Six Nations Women, Round Three- teams and predictions
PREVIEW: Les Bleues will be looking to maintain their 100% win record as they go on the hunt for their seventh Women’s Six Nations title.
France have won their last eight Women’s Six Nations matches against Wales, keeping them scoreless in the first half in each of their last five meetings.
Overall, they have won all 11 of their previous home Championship matches against Wales by margins of 15+ points (30 on average).
They’ve held Wales to seven points or fewer in nine of those fixtures.
In 2024, France despatched Wales by 40 points to nil in Round Four of the Championship at Cardiff Arms Park. This match set up a Grand Slam decider with England on Super Saturday.
France enters this match with momentum, having produced strong back-to-back performances in the Championship – particularly their most recent victory, storming past Scotland 38-15 in front of a boisterous La Rochelle crowd.
Their dynamic backline and solid forward pack have been instrumental in their recent successes.
Wales, on the other hand, have faced challenges both on and off the field.
The team is undergoing a period of transition following the arrival of new head coach Sean Lynn.
Their most recent game saw them welcome champions England to the Millennium Stadium in front of a record-breaking crowd, but the Red Roses proved too strong for Lynn’s side and claimed an 67-12 win.
Wales will be hoping to cause a major upset and secure their first win of the 2025 Championship.
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In the second match on Saturday, Ireland welcomes the Red Roses to Cork’s Musgrave Park in Cork.
England have each of their previous eight matches against Ireland in the Women’s Six Nations.
Ireland’s only two Championship wins over England came at Ashbourne Rugby Club in County Meath – a 25–0 win in 2013 and an 11–8 triumph in 2015, the two years they went on to win the Six Nations.
The 2024 Championship clash between the two sides provided a memorable spectacle for the 48,778 fans at Twickenham Stadium, as the Red Roses ran rampant with an 88-10 victory.
England enters this match on the back of two impressive victories, including a 67-12 win over Wales in Round Two, extending their winning streak to 31 consecutive games.
A streak that began against Ireland in the final round of the 2018 campaign. During this run, they’ve averaged 8.2 tries per game and a winning margin of 44 points.
Despite the result, head coach John Mitchell – ever the perfectionist – acknowledged areas for improvement.
The Red Roses are aiming to build momentum as they prepare for an upcoming home Rugby World Cup.
Ireland, on the other hand, have shown significant progress in the 2025 Championship. They come into this fixture off the back of a clinical 54-12 win over Italy in Parma.
England will be without prop Mackenzie Carson for the remainder of the Women’s Six Nations after she was ruled out with an ankle injury.
The defending champions have also lost Leicester lock Charlotte Fray, who has been released from the squad due to a shoulder issue, while Gloucester-Hartpury lock Sarah Beckett has returned to her club for further treatment on a back problem.
There is some positive news, however, as Gloucester-Hartpury flanker, Alex Matthews is now available for selection, having completed her suspension for a dangerous tackle in the Premiership Women’s Rugby Final. This could mark her first appearance in this year’s Championship.
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On Sunday, April 13, Scotland will look to stay in touch with England and France when they welcome basement dwellers Italy to Edinburgh Stadium.
Scotland have made just two changes for their Round Three meeting against the Azzurri women.
Becky Boyd, fresh from a Scotland debut against France in the previous round, earns a first start for her country in the second row, in place of Hollie Cunningham, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the Championship due to a hamstring injury.
Evie Gallagher returns, having missed the game in La Rochelle through suspension, and she will anchor a loose trio containing captain Rachel Malcolm at blindside flanker and Rachel McLachlan on the openside.
Boyd joins forces in the engine room with Sarah Bonar, behind an unchanged front row that features hooker Lana Skeldon and the propping duo of Anne Young and Elliann Clarke.
The back division remains as it did in the opening two rounds, with a pacy back three featuring Chloe Rollie at fullback and Francesca McGhie and Rhona Lloyd filling the wing berths.
Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr, who has scored tries against both Wales and France so far, team up in the centres once more, with Leia Brebner-Holden and Helen Nelson completing the starting XV at scrumhalf and flyhalf, respectively.
The replacements are again split six-two forward-heavy, with Elis Martin, Leah Bartlett and Molly Poolman – herself a debutant against France – joined by Adelle Ferrie, Alex Stewart and Jade Konkel.
Scrumhalf Caity Mattinson and the versatile Lucia Scott complete Scotland’s matchday 23.
All the Round Two teams and predictions below…
Womens Six Nations
Saturday, April 12
France v Wales
(Stade Amedee-Domenech, Brive – Kick-off: 13.45; 12.45 Wales time; 11.45 GMT)
Head-to-Head
Last 4 Meetings
Prediction:
@rugby365com: France by 25 points
Teams:
France: 15 Morgane Bourgeois, 14 Kelly Arbey, 13 Marine Ménager (captain), 12 Montserrat Amédée, 11 Émilie Boulard, 10 Carla Arbez, 9 Pauline Bourdon Sansus, 8 Téani Feleu, 7 Séraphine Okemba, 6 Charlotte Escudero, 5 Madoussou Fall Raclot, 4 Manae Feleu (vice captain), 3 Rose Bernadou, 2 Manon Bigot, 1 Yllana Brosseau.
