Six Nations Betting: Ireland Still Favourites Despite Cardiff Scare
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Following another fascinating weekend of action, the best betting sites for rugby union are once again looking at who the main contenders are for this year’s Six Nations Championship.
Given the position both teams find themselves in at the moment, Ireland entered their third-round clash with Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff last Saturday afternoon as firm favourites to secure a third successive victory of the current campaign.
This was heightened by the fact that the Welsh Rugby Union had parted ways with Warren Gatland after their loss to Italy a fortnight earlier and opted to appoint Matt Sherratt to the role of head coach on an interim basis.
Ireland, England And France Triumph In Round Three
The temporary appointment of the Cardiff supremo appeared to galvanise the Wales players.
With the likes of Gareth Anscombe being brought back into the fold, they led their hotly-tipped Irish counterparts 18-10 in the early stages of the second half in the Principality.
Nonetheless, Ireland didn’t panic and with four penalties from Sam Prendergast being supplemented by a Jamie Osborne try, the defending Six Nations champions kept their dreams of a third successive title very much alive.
England also remain in the running for a Championship crown after coming through a titanic battle with Scotland on their home patch of Twickenham Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Scots appeared to be on the cusp of a fifth straight Calcutta Cup victory when Duhan van der Merwe crossed the whitewash in the 79th minute, but a wayward Finn Russell bonus strike meant England emerged triumphant by a single point (16-15).
Meanwhile, it was far more routine for France at Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Sunday as Les Bleus ran in a whopping 11 tries during their 73-24 demolition job against Italy.
The outstanding Antoine Dupont and Leo Barre grabbed two tries apiece to help Fabien Galthie’s charges to bounce back from a second-round defeat away to England.
Ireland And France Clash Could Be Championship Decider
This keeps the French very much in the running for top honours in this year’s tournament ahead of their showdown with title holders and current pace-setters Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on March 8.
It was always anticipated this game would be a potential Championship clincher and though there might still be something to play for on the following weekend, it is possible the winner of this mouthwatering encounter will be crowned Six Nations winners for 2025.
In the aftermath of their battle with Wales in Cardiff, the consensus was that Ireland will need to put in a much stronger performance if they want to overcome France on Saturday week.
However, Ireland did come away with the spoils in the end and getting their hands on a Triple Crown for the third time in four years will also have come as a confidence boost.
Ireland Still Favourites For Top Six Nations Prize
A number of first-choice players missed out on the Welsh game for a variety of reasons, including team captain Caelan Doris and full-back Hugo Keenan.
Should they be restored to their full complement in time for the visit of France, then you can expect a powerful challenge from Simon Easterby’s side.
As the only team undefeated in the 2025 edition of the tournament – and therefore the only side still capable of pulling off a Grand Slam success – Ireland have held on to the favourites tag that they earned from bookmakers at the end of round two.
At the time of writing, Ireland are 4/6 on betting apps to become the first nation to claim three Six Nations Championships on the bounce.
France In The Running For Championship Honours
Although they lost out to them in London on February 8, France are currently ahead of England in the Championship standings by a single point.
While their rout against Italy embellishes the stat to some degree, Les Bleus are the highest try scorers in this year’s tournament with 21 – 11 more than both Ireland and Scotland.
This makes them a dangerous proposition for any opponent they come across in the Test arena and it wouldn’t come as a major surprise if France ended the current window with a second Six Nations title in just four seasons.
Odds of 7/4 are available on rugby betting sites on this scenario playing out and given this would be substantially shortened if Galthie’s men pull off a win in Dublin, it might be something for punters to consider.
England Remains Dark Horse For This Year’s Six Nations
Of course, England are also in the mix in advance of their round-four meeting with Italy at Twickenham – a game they will be expected to win.
They will more than likely be hoping for a favour from France against Ireland to keep their Championship aspirations alive heading into a final-round meeting with Wales, but Steve Borthwick’s side can only focus on what is within their control.
The style of play deployed by the former Saracens lock isn’t to everyone’s taste, but England have nevertheless recorded a brace of hard-fought victories in the past two rounds.
It may only be an outside bet as it stands, but they are available at 10/1 to win the Six Nations for the first time since 2020.
Scotland Look For Strong Finish
Currently lying in fourth spot in the table, eight points adrift of first place, Scotland are no longer viewed as realistic challengers for Championship honours.
They might well return to winning ways against Wales at Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday week, but with odds around 750/1, Scotland’s search for a first title since the tournament was rebranded as the Six Nations is set to continue into 2026.
Similarly, Italy are effectively out of the Championship running after losing two of their three games to date which is why BetVictor are offering odds as big as 2,500/1 for the Azzurri to win the tournament.
Seven and 10 points behind France and Ireland respectively, they will be officially out of the reckoning once those two teams complete their round-four clash in Dublin.
Though there is more optimism within Wales following their commendable display at home to Ireland, they have only accumulated one point to date in the 2025 Six Nations.
This puts them 13 points adrift of Ireland and mathematically out of reach for their first Championship title in four years.