TikTok Six Nations 2023 Round 3: England face toughest battle yet as Ireland prepare for tournament comeback

After a weekend away from the pitch, the Women’s Six Nations returns to our screens as we prepare for the third round of the TikTok Rugby tournament.

As it stands, England and Wales are top with ten points each - England first on the table due to the number of points they’ve scored - while Ireland, Italy and Scotland sit at the bottom with no wins to their names.

Ireland will have their work cut-out to not finish bottom after scoring just eight points in their past two matches. However, last weekend’s break could be just what the Irish needed as they prepare to face fellow strugglers Italy in this weekend’s next step.

England and Wales will battle it out for top spot in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd in Cardiff. More than 8,000 tickets have been sold, breaking the previous record attendance in Wales of 4,962, and ahead of the fixture, Red Rose Sarah Bern has said: “I’m so excited for it. Having lived in Cardiff for a year, I know what a rugby nation it is.

“Just that buzz around the town will be absolutely amazing. To have the game sold out, the energy within the stadium - given the support that Wales have had so far and their recent results - it’s going to be so exciting. It’s definitely going to be a very exciting battle.”

Here is all you need to know ahead of the third round of Six Nations fixtures this weekend…

Wales vs England

The first match of the weekend will take place on Saturday 15 April with kick-off set for 2.15pm at Cardiff Arms Park. Wales v England will be available to watch on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer

Both teams are on a winning streak in this Six Nations, and England could find that Wales prove to be a much stronger opponent then what they faced last year. In 2022, the Red Roses defeated Wales 58-5 but this year could be a much closer affair due to Wales’ contract success. It seems unlikely the Welsh will actually be able to overcome the Red Roses entirely but the English defence will need to get in some much needed practice following their relative weekends’ off against Scotland and Italy. Go to our Women’s Six Nations squads article to find out who will play for Wales and England.

Italy vs Ireland

Italy will host Ireland on Saturday 15 April with the fixture set to kick-off at 4.45pm BST. Italy’s Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi will host the match and the battle can be streamed through BBC iPlayer.

Last year we saw Ireland dominate the visiting Italians with a 29-8 win. However, the Irish are in a much worse state this year and have lost their opening rounds by 26 points and 50 points respectively.

This year’s fixture could be one of the closest of the weekend as both sides come into the third round off the back of devastating defeats last time out. While Ireland were humiliated at home by the French, Italy endured a long 80 minutes which saw England win by 63 points.

Facing a team which has been brutally knocked out in their previous match is always dangerous, but when both teams are in the same boat, one of the fiercest battles of the tournament could well be on our hands. Go to our article on Women’s Six Nations squads to find out who will play for Italy and Ireland

France vs Scotland

Scotland will travel to France’s Stade de la Rabine for their third round meet-up. The match will take place on Sunday 16 April and it is scheduled to kick-off at 3.15pm BST. Fans can watch the action on BBC Scotland and it can be streamed through BBC iPlayer.

This weekend is unlikely to be the start of Scotland’s redemption arc. Last year saw the French win by 20 points in Edinburgh and there has been little encouragement from the Scots that they are in a different place, performance-wise, this year.

While many players are enjoying their first tournament with professional contracts, there has not been enough time for these contracts to materialise into an on-pitch improvement. 2024 could be a different story, but for now, it appears the Thistles are on course for another hammering. Go to our article on Women’s Six Nations squads to find out who will play for France and Scotland.