Replacements: 16 Élisa Riffonneau, 17 Ambre Mwayembe, 18 Assia Khalfaoui, 19 Kiara Zago, 20 Axelle Berthoumieu, 21 Léa Champon, 22 Océane Bordes, 23 Lina Queyroi.
Wales:15 Jasmine Joyce, 14 Lisa Neumann, 13 Hannah Jones (captain), 12 Courtney Keight, 11 Carys Cox, 10 Kayleigh Powell, 9 Keira Bevan (vice captain), 8 Georgia Evans, 7 Bethan Lewis, 6 Kate Williams, 5 Gwen Crabb, 4 Abbie Fleming, 3 Jenni Scoble, 2 Carys Phillips, 1 Gwenllian Prys.
Replacements: 16 Kelsey Jones, 17 Maisie Davies, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Natalia John, 20 Alaw Pyrs, 21 Bryonie King, 22 Sian Jones, 23 Nel Metcalfe.
Referee: Holly Wood (England)
Assistant referees: Sara Cox (England), Maria Heitor (Portugal)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Ireland v England
(Musgrave Park, Cork – Kick-off: 16.45; 15.45 GMT)
Head-to-Head
Last 3 Meetings
Prediction:
@rugby365com: England by 20 points
Teams
Ireland: 15 Stacey Flood, 14 Anna McGann, 13 Aoife Dalton, 12 Eve Higgins, 11 Amee-Leigh Costigan, 10 Dannah O’Brien, 9 Emily Lane, 8 Aoife Wafer, 7 Erin King, 6 Brittany Hogan, 5 Dorothy Wall, 4 Fiona Tuite, 3 Linda Djougang, 2 Neve Jones, 1 Niamh O’Dowd.
Replacements: 16 Cliodhna Moloney, 17 Siobhan McCarthy, 18 Christy Haney, 19 Ruth Campbell, 20 Grace Moore, 21 Aoibheann Reilly, 22 Nicole Fowley, 23 Vicky Elmes Kinlan.
England: 15 Ellie Kildunne, 14 Abby Dow, 13 Megan Jones, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Jess Breach, 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Natasha Hunt, 8 Alex Matthews, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 6 Zoe Aldcroft, 5 Abbie Ward, 4 Morwenna Talling, 3 Maud Muir, 2 Lark Atkin-Davies, 1 Hannah Botterman.
Replacements: 16 Amy Cokayne, 17 Kelsey Clifford, 18 Sarah Bern, 19 Rosie Galligan, 20 Maddie Feaunati, 21 Lucy Packer, 22 Holly Aitchison, 23 Helena Rowland.
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (France)
Assistant referees: Clara Munarini (Italy), Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wales)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Sunday, April 13
Scotland v Italy
(Edinburgh Stadium, Edinburgh – Kick-off: 15.00, 16.00 Italy time; 14.00 GMT)
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Scotland by 10 points.
Teams:
Scotland: 15 Chloe Rollie, 14 Rhona Lloyd, 13 Emma Orr, 12 Lisa Thomson, 11 Francesca McGhie, 10 Helen Nelson, 9 Leia Brebner-Holden, 8 Evie Gallagher, 7 Rachel McLachlan, 6 Rachel Malcolm (captain), 5 Sarah Bonar, 4 Becky Boyd, 3 Elliann Clarke, 2 Lana Skeldon, 1 Anne Young.
Replacements: 16 Elis Martin, 17 Leah Bartlett, 18 Molly Poolman, 19 Adelle Ferrie, 20 Alex Stewart , 21 Jade Konkel, 22 Caity Mattinson, 23 Lucia Scott.
Italy: 15 Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, 14 Aura Muzzo, 13. Michela Sillari, 12 Beatrice Rigoni, 11 Alyssa D’inca, 10 Emma Stevanin, 9 Sofia Stefan, 8 Elisa Giordano (captain), 7 Beatrice Veronese, 6 Francesca Sgorbini, 5 Giordana Duca, 4 Sara Tounesi, 3 Sara Seye, 2 Vittoria Vecchin, 1 Silvia Turani.
Replacements: 16 Desiree Spinelli, 17 Emanuela Stecca, 18 Gaia Maris, 19 Valeria Fedrighi, 20 Alissa Ranuccini, 21 Alia Bitonci, 22 Veronica Madia, 23 Sara Mannini.
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Maria Latos (Germany), Zoe Naude (South Africa)
TMO: Rachel Horton (Australia)
Source: @SixNationsRugby
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