'Maro makes history' - Records that were SMASHED during the opening round of the 2026 Six Nations

Sunday, 08 February 2026 at 10:51

bySteven Smith

Round one of the Six Nations Championship had everything — statement wins, late drama and a stack of records tumbling before February had even warmed up.

France were ruthless, England ran riot, Italy struck again and one of the great individual streaks finally came to an end. Here’s what went down.

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Squeaky clean

France somehow played an entire first half against Ireland without conceding a single penalty — the first time that’s happened in any half of Test rugby since Opta began recording the data in 2010. Discipline levels: terrifying.

Itoje’s iron-man run ends

The remarkable Six Nations streak of Maro Itoje finally stopped when he was introduced from the bench, ending a run of 30 consecutive championship matches played for the full 80 minutes. For context, second place on the all-time list belongs to Chris Paterson with 22 — underlining just how absurd Itoje’s achievement really is.

Try machine

Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s early score against Ireland was his 10th Six Nations try in just 10 appearances, making him the joint-quickest to reach the mark alongside Will Greenwood. Ridiculous efficiency.

Italy love Scotland

Italy have now beaten Scotland more times than any other nation in Six Nations history. Their latest victory takes the Azzurri to four championship wins over the Scots, more than against any other opponent. Scotland still dominate the overall Test head-to-head — but when it comes to the Six Nations, Italy know exactly who they fancy.

Arundell enters elite company

At 23 years and 91 days, Henry Arundell became the youngest player to score a Six Nations hat-trick for England. Only Brian O'Driscoll, George North and Blair Kinghorn have managed the feat at a younger age for any nation.

And that’s just week one. Strap in.

Five players who flopped in the opening round: 2026 Six Nations

Opening weekend brilliance inevitably brings its flip side. While several stars thrived, others found Round One of the 2026 Six Nations unforgiving.

Whether through tactical exposure, ill-discipline or simply being on the wrong side of momentum, these players endured difficult outings.

Six Nations Round One Results

France 36–14 Ireland
Italy 18–15 Scotland
England 48–7 Wales

Sam Prendergast (Ireland)

A performance that highlighted both promise and peril. With ball in hand, Prendergast showed why Ireland are excited — his willingness to play flat and distribute improved noticeably after half-time.

Defensively, though, France were merciless. The Irish No.10 channel was repeatedly targeted, and his hesitancy in contact became a pressure point that France exploited ruthlessly.

At Test level, defensive fragility isn’t just a weakness — it becomes an invitation.

Finn Russell (Scotland)

A subdued evening in Rome. With Scotland consistently retreating, Russell struggled to impose himself or control territory.

A kick-off straight into touch handed Italy a costly penalty, while a missed conversion later denied Scotland the chance to apply late pressure.

The conditions were brutal and the kick was right on the touchline, but by his own standards this was a disappointing night for Scotland’s chief playmaker.

Dewi Lake (Wales)

Usually Wales’ most dependable forward, Lake endured a first half to forget. Lineout accuracy dipped, a sin-bin spell hurt his side, and a failed tap-and-go squandered a rare attacking opportunity before the break.

He never fully recovered his influence on return, and his outing mirrored a miserable night for the visitors.

Ellis Genge (England)

A high-output performance blunted by ill-discipline. Genge was heavily involved — leading England’s tackle count early and carrying with intent — but too often undermined his own work.

A needless confrontation reversed a penalty, he was later caught offside, and he allowed Wales to milk further infringements.

Even when England were camped on the Welsh line, he was held up over the line. Busy, committed, but disruptive.

Thomas Clarkson (Ireland)

A tough initiation at Test level. Clarkson was pitched straight into battle against a dominant French pack and spent much of the night under pressure. Facing Jean-Baptiste Gros, Ireland struggled to gain any ascendancy at scrum time.

He kept working and never went missing, but the set-piece creaked at key moments and failed to provide a stable platform.

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