England rugby team. Photo:Courtesy
England enter the opening weekend of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations under significant rankings pressure, with World Rugby confirming that Steve Borthwick’s side could drop places regardless of their performance against Wales. Despite playing at home, England cannot improve their rating even with a win due to the large 15.18-point gap between the two teams before home advantage is applied.
However, their position is far from secure. Even if England defeat Wales, they could still be overtaken by Ireland should Andy Farrell’s men beat France by more than 15 points in Thursday’s high-stakes opener. A draw for England would produce the same outcome, pushing Ireland above them in the global standings.
The stakes rise further if England lose. A defeat by more than 15 points combined with a French victory over Ireland would see England fall another place, dropping below France as the two sides swap spots. It is mathematically impossible for England, Ireland or France to catch second-placed New Zealand this weekend.
Elsewhere, Scotland risk slipping to 10th if they fall to Italy in Rome, while a decisive win could move them above both Fiji and Australia. Wales, meanwhile, can only return to the top 10 with a big win over England paired with a similarly heavy Italian defeat.
In the Rugby Europe Men’s Championship, Georgia, Romania, Spain and Portugal all start their campaigns with limited opportunities for major ranking movement, though Belgium could break into the top 20 for the first time with a strong win at home to Portugal.
Match officials for the weekend include Karl Dickson for France v Ireland, Pierre Brousset for England v Wales, and several test officiating debuts across the Championship.
English