The 2016 Six Nations, the first tournament since the World Cup in England, comes with two sides changing their coaches (England & France), defending champions Ireland trying to make it three in a row which hasn’t been done since 1988, Wales with possibly the most talented side while both Italy and Scotland hoping to avoid the Wooden Spoon.
The squads have undergone some changes since the initial publication with some injuries or suspensions forcing removals and additions, although some of them are just for the first weekend of play. It’ll be the 17th tournament in the Six Nations format. It begins on February 6 and concludes on March 19.
England
With new coach Eddie Jones, England will try to pick themselves up after the failure to qualify from the group stage in the World Cup they hosted. Seven players will look to make their debut on the team, with five more yet to make it to 10 caps. England finished second in the 2015 tournament due to inferior points difference compared to Ireland. They haven’t won the title since 2011.
| Player | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Cowan-Dickie | Hooker | 20 June 1993 (aged 22) | 1 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Jamie George | Hooker | 22 October 1990 (aged 25) | 3 | Saracens |
| Dylan Hartley (c) | Hooker | 24 March 1986 (aged 29) | 66 | Northampton Saints |
| Dan Cole | Prop | 9 May 1987 (aged 28) | 56 | Leicester Tigers |
| Paul Hill | Prop | 2 March 1995 (aged 20) | 0 | Northampton Saints |
| Joe Marler | Prop | 7 July 1990 (aged 25) | 37 | Harlequins |
| Matt Mullan | Prop | 23 February 1987 (aged 28) | 9 | Wasps |
| Kieran Brookes | Prop | 29 August 1990 (aged 25) | 7 | Northampton Saints |
| Mako Vunipola | Prop | 13 January 1991 (aged 25) | 27 | Saracens |
| Maro Itoje | Lock | 28 October 1994 (aged 21) | 0 | Saracens |
| George Kruis | Lock | 22 February 1990 (aged 25) | 10 | Saracens |
| Joe Launchbury | Lock | 12 April 1991 (aged 24) | 28 | Wasps |
| Courtney Lawes | Lock | 23 February 1989 (aged 26) | 42 | Northampton Saints |
| Jack Clifford | Flanker | 12 February 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Harlequins |
| James Haskell | Flanker | 2 April 1985 (aged 30) | 62 | Wasps |
| Matt Kvesic | Flanker | 14 April 1992 (aged 23) | 2 | Gloucester |
| Chris Robshaw | Flanker | 4 June 1986 (aged 29) | 43 | Harlequins |
| Josh Beaumont | Number 8 | 24 March 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Sale Sharks |
| Billy Vunipola | Number 8 | 3 November 1992 (aged 23) | 21 | Saracens |
| Danny Care | Scrum-half | 2 January 1987 (aged 29) | 53 | Harlequins |
| Ben Youngs | Scrum-half | 5 September 1989 (aged 26) | 52 | Leicester Tigers |
| Owen Farrell | Fly-half | 24 September 1991 (aged 24) | 35 | Saracens |
| George Ford | Fly-half | 16 March 1993 (aged 22) | 17 | Bath |
| Elliot Daly | Centre | 8 October 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Wasps |
| Ollie Devoto | Centre | 22 September 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Bath |
| Sam Hill | Centre | 14 July 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Jonathan Joseph | Centre | 21 May 1991 (aged 24) | 16 | Bath |
| Semesa Rokoduguni | Wing | 28 August 1987 (aged 28) | 1 | Bath |
| Jack Nowell | Wing | 11 April 1993 (aged 22) | 10 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Anthony Watson | Wing | 26 February 1994 (aged 21) | 15 | Bath |
| Marland Yarde | Wing | 20 April 1992 (aged 23) | 7 | Harlequins |
| Mike Brown | Fullback | 4 September 1985 (aged 30) | 43 | Harlequins |
| Alex Goode | Fullback | 7 May 1988 (aged 27) | 19 | Saracens |
France
France are another side with a new head coach following the World Cup in which they got crushed by New Zealand in the quarterfinals. They had another disappointing Six Nations campaign in 2015, winning just twice in five games and pulling up fourth. They haven’t won the tournament since 2010, done in dominant fashion, with a Grand Slam.
| Player | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camille Chat | Hooker | December 18, 1995 (aged 20) | 0 | Racing 92 |
| Jefferson Poirot | Prop | November 1, 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Paul Jedrasiak | Lock | February 17, 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Clermont |
| Yacouba Camara | Flanker | June 2, 1994 (aged 21) | 0 | Toulouse |
| Kevin Gourdon | Flanker | January 23, 1990 (aged 26) | 0 | La Rochelle |
| Sébastien Bezy | Scrum-half | November 22, 1991 (aged 24) | 0 | Toulouse |
| Jonathan Danty | Centre | October 7, 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Stade Français |
| Virimi Vakatawa | Wing | May 1, 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | France Sevens |
| Antoine Burban | Flanker | July 22, 1987 (aged 28) | 3 | Stade Français |
| Hugo Bonneval | Fullback | November 19, 1990 (aged 25) | 4 | Stade Français |
| Jules Plisson | Fly-half | August 20, 1991 (aged 24) | 6 | Stade Français |
| Marvin O’Connor | Wing | April 18, 1991 (aged 24) | 0 | Montpellier |
| Wenceslas Lauret | Flanker | March 28, 1989 (aged 26) | 7 | Racing 92 |
| Rémi Lamerat | Centre | January 14, 1990 (aged 26) | 7 | Castres |
| Maxime Mermoz | Centre | July 28, 1986 (aged 29) | 30 | Toulon |
| Uini Atonio | Prop | March 26, 1990 (aged 25) | 10 | La Rochelle |
| Jean-Marc Doussain | Fly-half | February 12, 1991 (aged 24) | 10 | Toulouse |
| Eddy Ben Arous | Prop | August 25, 1990 (aged 25) | 12 | Racing 92 |
| Scott Spedding | Fullback | May 4, 1986 (aged 29) | 14 | Clermont |
| Gaël Fickou | Centre | March 26, 1994 (aged 21) | 15 | Toulouse |
| Bernard Le Roux | Flanker | June 4, 1989 (aged 26) | 23 | Racing 92 |
| Alexandre Flanquart | Lock | October 9, 1989 (aged 26) | 18 | Stade Français |
| Maxime Machenaud | Scrum-half | December 30, 1988 (aged 27) | 18 | Racing 92 |
| Rabah Slimani | Prop | October 18, 1989 (aged 26) | 21 | Stade Français |
| Damien Chouly | Number 8 | November 27, 1985 (aged 30) | 36 | Clermont |
| Guilhem Guirado (c) | Hooker | June 17, 1986 (aged 29) | 38 | Toulon |
| Teddy Thomas | Wing | April 18, 1991 (aged 24) | 4 | Racing 92 |
| Maxime Médard | Wing | November 16, 1986 (aged 29) | 41 | Toulouse |
| Yoann Maestri | Lock | January 14, 1988 (aged 28) | 42 | Toulouse |
| Louis Picamoles | Number 8 | February 5, 1986 (aged 30) | 51 | Toulouse |
| Baptiste Serin | Scrum-half | June 20, 1994 (aged 21) | 0 | Bordeaux Bègles |
Ireland
Joe Schmidt leads the Irish, the defending champions of the tournament, into another Six Nations affair, following a shocking loss to Argentina in the quarterfinals during the World Cup, completely falling apart in the second half of a match they seemed to have going their way until a certain point. They finished with four wins and one loss (to Wales) in the previous World Cup, winning thanks to point differential.
