England go into the 2026 Six Nations with genuine title aspirations for the first time in several years, aiming to add a first championship since 2020. But former captain Martin Johnson has urged caution ahead of the opening match against Wales, warning the current squad not to underestimate the challenge of the tournament’s first fixture.
Johnson, who lifted the Rugby World Cup as England captain in 2003, discussed the tournament on Sky Sports alongside ex-team-mate Jason Robinson. He recalled how sides in the late 1990s and early 2000s lost out on Grand Slams because of single defeats and stressed that the Six Nations is made up of five separate tests rather than one uninterrupted run.
“All those teams want to beat you,” Johnson said, noting Wales will travel to Twickenham with little to lose and plenty of motivation. He urged England to approach each opponent with detailed preparation and to win on the day, adding that matches are ultimately won up front: “It starts and finishes with the forwards.”
Robinson is optimistic about England’s prospects but called for a more expansive attacking game. He wants the side to use width, score tries and accumulate bonus points — elements he believes will prove decisive come the end of the tournament.
Robinson highlighted England’s speed on the wings, naming Immanuel Feyi‑Waboso, Henry Arundell and Tommy Freeman, and said he hopes to see the backs given the ball to create chances. He acknowledged France’s strength and favourable fixture list but reminded listeners that any Six Nations weekend can throw up surprises.
“Wales have always got a chance,” Robinson said. “They’ll love nothing more than beating England on the first day. It’s a little banana skin. I would expect England to win, then build momentum into next week.”
England team to face Wales
15 Freddie Steward, 14 Immanuel Feyi‑Waboso, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Alex Coles, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Guy Pepper, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Ben Earl.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan‑Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Marcus Smith.
England’s 2026 Six Nations fixtures
– Wales — Allianz Stadium, Twickenham — Saturday, February 7 — 4.40pm (GMT)
– Scotland — Murrayfield — Saturday, February 14 — 4.40pm (GMT)
– Ireland — Allianz Stadium, Twickenham — Saturday, February 21 — 2.10pm (GMT)
– Italy — Stadio Olimpico — Saturday, March 7 — 4.40pm (GMT)
– France — Stade de France — Saturday, March 14 — 8.10pm (GMT)
The message from Johnson and Robinson is clear: England have the talent to win the championship, but success will depend on treating every match as its own contest, maintaining forward dominance and adding attacking spark out wide to pick up the wins and bonus points needed across the five rounds.