Six Nations 2026 in focus: Can Andy Farrell's Ireland prove they aren't a side in decline this championship?

Ireland appear a side in decline having lost their Six Nations crown to France in 2025. Can they prove people wrong?

Ireland are off the back of a disappointing year on the whole. After winning a Triple Crown and their first three fixtures of the championship against England, Scotland and Wales, Ireland blew an unprecedented 142-year opportunity at winning three outright Six Nations titles in a row by going down 42-27 to France in Dublin.

Summer victories over Georgia and Portugal played second fiddle to the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, while November saw defeats against New Zealand and South Africa bookend wins against Japan and Australia.

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In 2026, Ireland travel to face France and England, alongside home Tests against Italy, Wales and Scotland. Here's everything you need to know ahead of Ireland's opening fixture against France in Paris...

Fixtures

• France - Stade de France - Thursday, February 5 - 8.10pm (GMT)
• Italy - Aviva Stadium - Saturday, February 14 - 2.10pm (GMT)
• England - Allianz Stadium, Twickenham - Saturday, February 21 - 2.10pm (GMT)
• Wales - Aviva Stadium - Friday, March 6 - 8.10pm (GMT)
• Scotland - Aviva Stadium - Saturday, March 14 - 2.10pm (GMT)

What's changed?

Ireland said farewell to three stalwarts in 2025 as Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy all retired.

The men in green also surrendered the Six Nations title for the first time since 2022, as France arrived to Dublin and produced a one-sided hammering en route to lifting the trophy.

Ireland won a Triple Crown in 2025, beating England, Scotland and Wales, but passed up any chance at the title with their no-show against Les Bleus.

The consistency, form and discipline of this Ireland side has also undergone a sea change. Whereas 2023 saw them performing as the best side in the world, Ireland now appear some way off the top of the table.

The difference in Ireland's discipline is stark. Between the summer of 2021 and the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Ireland were shown three yellow cards in 29 Tests - the best of any side in the world. Since the 2023 World Cup, Ireland have been shown 22 cards in 22 Tests - only South Africa have been shown more.

In a marked change of style, Ireland's possession dropped to 50 per cent across their five Six Nations fixtures, with their territory at 54 per cent. They only scored 17 tries - France scored 30, England 25 - finishing with the fewest number of scores of any side on turnover ball (just one try).

Ireland ranked second from bottom for metres made and turnovers won, down in fourth for carries made, offloads and line-breaks, dead last for defenders beaten, tackle breaks and goal-kicking (66.7 per cent, with only 59 per cent of tries converted), and top of the list for what Opta stats term 'bad passes' (61).

Ireland went from a side who treasured the ball, to one intent on kicking to compete.

In addition to their home loss to France, Ireland lost twice during the autumn: a 26-13 defeat to New Zealand in Chicago, and a 24-13 loss to South Africa in Dublin.

The other major change sees Andy Farrell return to the helm having missed the 2025 Six Nations due to his secondment as British and Irish Lions head coach.

Farrell led the Lions to a 2-1 series win over Australia in the summer, with a number of Irish players earning Lions representation.

What's hot?

A big plus for Ireland is that head coach Farrell is now back in situ.

The 50-year-old has an undoubted galvanising effect on this Irish squad, runs their attack, has history as a leading defence coach in the sport, and is a massive standard-setter.

Ireland also retain a number of talented players, many of whom gained Test Lions experience over the summer on a victorious series against the Wallabies.

The likes of Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Beirne, Tadhg Furlong, Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier - and potentially an ageing Bundee Aki - would still grace most sides in world rugby, albeit their pool of that calibre of player appears to be dwindling.

In all, when accounting for late call-ups, 18 Irish players travelled on the Lions tour of Australia, while Ireland coaches Simon Easterby (defence), Andrew Goodman (attack), Johnny Sexton (kicking) and John Fogarty (scrum) were also involved.

The IRFU and Farrell will dearly hope the experience can help the men in green return to form this Six Nations.

What's not?

At this moment in time, quite a lot. In fact, it's hard to see this current side challenging for the 2026 title such are the issues, particularly with tough trips to Paris and Twickenham on the agenda.

As detailed previously, Ireland's shift to an out-of-possession, kick-heavy game style - in line with Sam Prendergast coming into the side at fly-half - has not worked and their scrum has turned into a horror show.

In their November defeat to South Africa, props Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy were both sin-binned due to scrum issues, with Ireland repeatedly pinned back and under pressure due to set-piece fallibilities.

During the 2025 Six Nations, Ireland finished with the worst scrum success, tackle success and number of dominant tackles of any side. They also had the worst maul of any side, making the least metres per game, while only Scotland lost more lineouts.

France and England will target Ireland's scrum and lineout hard in 2026, no doubt.

Another element of negativity for Ireland, while not new but increasingly of concern, is that they are an ageing squad in several areas and it is beginning to show.

At the age of 33, wing James Lowe is playing the worst rugby of his career, having previously been a key man for Ireland. Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and centre Aki turn 34 and 36 respectively over the next few months and lack the consistency of their peak.

Back-rows Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier are 33 and 34, tightheads Finlay Bealham and Furlong are 34 and 33, and centres Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose are 32 and 30, with all having racked up a huge amount of Test miles on the clock.

There appears to not be a conveyor belt of talent ready to step up and take over either at this point, or if there is they have not yet been handed the chances to do so.

Allied to the above, injuries are bordering on a crisis. Mack Hansen, Porter, McCarthy, Henshaw, Ryan Baird, Cormac Izuchukwu, Jimmy O'Brien and Calvin Nash have all been ruled out.

Full-back Hugo Keenan (hip) hasn't played since the Lions tour, while Jamie Osborne (shoulder) hasn't played since November. Furlong, Tommy O'Brien and Craig Casey have all recently limped off in games too.

Lastly, the big selection issue and problem area for Ireland remains at No 10. Munster's Jack Crowley guided Ireland to the 2024 Six Nations title but clearly Farrell does not like the way the 26-year-old runs his attack, as periods of strong performances have not been rewarded with sustained starting spells.

Yet, Farrell, Easterby and Sexton's clear favourite in Prendergast remains deeply flawed - both defensively, and in terms of running an attacking structure.

Harry Byrne has come in from the cold at Leinster to overshadow Prendergast - perhaps he will become Ireland's starter?

Championship record

Six Nations since 2000: Six-time winners (2009, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2023, 2024)

Overall: 16 titles outright (1894, 1896, 1899, 1935, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1974, 1982, 1985, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2023, 2024)

Ireland's 37-player squad for the 2026 Six Nations:

Forwards (20): Tom Ahern (Munster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Boyle (Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster, captain), Edwin Edogbo (Munster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Michael Milne (Munster), Tom O'Toole (Ulster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster).

Backs (17): Bundee Aki (Connacht), Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), Harry Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Nathan Doak (Ulster), Tom Farrell (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Tommy O'Brien (Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster).