The 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations Championship got underway last weekend, giving the participating countries a clean slate and an opportunity to hoist the coveted trophy in 2024.
To do so, however, they’ll have to wrestle it away from England, which entered the latest edition of the competition as the five-time defending champion.
France and Scotland both got off to perfect starts, picking up wins on the opening weekend of the competition, but they can’t both leave Hive Stadium in Edinburgh (Scotland) with wins after they face off Saturday.
Though England is the overall favorite to claim a sixth consecutive title and third straight Grand Slam, France has proven to be a formidable foe and the likeliest contender and showed it with a decisive 38-17 win over Ireland on the competition’s opening weekend.
France has a few positives on its side as the 2024 Women’s Six Nations gets underway:
- France was the runner-up to England in 2023, losing to the Red Roses in the final week 38-33, so there’s some momentum, motivation and potential. In the loss, France rallied back from a 33-0 halftime deficit.
- By reaching the semifinals of the 2021 Rugby World Cup (delayed to 2022 due to COVID-19), France already has qualified for the 2025 RWC, which takes off some pressure during the Six Nations, which will award a spot to the highest-finishing team that isn’t France or England (both have qualified).
- France is the only other team to have won the Women’s Six Nations in the last eight opportunities, winning in 2016 and 2018 (including the Grand Slam). England won the other six.
- England is playing this year’s Six Nations under a new head coach – John Mitchell.
Scotland picked up a 20-18 win against Wales to kick off the 2024 Six Nations. It was a record seventh consecutive win for Scotland, while Coreen Grant was named player of the match.
The Scottish squad appears to be on an upward trajectory, having posted a 2-3 record in the competition in 2023, after taking home the wooden spoon in 2022 with an 0-5 effort.
Losing early in the campaign never is ideal, but either France or Scotland will leave this one disappointed – unless there’s a rare draw, which also isn’t particularly ideal.
In their last 12 meetings at the Six Nations, France is unbeaten against Scotland (11 wins, 1 draw). Scotland has been shut out seven times, including a 55-0 rout in 2023.
England will host Wales this weekend, with the Red Roses heading to Scotland in Round 3. Up next for France will be Italy on April 14.
2024 Women’s Six Nations Standings
| Team | Win | Draw | Loss | Points | Pts Agnst | Pt. Diff | Tries | Bonus | Points |
| England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 48 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 17 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Scotland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Wales | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 20 | -2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Ireland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 38 | -21 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | -48 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2024 Women’s Six Nations Scores
Round 1 (March 23-24)
France 38, Ireland 17
Scotland 20, Wales 18
England 48, Italy 0
Round 2 (March 30-31)
Scotland vs. France (March 30 at 10:15 a.m. EDT)
England vs. Wales (March 30 at 12:45 p.m. EDT)
Ireland vs. Italy (March 31 at 10 a.m. EDT)
Round 3 (April 13-14)
Scotland vs. England (April 13 at 9:15 a.m. EDT)
Ireland vs. Wales (April 13 at 11:45 a.m. EDT)
France vs. Italy (April 14 at 7:30 a.m. EDT)
Round 4 (April 20-21)
England vs. Ireland (April 20 at 9:15 a.m. EDT)
Italy vs. Scotland (April 20 at 11:45 a.m. EDT)
Wales vs. France (April 21 at 10:15 a.m. EDT)
Round 5 (April 27)
Wales vs. Italy at 7:15 a.m. EDT
Ireland vs. Scotland at 9:30 a.m. EDT
France vs. England at 11:45 a.m. EDT
How To Watch Scotland Rugby Vs. France At The 2024 Women’s Six Nations
Watch Scotland play against France on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
FloRugby will be streaming the 2024 Women’s Six Nations Championship, along with other international rugby leagues and events, including the U20 Six Nations, Top 14, United Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific.
Lineups
Scotland
15 Meryl Smith, 14 Rhona Lloyd, 13 Emma Orr, 12 Lisa Thomson, 11 Coreen Grant, 10 Helen Nelson, 9 Caity Mattinson, 1 Leah Bartlett, 2 Elis Martin, 3 Christine Belisle, 4 Emma Wassell, 5 Louise McMillan, 6 Rachel Malcolm (c) 7 Alex Stewart, 8 Evie Gallagher
Replacements: 16 Molly Wright, 17 Lisa Cockburn, 18 Elliann Clarke, 19 Fiona McIntosh, 20 Eva Donaldson, 21 Mairi McDonald, 22 Nicole Flynn, 23 Chloe Rollie
France
15 Emilie Boulard, 14 Kelly Arbey, 13 Nassira Kondé, 12 Gabrielle Vernier, 11 Marine Ménager, 10 Lina Queyroi, 9 Pauline Bourdon Sansus, 1 Annaëlle Deshaye, 2 Agathe Sochat, 3 Assia Khalfaoui, 4 Manae Feleu (c), 5 Madoussou Fall, 6 Axelle Berthoumieu, 7 Gaëlle Hermet, 8 Romane Ménager.
Replacements: 16 Manon Bigot, 17 Ambre Mwayembe, 18 Clara Joyeux, 19 Charlotte Escudero, 20 Emeline Gros, 21 Alexandra Chambon, 22 Lina Tuy, 23 Morgane Bourgeois
Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social
