England (3rd) v Ireland (5th), Saturday 21 February 

Kick-off: 2.10pm

Venue: Twickenham

TV: RTÉ 2 (coverage starts at 1pm), ITV (coverage starts at 1pm)

Ireland are off the mark in the 2026 Six Nations after their victory over Italy last weekend, but it was far from convincing. Andy Farrell’s side trailed 10-5 at half-time and didn’t lead until the 57th minute when Robert Baloucoune reached over for a try to mark his Six Nations debut.

Baloucoune’s man-of-the-match performance was one of the highlights for Ireland, and he keeps his place on the right wing for Saturday’s trip to Twickenham. Andy Farrell makes five changes, with Jack Crowley starting at out-half, and Sam Prendergast dropping out of the matchday 23 entirely.

However, England come into this game with baggage of their own after a defeat to Scotland last weekend which shattered their 12-game winning streak. In-form winger Henry Arundell has been cleared to play which will provide a huge boost to Steve Borthwick’s side as they look to get their campaign back on track with a home win.

Wales (6th) v Scotland (2nd), Saturday 21 February

Kick-off: 4.40pm

Venue: Principality Stadium

TV: Virgin Media One (coverage starts at 4.15pm), BBC One (coverage starts at 4pm)

After opening their championship with an away loss to Italy, Scotland roared into life with that tremendous performance against England on Saturday. The result also brought great relief for head coach Gregor Townshend, who received widespread criticism after that defeat in Rome. They have suffered a blow however, following the news that Jamie Ritchie has been ruled out for the rest of the Six Nations with a leg fracture.

In any case, they will hope to continue that winning run against a much-maligned Wales side who were pummelled by France. There were several empty seats around the Principality Stadium last weekend, with an official attendance of just 57,744, which is the lowest in Cardiff for a Six Nations fixture.

It was also the fifth time in six games under Steve Tandy that Wales have conceded over 40 points. The challenging times are set to continue for Welsh rugby.

France (1st) v Italy (4th), Sunday 22 February

Kick-off: 3.10pm

Venue: Stade de France

TV: RTÉ 2 (Coverage starts at 2.30pm), ITV (Coverage starts at 2.20pm)

France are in unstoppable form at the moment as they continue their Grand Slam mission. The holders have maximum points from two games and are the only unbeaten side left in the championship after claiming their biggest Six Nations triumph in the Welsh capital last weekend.

Italy will give them a tough test though. After launching their campaign with an impressive win against Scotland, the Azzurri were unlucky not to come away from their trip to Dublin with a result. They dictated the terms of the contest for almost an hour before the hosts struggled over the line.

And they could still have snatched a draw had Paolo Garbisi’s chip bounced favourably for Tommaso Menoncello who was racing through for a certain try under the posts in the 77th minute. They will be disappointed to come home from that game empty-handed, but Italy have proved that they are now a formidable challenger in the Six Nations.

Taking on the defending champions in their home stadium will be another chance to prove their worth in this competition.