England legends Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio have backed France to come out on top ahead of the 2025 Six Nations. Les Bleus were well beaten by Ireland, the eventual champions, on the opening weekend of last year’s championship, and would go on to finish runners-up, accumulating three wins and a draw from their five contests. Entering as the pre-tournament favourites, Fabien Galthie’s men will hope for a more positive start this time around against an unfancied Welsh team, who they defeated 45-24 last time out.

Tomorrow’s curtain-raiser at the Stade de France will see the long-awaited return of fly-half Romain Ntamack, who missed the 2024 Six Nations and World Cup with a serious knee injury. Ntamack is joined at half-back by France’s captain and talisman Antoine Dupont, who made himself unavailable 12 months ago in order to concentrate on sevens rugby in preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris. Previewing the championship on The Overlap Rugby podcast, Johnson and Dallaglio – two of England’s 2003 World Cup heroes – talked up France’s chances, three years on from the side’s memorable Grand Slam triumph.

‘France win but everyone loses at least one game, so I don’t think there will be a Grand Slam,’ Dallaglio said when asked for his prediction. ‘I think the reason France win is that they’re just scoring so many points at the moment with the likes of [Louis] Bielle-Biarrey and [Damian] Penaud and [Antoine] Dupont. ‘I can’t see them going to Dublin and Twickenham and winning both of those games, though.’.

Asked who will finish last, Dallaglio replied: ‘I’m going to say Italy.’. Ex-England captain and head coach Johnson believes France have proven beyond doubt that they have the quality to get their hands on the trophy. ‘Look, the Six Nations is probably three leagues at the moment, isn’t it?’ Johnson said of Galthie’s side, who won all three of their autumn Tests against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.

‘Ireland and France at the top, it’s not rocket science, Scotland and England in the middle…. ‘France have always had very, very good players and if they go and play their best rugby, they’ve got a chance to win the championship. [France] probably just, yeah.’. On France’s skipper Dupont, Johnson added: ‘He’s a generational player, isn’t he?. ‘He’s turning into that which is fantastic for rugby, to have a world superstar.’.

Dallaglio is pleased Steve Borthwick has opted to name Maro Itoje as his captain and feels the decision a ‘gamble’ worth taking for England. ‘With all due respect, I think we all agree that Jamie George should have been captain about four years ago when he was absolutely, in my opinion, at the peak of his powers,’ the former Wasps number eight said. ‘As much as I love Owen Farrell, and I really do, I think he had enough responsibility playing at No.10 and all the best captains in the world tend to be [in the pack].

‘The nature of the game… every decision is given in and around the breakdown so why would you not have a forward as captain?. ‘I just feel with Itoje, he’s now taken it on and it’s a gamble, but it’s a gamble that Steve [Borthwick] has to take now, he’s got to roll the dice.’. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.