| Player | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rory Best (c) | Hooker | 15 August 1982 (aged 33) | 89 | Ulster |
| Sean Cronin | Hooker | 6 May 1986 (aged 29) | 48 | Leinster |
| Rob Herring | Hooker | 27 April 1990 (aged 25) | 1 | Ulster |
| Richardt Strauss | Hooker | 29 January 1986 (aged 30) | 13 | Leinster |
| James Cronin | Prop | 23 November 1990 (aged 25) | 2 | Munster |
| Tadhg Furlong | Prop | 14 November 1992 (aged 23) | 3 | Leinster |
| Jack McGrath | Prop | 11 October 1989 (aged 26) | 25 | Leinster |
| Finlay Bealham | Prop | 9 October 1991 (aged 24) | 0 | Connacht |
| Nathan White | Prop | 4 September 1981 (aged 34) | 8 | Connacht |
| Ultan Dillane | Lock | 9 November 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Connacht |
| Mike McCarthy | Lock | 27 November 1981 (aged 34) | 17 | Leinster |
| Donnacha Ryan | Lock | 11 December 1983 (aged 32) | 34 | Munster |
| Devin Toner | Lock | 29 June 1986 (aged 29) | 31 | Leinster |
| Seán O’Brien | Flanker | 14 February 1987 (aged 28) | 41 | Leinster |
| Tommy O’Donnell | Flanker | 21 May 1987 (aged 28) | 9 | Munster |
| Rhys Ruddock | Flanker | 13 November 1990 (aged 25) | 6 | Leinster |
| Josh van der Flier | Flanker | 25 April 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Leinster |
| Jamie Heaslip | Number 8 | 15 December 1983 (aged 32) | 80 | Leinster |
| CJ Stander | Number 8 | 5 April 1990 (aged 25) | 0 | Munster |
| Kieran Marmion | Scrum-half | 11 February 1992 (aged 23) | 4 | Connacht |
| Conor Murray | Scrum-half | 20 April 1989 (aged 26) | 42 | Munster |
| Eoin Reddan | Scrum-half | 20 November 1980 (aged 35) | 68 | Leinster |
| Paddy Jackson | Fly-half | 5 January 1992 (aged 24) | 13 | Ulster |
| Ian Madigan | Fly-half | 21 March 1989 (aged 26) | 25 | Leinster |
| Jonathan Sexton | Fly-half | 11 July 1985 (aged 30) | 56 | Leinster |
| Robbie Henshaw | Centre | 12 June 1993 (aged 22) | 15 | Connacht |
| Luke Marshall | Centre | 3 March 1991 (aged 24) | 6 | Ulster |
| Stuart McCloskey | Centre | 6 August 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Ulster |
| Jared Payne | Centre | 13 October 1985 (aged 30) | 10 | Ulster |
| Keith Earls | Wing | 2 October 1987 (aged 28) | 46 | Munster |
| Luke Fitzgerald | Wing | 13 September 1987 (aged 28) | 34 | Leinster |
| Dave Kearney | Wing | 19 June 1989 (aged 26) | 14 | Leinster |
| Andrew Trimble | Wing | 20 October 1984 (aged 31) | 58 | Ulster |
| Simon Zebo | Wing | 16 March 1990 (aged 25) | 21 | Munster |
| Rob Kearney | Fullback | 26 March 1986 (aged 29) | 67 | Leinster |
Italy
Another tournament for Jacques Brunel in charge of Italy, with the attempt to finish without the Wooden Spoon once again standing at the top of their wishlist. Since he took over, it’s been just once Italy have been awarded with the dubious honor, last year finishing with one win, over Scotland of course, amid some embarrassing results. They had two wins in the group stage in the World Cup, but didn’t make it out.
| Player | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ornel Gega | Hooker | 24 March 1990 (aged 25) | 0 |  Benetton Treviso |
| Leonardo Ghiraldini | Hooker | 26 December 1984 (aged 31) | 80 |  Leicester Tigers |
| Martin Castrogiovanni | Prop | 21 October 1981 (aged 34) | 115 |  Racing 92 |
| Dario Chistolini | Prop | 14 September 1988 (aged 27) | 13 | Zebre |
| Lorenzo Cittadini | Prop | 17 December 1982 (aged 33) | 44 | Wasps |
| Andrea Lovotti | Prop | 28 July 1989 (aged 26) | 0 | Zebre |
| Matteo Zanusso | Prop | 9 April 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Benetton Treviso |
| Valerio Bernabò | Lock | 3 March 1984 (aged 31) | 27 | Zebre |
| George Biagi | Lock | 4 October 1985 (aged 30) | 8 | Zebre |
| Marco Fuser | Lock | 9 March 1991 (aged 24) | 6 | Benetton Treviso |
| Francesco Minto | Flanker | 20 May 1987 (aged 28) | 23 | Benetton Treviso |
| Jacopo Sarto | Flanker | 15 July 1990 (aged 25) | 0 | Zebre |
| Braam Steyn | Flanker | 2 May 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Benetton Treviso |
| Alessandro Zanni | Flanker | 31 January 1984 (aged 32) | 94 | Benetton Treviso |
| Sergio Parisse (c) | Number 8 | 12 September 1983 (aged 32) | 114 | Stade Français |
| Dries van Schalkwyk | Number 8 | 21 December 1984 (aged 31) | 0 | Zebre |
| Edoardo Gori | Scrum-half | 5 March 1990 (aged 25) | 47 | Benetton Treviso |
| Guglielmo Palazzani | Scrum-half | 11 April 1991 (aged 24) | 15 | Zebre |
| Carlo Canna | Fly-half | 25 August 1992 (aged 23) | 7 | Zebre |
| Edoardo Padovani | Fly-half | 15 May 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Zebre |
| Giulio Bisegni | Centre | 4 April 1992 (aged 23) | 2 | Zebre |
| Michele Campagnaro | Centre | 13 March 1993 (aged 22) | 18 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Tommaso Castello | Centre | 14 August 1991 (aged 24) | 0 | Calvisano |
| Gonzalo Garcia | Centre | 18 February 1984 (aged 31) | 39 | Zebre |
| Kelly Haimona | Centre | 30 July 1986 (aged 29) | 7 | Zebre |
| Andrea Pratichetti | Centre | 26 November 1988 (aged 27) | 1 | Benetton Treviso |
| Mattia Bellini | Wing | 8 February 1994 (aged 21) | 0 | Petrarca |
| David Odiete | Wing | 24 February 1993 (aged 22) | 0 | Mogliano |
| Leonardo Sarto | Wing | 15 January 1992 (aged 24) | 23 | Zebre |
| Luke McLean | Fullback | 29 June 1987 (aged 28) | 75 | Benetton Treviso |
Scotland
This is the second Six Nations tournament for Vern Cotter as the Scottish coach. He didn’t enjoy his first try, with Scotland losing all five games to be awarded the Wooden Spoon for the second time in four years. In the World Cup things were different, making the quarterfinals and losing 35-34 to Australia, mostly because of poor refereeing and some dodgy late-match decision making by the players.
| Player | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Ford | Hooker | 23 April 1984 (aged 31) | 94 |  Edinburgh |
| Pat MacArthur | Hooker | 27 April 1987 (aged 28) | 6 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Stuart McInally | Hooker | 9 August 1990 (aged 25) | 2 | Edinburgh |
| Alasdair Dickinson | Prop | 11 September 1983 (aged 32) | 52 | Edinburgh |
| Zander Fagerson | Prop | 19 January 1996 (aged 20) | 0 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Moray Low | Prop | 28 November 1984 (aged 31) | 29 | Exeter Chiefs |
| WP Nel | Prop | 30 April 1986 (aged 29) | 8 | Edinburgh |
| Gordon Reid | Prop | 4 March 1987 (aged 28) | 15 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Rory Sutherland | Prop | 24 August 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Edinburgh |
| Jonny Gray | Lock | 14 March 1994 (aged 21) | 19 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Richie Gray | Lock | 24 August 1989 (aged 26) | 51 | Castres |
| Tim Swinson | Lock | 17 February 1987 (aged 28) | 17 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Ben Toolis | Lock | 31 March 1992 (aged 23) | 1 | Edinburgh |
| John Barclay | Flanker | 24 September 1986 (aged 29) | 45 |  Scarlets |
| Blair Cowan | Flanker | 21 April 1986 (aged 29) | 15 | London Irish |
| Chris Fusaro | Flanker | 21 July 1989 (aged 26) | 4 | Glasgow Warriors |
| John Hardie | Flanker | 27 July 1988 (aged 27) | 5 | Edinburgh |
| Josh Strauss | Flanker | 23 October 1986 (aged 29) | 5 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Adam Ashe | Number 8 | 24 July 1993 (aged 22) | 6 | Glasgow Warriors |
| David Denton | Number 8 | 5 February 1990 (aged 26) | 32 | Bath |
| Sam Hidalgo-Clyne | Scrum-half | 4 August 1993 (aged 22) | 8 | Edinburgh |
| Greig Laidlaw (c) | Scrum-half | 12 October 1985 (aged 30) | 46 | Gloucester |
| Finn Russell | Fly-half | 23 September 1992 (aged 23) | 15 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Duncan Weir | Fly-half | 10 May 1991 (aged 24) | 21 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Mark Bennett | Centre | 3 February 1993 (aged 23) | 13 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Alex Dunbar | Centre | 23 April 1990 (aged 25) | 14 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Peter Horne | Centre | 5 October 1989 (aged 26) | 15 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Matt Scott | Centre | 30 September 1990 (aged 25) | 33 | Edinburgh |
| Duncan Taylor | Centre | 5 September 1989 (aged 26) | 12 | Saracens |
| Sean Lamont | Wing | 15 January 1981 (aged 35) | 101 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Sean Maitland | Wing | 14 September 1988 (aged 27) | 20 | London Irish |
| Tommy Seymour | Wing | 1 July 1988 (aged 27) | 22 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Tim Visser | Wing | 29 May 1987 (aged 28) | 23 | Harlequins |
| Ruaridh Jackson | Fullback | 12 February 1988 (aged 27) | 27 | Wasps |
| Stuart Hogg | Fullback | 24 June 1992 | 38 | Glasgow Warriors |
Wales
Warren Gatland heads Wales into another Six Nations tournament. They were champions in 2012 and 2013, finishing third in 2015 due to points differential, having the four wins, one loss record just like England and Ireland, losing to England on this occasion. They put in a massive effort in the World Cup quarterfinal but were beaten 23-19 by South Africa.
| Player | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Baldwin | Hooker | 12 July 1988 (aged 27) | 15 | Ospreys |
| Kristian Dacey | Hooker | 25 July 1989 (aged 26) | 2 | Cardiff Blues |
| Ken Owens | Hooker | 3 January 1987 (aged 29) | 34 | Scarlets |
| Rob Evans | Prop | 14 April 1992 (aged 23) | 3 | Scarlets |
| Tomas Francis | Prop | 27 April 1992 (aged 23) | 7 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Paul James | Prop | 13 May 1982 (aged 33) | 65 | Ospreys |
| Aaron Jarvis | Prop | 20 May 1986 (aged 29) | 16 | Ospreys |
| Gethin Jenkins | Prop | 17 November 1980 (aged 35) | 119 | Cardiff Blues |
| Samson Lee | Prop | 30 November 1992 (aged 23) | 17 | Scarlets |
| Jake Ball | Lock | 21 June 1991 (aged 24) | 15 | Scarlets |
| Luke Charteris | Lock | 9 March 1983 (aged 32) | 62 | Racing 92 |
| Bradley Davies | Lock | 9 January 1987 (aged 29) | 49 | Wasps |
| Dominic Day | Lock | 22 August 1985 (aged 30) | 3 | Bath |
| Alun Wyn Jones | Lock | 19 September 1985 (aged 30) | 94 | Ospreys |
| Josh Turnbull | Flanker | 12 March 1988 (aged 27) | 7 | Cardiff Blues |
| James King | Flanker | 24 July 1990 (aged 25) | 7 | Ospreys |
| Dan Lydiate | Flanker | 18 December 1987 (aged 28) | 51 | Ospreys |
| Ross Moriarty | Flanker | 18 April 1994 (aged 21) | 4 | Gloucester |
| Justin Tipuric | Flanker | 6 August 1989 (aged 26) | 38 | Ospreys |
| Sam Warburton (c) | Flanker | 5 October 1988 (aged 27) | 60 | Cardiff Blues |
| Taulupe Faletau | Number 8 | 12 November 1990 (aged 25) | 52 | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Aled Davies | Scrum-half | 19 July 1992 (aged 23) | 0 | Scarlets |
| Gareth Davies | Scrum-half | 18 August 1990 (aged 25) | 9 | Scarlets |
| Lloyd Williams | Scrum-half | 30 November 1989 (aged 26) | 24 | Cardiff Blues |
| Dan Biggar | Fly-half | 16 October 1989 (aged 26) | 39 | Ospreys |
| Rhys Priestland | Fly-half | 9 January 1987 (aged 29) | 40 | Bath |
| Cory Allen | Centre | 11 February 1993 (aged 22) | 4 | Cardiff Blues |
| Jonathan Davies | Centre | 5 April 1988 (aged 27) | 48 | Clermont |
| Tyler Morgan | Centre | 11 September 1995 (aged 20) | 3 | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Jamie Roberts | Centre | 8 November 1986 | 74 | Harlequins |
| Hallam Amos | Wing | 24 September 1994 (aged 21) | 5 | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Alex Cuthbert | Wing | 5 April 1990 (aged 25) | 40 | Cardiff Blues |
| Tom James | Wing | 17 April 1987 (aged 28) | 10 | Cardiff Blues |
| George North | Wing | 13 April 1992 (aged 23) | 55 | Northampton Saints |
| Gareth Anscombe | Fullback | 10 May 1991 (aged 24) | 3 | Cardiff Blues |
| Matthew Morgan | Fullback | 23 April 1992 (aged 23) | 5 | Bristol |
| Liam Williams | Fullback | 9 April 1991 (aged 24) | 26 | Scarlets |