The Six Nations Championship is one of the most prestigious competitions in international rugby union. First held in 1883 as the Home Nations Championship between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, France joined the competition in 1910, and Italy joined in 2000 to make it the Six Nations.
The annual rugby union competition is played over five rounds between February and March. Each team plays every other team once, either at home or away. The competition includes the oldest rugby rivalry in the world – England vs Scotland.
Round 5, dubbed ‘Super Saturday’, sees all three matches played on the same day. This action-packed finale often determines the overall Guinness Six Nations winner, as the table can change right up until the final whistle.
Wales v Italy
Wales and Italy will get proceedings underway on the final day of the 2024 Six Nations Championship when they meet at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Super Saturday 16th March. Kick-off is at 2:15pm GMT.
The match will be televised live on BBC and S4C in the UK and RTÉ in the Republic of Ireland.
Refereeing the match is Mathieu Raynal of France.
This is the first of three matches taking place on the final day of the 2024 Six Nations, dubbed ‘Super Saturday’. The day’s rugby action will culminate in ‘Le Crunch’ showdown between defending champions France and England at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon.
Previous Encounter
In their most recent meeting during the 2023 Six Nations Championship, Wales claimed a morale-boosting 29-17 victory over Italy at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
After a tight first half which saw Wales hold a narrow 10-7 lead, the home side pulled away in the second period with tries from Louis Rees-Zammit and Alex Cuthbert. Despite a late consolation score from Italy’s Pierre Bruno, Wales recorded an important win to build momentum after a slow start to their campaign.
The result marked the first time that Wales had beaten Italy in Cardiff since 2013. It was a satisfying bounce-back performance from Wayne Pivac’s team following their demoralizing defeat to Ireland in round 4.
Overall Head-to-Head
Wales and Italy have contested a total of 32 rugby test matches since their first meeting in 1994. Wales have won 28 of those matches, whilst Italy have won 3 matches. There has also been 1 drawn match between the two nations.
Ireland and Scotland have contested a total of 141 rugby test matches since their first meeting in 1877. Ireland have won 70 of those matches, whilst Scotland have won 66 matches. There have also been 5 drawn matches between the two nations.
France and England have contested a total of 110 rugby test matches since their first meeting in 1906. England have won 60 of those matches, whilst France have won 43 matches. There have also been 7 drawn matches between the two nations.
Ireland v Scotland
Ireland will face Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Super Saturday 16th March 2024. This will be the second of three matches taking place on the final day of the 2024 Six Nations Championship.
The match will kick off at 4:45pm and will be televised live on ITV (UK) and Virgin Media (ROI).
The winner of this match will be presented with the Centenary Quaich, which was first awarded in 1989 to mark the centenary of the Scottish Rugby Union. The trophy is inscribed with the crests of both unions and the years in which they were founded.
The Centenary Quaich was most recently won by Ireland following their 22-7 victory over Scotland during the 2023 Championship.
Previous Encounter
In an intense battle at Murrayfield during the 2023 Championship, Ireland narrowly defeated Scotland 22-7. Despite Scotland scoring the opening try, Ireland’s pack dominated at the breakdown allowing them to control possession and territory. Tries from hooker Ronan Kelleher and number 8 Caelan Doris, along with the flawless goal kicking of captain Johnny Sexton, saw Ireland to victory.
The match was not without controversy, as Scotland wing Darcy Graham was denied a try in the first half after the TMO ruled he had lost control of the ball while grounding it over the line. However, Ireland withstood the Scottish challenge in the second half to claim the Centenary Quaich trophy for the first time since 2018.
Overall Head-to-Head
Wales and Italy have contested a total of 32 rugby test matches since their first meeting in 1994.
- Wales have won 28 of those matches
- Italy have won 3 matches
- There has been 1 drawn match between the two nations
France v England
France will take on England in ‘Le Crunch’ at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon on Super Saturday 16th March 2024. This will be the final match of the 2024 Six Nations Championship.
Date: Saturday 16th March 2024
Venue: Groupama Stadium, Lyon
Kick-off: 8:00pm (GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
TV Coverage: Live on ITV (UK) and RTÉ (ROI)
France condemned England to their biggest-ever home defeat with a 53-10 mauling during the 2023 Championship.
France and England have contested a total of 110 rugby test matches since their first meeting in 1906. England have won 60 of those matches, whilst France have won 43 matches. There have also been seven drawn matches between the two nations.
Previous Encounter
France condemned England to their biggest-ever home defeat with a 53-10 mauling during the 2023 Championship. The match was played at Twickenham in London in front of over 80,000 fans.
England went into the game as slight favorites, having won the last 3 meetings between the teams. However, France were in scintillating form and blew England away right from the kick-off.
The French pack dominated the collisions and their backs cut through England almost at will. France led 30-3 at halftime after scoring 4 brilliant tries. England had no answers in the second half as the French relentlessly piled on the points.
Winger Damian Penaud grabbed a hat-trick of tries in a man of the match performance. Fly-half Romain Ntamack pulled the strings for France, scoring 28 points from a try, 6 conversions and 3 penalties.
For England it was a day to forget. They were outplayed in every department and the defeat was the biggest England had ever suffered at home to France. It was a signal that France were building something special leading up to the World Cup on home soil later that year.
Overall Head-to-Head
Wales and Italy have contested a total of 32 rugby test matches since their first meeting in 1994.
- Wales have won 28 of those matches
- Italy have won 3 matches
- There has been 1 drawn match between the two nations
Overall, Wales have dominated the head-to-head record against Italy. Despite Italy joining the Six Nations in 2000, they have struggled against Wales only managing 3 wins in their 32 meetings. The one draw came back in 2006 when the teams were tied 18-18 in Cardiff.
While Italy have improved over the years, they have not yet managed to string together consistent performances to overhaul Wales. Heading into this 2024 Six Nations encounter, Wales will be looking to extend their strong record against the Italians.
Sources Six Nations Guide