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The 2020 Six Nations Championship is the 21st edition of the annual rugby union competition participated by the national rugby union teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales.
Overall, this is the 126th installment of the tournament, including its previous versions. The annual rugby union tournament began in 1883 as the Home Nations Cup contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It expanded to Five Nations when France joined and later to Six Nations with the addition of Italy.
Wales is the most successful team in the competition with 39 victories including 27 outright England is next with 38 wins which include 10 shared victories. Since the turn of the century, only Italy and Scotland have not won a Six Nations title.
For the first time since 2013, a team not named England or Ireland took home the trophy in 2019 Wales went undefeated through five rounds of competition and outscored their opposition 114-65. They recorded their first win over England since 2013 and extended their winning streak to an all-time high of 14.
Despite their impressive run, Wales is third in the current odds board for the 2020 Six Nations. Here are the odds to win the 2020 Six Nations Rugby. Odds were taken from TitanBet as of 7/12/19:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| England | +137 |
| Ireland | +200 |
| Wales | +275 |
| France | +1600 |
| Scotland | +1600 |
| Italy | +100000 |
Who are The Favorites?
England will be looking to bounce back in 2020 after a dramatic final Saturday in 2019 where Scotland almost picked up the biggest win in their history at Twickenham. Down by 31 points, Scotland came back from the grave and forced a 38-38 draw with England. There is plenty of room for improvement in England and given their manpower, they can do it. But I guess we’ll have to see how they fare in September’s World Cup before we make a judgment.
Ireland finished a disappointing third place in 2019. They were expected to challenge not just for the title but for the Grand Slam but the Irish suffered losses at home to England and away to Wales. Ireland has a trip to Twickenham in 2020 and they will be looking to step up their game. If they can win that match, then they may have a shot at winning the 2020 title but that may be easier said than done.
Wales won the 2019 Six Nations title and Grand Slam on the final weekend as they defeated Ireland at home. The grand slam was their third under the stewardship of Warren Gatland but with Gatland choosing to walk away after the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, things will look different in 2020. Wayne Pivac signed a four-year deal to replace Gatland but with away matches in Ireland and England, Pivac has his job cut out for him.
Who Wins?
Right now, England is the rugby betting favorites to win the Six Nations in 2020. The last time out, they blew a 31-point lead and faltered against Wales in what was the tournament-deciding match of 2019. But despite that, you can’t deny the talent that is there in England.
The English have one of the top Fly Halves in the world in Owen Farrell. England’s captain led the 2019 tournament in scoring while teammate Johnny May ranked 4th in the scoring department. With the very talented Mako Vunipola and Maro Itoje also on their side, England is a deserving favorite even though if we’re two years removed from the second of their back to back championships.
Ireland’s squad also has plenty of firepower. Fly-half Johnny Sexton is still the face of Irish Rugby. With the likes of Tadhg Furlong, Peter O’Mahony, and James Ryan also on their side, Ireland probably has the most talent going to 2020. For a team that was looking to repeat as champions, their 3-0-2 finish was disappointing.
If Wales can get going in the World Cup this fall, then they will carry plenty of momentum heading to the 2020 Six Nations. Wales played with excellent defense in 2019. If we see that defense in Japan, then that would be good for them. But remember that Wales’ victory in 2019 only snapped a five-year reign by England and Ireland.
There will also be an issue on continuity with Wales and Ireland losing Warren Gatland and Joe Schmidt while England will still be coached by Eddie Jones. If you ask me now, I’ll go with England. But I’d like to see how these three teams do first in the World Cup before making my final call. But right now, it has to be England. Prediction: England
