The 2025 thread to discuss all things rugby related such as matches, players, debates and news anything to with the world of rugby and of both codes, union and league.

Scarlets welcomed the new year with a bonus-point derby win over Dragons in the United Rugby Championship (URC) by 32-15.

Six Nations Odds: (Coral)

 

France 7-4f

Ireland 15-8

England 4-1

Scotland 6-1

Wales 50-1

Italy 100-1

England team to face Ireland

 

England: Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Murley; M Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Itoje, Martin, T Curry, B Curry, Earl

 

Replacements: Dan, Baxter, Heyes, Chessum, Cunningham-South, Willis, Randall, F Smith

British and Irish Lions duo Josh Adams and Liam Williams return for Wales' Six Nations opener against France in Paris on Friday.

 

Wing Adams has not featured for Wales since the 2024 Six Nations, while full-back Williams' most recent international appearance was on last summer's tour of Australia.

 

With more than 150 caps combined, they bring a wealth of experience for what promises to be a stern test in Paris.

 

Dafydd Jenkins, Wales' captain in the 2024 Six Nations, is also back in the side at lock.

Marcus Smith is set to start at full-back and Fin Smith at fly-half for England in Saturday's Six Nations match with France at Allianz Stadium.

 

If confirmed, it will be a first Test start for Northampton's Fin Smith, 22, after winning his previous seven caps from the bench.

 

It means Marcus Smith is poised to switch to his more unfamiliar position of full-back, having started England's last eight games at number 10.

 

England will confirm their starting XV and replacements on Thursday.

Ollie Chessum will make his first England start in nearly a year after being named in the second row for Saturday's Calcutta Cup match against Scotland at Allianz Stadium.

 

Chessum partners captain Maro Itoje at lock, with George Martin dropping to the bench in the only change to the squad that beat France in round two.

 

Martin was understood to have had a knee issue following that game but is deemed fit enough to be named on the bench.

 

Marcus Smith continues at full-back, with Fin Smith starting at fly-half after his man-of-the-match display in the thrilling win against Les Bleus.

 

Head coach Steve Borthwick has kept faith with Marcus Smith at 15 over Freddie Steward and Elliot Daly, but Scotland could look to test the Harlequins back aerially.

Former rugby union player Alix Popham has said jerseys and medals are the only reminders he has of playing in big matches he has "no recollection of".

 

The ex-Wales flanker, who had a 14-year professional career, was diagnosed with early onset dementia at the age of 40.

Ireland captain Caelan Doris, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong have been ruled out of Saturday's Six Nations game against Wales in Cardiff (14:15 GMT).

 

Leinster back row Doris has picked up a knee injury, while hooker Kelleher is struggling with a neck issue.

 

Prop Furlong missed Ireland's wins over England and Scotland, and while the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) said he was "making good progress" on Sunday, he remains unavailable.

 

After facing Wales, there is another down week before Ireland host France at Aviva Stadium on 8 March.

 

"We're hoping they'll be available for France, they're just going through their processes they do with the physios, but they're all making good progress," said Ireland attack coach Andrew Goodman.

 

With Ulster's Iain Henderson and Cormac Izuchukwu also ruled out, Ireland called up six players on Sunday, including Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Nick Timoney.

 

Munster forwards Gavin Coombes and John Hodnett and Leinster back row Diarmuid Mangan were also added to interim boss Simon Easterby's panel on Sunday.

Worcester Warriors are set to return to professional rugby union two and a half years after the club went into administration.

The Midlands-based outfit will be part of a new expanded 14-team Championship next season, after passing an RFU-led tender process to enter the division.

The RFU's Tier 2 Board agreed that the former Premiership club can compete in the 2025-26 season at its Sixways Stadium, subject to paying back its creditors.

Junction 6 Limited, which assumed control of the Warriors last year, announced plans to increase capacity at Sixways, alongside a new hotel, multi-storey car park, a golf driving range and a solar farm.

This is fantastic news for my local rugby team.

The European Challenge Cup final sees Bath take on Lyon at the Millennium Stadium on Friday. The final will be broadcast live across the UK on all S4C platforms.

Route To The Final:

Bath:

Entered at Knockout Stage (Transferred from Champions Cup)

Last 16- 49-24 (Pau)

Quarter-Final- 61-26 (Gloucester)

Semi-Final- 39-24 (Edinburgh)

Lyon:

Pool Stage:

Cardiff 37-26

Zebre 21-19

Connacht 24-52

Cheetahs 68-21

Knockout Stage:

Last 16- 34-21 (Sharks)

Quarter-Final- 20-18 (Ospreys)

Semi-Final 29-15 (Racing 92)

The European Champions Cup final sees Bordeaux take on Northampton Saints at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. The final wiil be broadcast free on YouTube and Welsh broadcaster S4C as well as Premier Sports.

Route To The Final:

Bordeaux:

Pool Stage:

Leicester Tigers 42-28

Ulster 40-19

Exeter Chiefs 69-17

Sharks 66-12

Knockout Stage:

Last 16- 43-31 (Ulster)

Quarter-Final- 47-29 (Munster)

Semi-Final 35-18 (Toulouse)

Northampton Saints:

Pool Stage:

Castres 38-8

Bulls 31-20

Stade Francais 35-45

Munster 34-32

Knockout Stage:

Last 16- 46-24 (Clermont)

Quarter-Final- 51-16 (Castres)

Semi-Final- 37-34 (Leinster)

Johann van Graan has urged his Bath players to "keep it simple" and "stick to the process" as they aim for European Challenge Cup glory when they face Lyon in the final on Friday.

The Premiership leaders are in their first European cup final since head of rugby Van Graan took over in 2022 and are aiming for a first European win in 12 years.

This will be Bath's fifth appearance in the Challenge Cup final, having won the title in 2008 and finished runners-up in 2003, 2007 and 2014.

"A special moment for the club, the first European final that we as a group have played in," Van Graan said.

Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson believes his close-knit team will "fly into" the challenge of trying to become European champions for the first time in 25 years.

They take on Bordeaux in Saturday's Champions Cup final at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, 11 months on from beating Bath to win their first domestic title for a decade.

It's a game between two teams who like to play an expansive game, with Bordeaux's star-studded side currently second in France's Top 14.

"You look at the quality of their squad, (and) we're suffering with some long-term injuries. Just on those factors alone we're probably underdogs - and with their league form compared to our league form, I think that makes us underdogs," Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton.

"But that's up to the bookies and the pundits, we focus on what we're in control of and that's our actions and that's what we're going to do."

This will be the first time ever that both Bath and Lyon OU have played each other in rugby union as they take on each other in the European Challenge Cup Final tonight.

Line-Ups for the European Champions Cup Final:

Northampton: Furbank; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Ramm; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Lockett, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock

Replacements: Wright, Haffar, Millar Mills, Prowse, Scott-Young, James, Litchfield, Sleightholme

Bordeaux-Begles: Buros; Penaud, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu; Poirot, Lamothe, Falatea, Coleman, Cazeaux, Diaby, Petti, Samu

Replacements: Sa, Boniface, Tameifune, Bochaton, Vergnes-Taillefer, Gazzotti, Retiere, Janse van Rensburg