tournament with Andy Farrell on sabbatical while preparing to take charge of the British and Irish Lions.

Identical twins Tom and Ben Curry will start together for England for the first time as Steve Borthwick makes a bold selection call for his side’s Six Nations opener against Ireland.

The Sale pair are deployed at blindside and openside respectively, as they are regularly for their club, having first been named in a matchday squad together during the Autumn Nations Series.

Elsewhere, there is a surprise debut for Cadan Murley on the wing in the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, while Freddie Steward starts at full-back with George Furbank injured.

Marcus Smith continues at fly half after starting all four games in November, with half-back partner Alex Mitchell fit to start having been an injury doubt.

The trope that ‘you never know which France are going to turn up’ for the Six Nations has long since been dispelled. Truthfully, it was always more lazy stereotype than searingly accurate truism but, in recent years, they have become perhaps the most consistent rugby force in the northern hemisphere.

Since Fabien Galthie took charge following the 2019 World Cup, Les Bleus haven’t finished lower than second in the five editions of the Six Nations they’ve contested. They’ve developed an explosive, scintillating back-line that has game-changers in every position, led by the best player in the world, with a skillset the sport has never seen before, in Antoine Dupont.

Athletic freaks dotted throughout their pack, combined with a dynamic but hard-grafting back row, possibly the best complete coaching staff in world rugby installing systems the players buy into and the best domestic league on the planet providing a pipeline of fresh talent have all added up to make them a formidable force.

This ‘golden generation’ that, in addition to Dupont, boasts superstars such as Romain Ntamack, Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Gregory Alldritt and Uini Atonio has thrilled fans but also avoided the dysfunction that sometimes plagued former iterations of the French team.

Yet for all the plaudits they rightly receive, the 2025 Six Nations is the most important in French rugby history and will likely come to define not only this squad but the future direction of the national team. No country is under greater pressure and this championship is the very definition of must-win for Les Bleus as they approach a fork in the road.

Gregor Townsend has handed Stafford McDowall first opportunity to replace the injured Sione Tuipulotu at inside centre in the Scotland side to face Italy. The tall McDowall joins Huw Jones in midfield as hooker Dave Cherry is selected for his first appearance since the 2023 World Cup.

Duhan van der Merwe has shaken off injury fears to start on the wing in what looks a tasty backline, while Jonny Gray is a welcome returnee at lock after Scott Cummings was ruled out of the tournament.

Scotland XV to face Italy: 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 Dave Cherry, 3 Zander Fagerson; 4 Jonny Gray, 5 Grant Gilchrist; 6 Jamie Ritchie, 7 Rory Darge (co-capt.), 8 Matt Fagerson; 9 Ben White, 10 Finn Russell (co-capt.); 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 12 Stafford McDowall, 13 Huw Jones, 14 Darcy Graham; 15 Blair Kinghorn.

Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Gregor Brown, 20 Jack Dempsey; 21 George Horne, 22 Tom Jordan, 23 Kyle Rowe.

Hope springs eternal as the Six Nations sides renew hostilities in rugby’s grandest old championship.

Another competitive edition of the tournament looks likely in 2025 with questions for each and every one of the competing sextet, and with the fixtures given an extra edge in a British and Irish Lions year.

A fresh crop of new faces just taking their first steps on the international stage will be out to make their mark over the next few weeks, with places on the plane to Australia perhaps up for grabs for those eligible.

There will be plenty of excitement around France and Italy, too, as the pair continue to unearth new talent.

The Independent has picked out one new(ish) face from each nation who could be set for a breakthrough tournament: