The long list of injuries to a number of frontline props before the Six Nations has been put into perspective by the devastating “cardiac event” suffered by Uini Atonio.
It was a reminder to all props: we’re lucky to be able to pack down while we still have the chance. The France and La Rochelle legend will leave an immense hole. But France still look monstrously powerful up front. Along with England, they simply have the heaviest artillery.
Who else can challenge them for scrum supremacy in this Six Nations? Well, Ireland need to bounce back after a humbling by South Africa, and in the face of a mounting injury crisis at loose-head prop. Scotland have vast potential but are yet to find a dominant scrum. Italy have the personnel, but lack consistency. Wales, meanwhile, have called in some old favourites to shore up their foundations.
This is my assessment of each team’s set piece.
England
The England scrum is full of potential and is starting to purr. Changing the mindset has been key to this. It is now obvious that England are excited at scrum-time.
Ellis Genge is their heartbeat at loose-head. He brings power on the hit and aggression once the ball comes in.
The next layer to that is finding a truly feared scrummaging tight-head. And the good news is that Joe Heyes is stepping out of the large shadow cast by Dan Cole. In the Gallagher Prem and Champions Cup, he and his Welsh Leicester Tigers team-mate Nicky Smith have won more scrum penalties than any other props.
Heyes is starting to establish himself for England
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Heyes has developed a strong, consistent set-up, and his “snap” to drive his legs and go forward once the ball comes in is becoming increasingly assertive. Look out for Heyes v Smith on Saturday at Twickenham.
England’s most dramatic improvement is in their defensive scrummaging. They conceded only six penalties on opposition ball last year, the lowest among all Tier One nations. Teams can no longer milk England for penalties in crucial areas of the pitch. Their reputation is growing.
They have also elevated their attacking scrum platform and consistently win their own feed. Last year, they had the second-best scrum in the world for winning penalties, just behind South Africa at 27.3 per cent.
If they can survive injuries to two key props — Fin Baxter and Will Stuart — and Emmanuel Iyogun and Billy Sela, two uncapped youngsters with high ceilings, can excel, England’s scrum could provide a genuine championship-winning platform.
France
Fabien Galthié’s forwards are loaded with experience and size. Against the injury-riddled Irish on Thursday, they will expect to dominate. However, they are entering the tournament after an unusual year for their scrum.
Traditionally, France have always attacked opposition ball hard and looked to disrupt the scrum half’s put-in to win penalties. But last year, they shifted from winning the most penalties on opposition ball (13.6 per cent) in 2024 to winning near the fewest (3.4 per cent). The success rate on their own ball was also the lowest out of all Six Nations teams last year, the only side to have a success rate under 90 per cent.
In November, Régis Montagne, the 25-year-old Clermont Auvergne tight-head prop, stepped in and performed well against Fiji and Australia, but he had some tough moments against the Springboks.
Clearly, though, they still have firepower. Dorian Aldegheri, Dany Priso and Cyril Baille give France battle-hardened depth, and Jean-Baptiste Gros at loose-head prop offers a strong base.
Collier knows first-hand how dominant Gros can be
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Gros is one of the most consistent operators I have come across in the Top 14. He combines a low body position with constant pressure on his opposing tight-head. Having propped against Gros three times last season, when my Castres side faced Toulon, I can tell you he is very hard to move. Whenever you think you might be able to get dominance, he can drop his body height even lower without compromising his shape.
Much of France’s scrum dominance comes from the hunger of their pack. They expertly use the power of their flankers and second rows, not least the giant 145kg lock Emmanuel Meafou.
Ireland
Ireland’s title chances are being damaged by a mounting front-row injury crisis. Loose-head prop is their glaring problem.
Andrew Porter is out with a calf injury, Paddy McCarthy is sidelined with a significant foot problem, and the rising star loose-head Jack Boyle was ruled out of their pre-tournament camp in Portugal.
This leaves Ireland calling upon Jeremy Loughman, the 30-year-old of Munster, meaning they have been forced to start their fourth-choice loose-head prop against France’s heavyweights in Paris. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Tadhg Furlong has been managing a calf issue and is out of the Paris trip. Thomas Clarkson, the 25-year-old Leinster prop, takes on the tight-head duties, with the more experienced Finlay Bealham on the bench.
Loughman has been asked to fill in as Ireland deal with an injury crisis
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Much will depend on how the Irish scrum is perceived — by their opponents and referees. Ireland’s scrum has won the fewest penalties in the past two Six Nations and struggled badly in the 24-13 defeat by South Africa in November, when Porter and McCarthy were both sent to the sin-bin after repeated scrum penalties.
With that fresh in the minds of referees, and with inexperienced props, the obvious danger is that the 50-50 calls will go against Ireland. Their set-piece vulnerability, combined with their injury crisis, has made their scrum the obvious target for every opponent. I would expect France, smelling blood, to keep the ball at the back of scrums for longer to try to force the Irish to collapse.
But beware the wounded animal. Loughman had some of the best scrum success in the 2024-25 season, operating at 96 per cent. If he can help Ireland to achieve parity, their confidence could surge.
Scotland
Scotland have a reasonably settled front row and a reputation for consistency rather than outright scrum domination. Can they turn that into genuine pressure against the biggest packs?
Pierre Schoeman, Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson, who are all British & Irish Lions, have helped develop Scotland’s scrum into a very effective platform suited to their game plan.
In 2025, Scotland had one of the best success rates on their ball, winning 96.2 per cent, providing Finn Russell and their other quality backs great ball to play with. With a back line like that, I would expect them to play away from the base quickly to avoid unnecessary set-piece arm wrestles.
Italy
Italy should have quiet confidence. The tight-head prop Simone Ferrari is proving to be one of the most effective scrummagers in the game, with a 98.1 per cent success rate on his own ball. With Saracens’ Marco Riccioni as the other tight-head, Italy have an effective No3 pairing.
Those two can be the cornerstones of their pack, making it a new foundation of their game, encapsulating the passion and grit that could push Italy to the next level.
Ferrari has proven his effectiveness in the scrum
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Utilising cohesion from Benetton players — particularly at lock with Niccolò Cannone, Riccardo Favretto and Federico Ruzza — can help them take that club’s dominance to the Test stage.
Wales
The Welsh pack reflects the whole team — it is in transition, seeking its old edge.
It is difficult for this group of younger props to be compared to the set-piece standards Wales set during Warren Gatland’s best years. They can look solid one week and creaky the next.
Smith’s clash with Heyes should be an intriguing one
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However, Nicky Smith, Rhys Carré and Tomas Francis have the know-how to improve things. Smith is one of the trickiest loose-heads to scrummage against. What he has really added to his technical ability and strength is his mindset to dominate. He is now constantly searching to go forward and win penalties and is scrummaging with real confidence. He won 65 penalties last season — the most of any prop.
The recall of Francis is also significant. The 33-year-old has not represented Wales since 2023, while he has been playing in the French Pro D2 with Provence, but he has vast experience (77 caps) as well as vast bulk, and is not an easy customer to shift. Can the old guard reignite the blazing Welsh fires of old?