Alan Quinlan: Ex-Ireland star backs England to win 2026 Six Nations with Grand Slam decider lined up against France

The legendary Ireland star revealed how he can see a near future in which Steve Borthwick's side are crowned champions come March 14th. Speaking with BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Six Nations odds, Quinlan explained why he has pinned down the men who don the red rose as the team to beat.

"I think England can win a grand slam. When I went through all the fixtures - I do this every year with the Six Nations - I mapped out who is going to win which games. Obviously, the way the Six Nations is set with France vs England being the last game on the last day, I think it's set up to be a Grand Slam decider.

"I just think England are the form team. France and England are the two favorites for the Six Nations, and rightly so. Just at a higher level. For France, having Dupont back makes a huge difference. But for England, particularly what they did in November against New Zealand, after starting the game slowly, they were utterly dominant physically. The set piece was really powerful. They seem to have a really good balance.

"Are they playing the most attractive rugby? Probably not, but they have power, a real abrasiveness, and a lot of athletic, powerful players who are playing at a very high level. Then you have Northampton, Bath, and Saracens - a lot of the English players come from those three clubs and are playing at a consistent, dominant level.

"It bodes well for England. They start at home to Wales. I see them getting to round five with four wins. You never know, the Six Nations has a life of its own, but for England, the comfort of having a home game at the start helps. Then they go to Murrayfield, where they haven't had a good record in recent years, but it's very obvious that they're at a higher level than they have been for the last number of years."

Keeping the focus upon England, Quinlan tightened the scope upon the plethora of young talents within the Pennyhill Park training camp ranks. The rugby calendar has steadily passed the mid-way point of the current Rugby World Cup cycle, as Borthwick has brought through a scintillating crop of talented young guns that Quinlan believes will be tough to stop in the 2026 Six Nations.

"It's the players who have been the catalyst for England's success." Quinlan said. "They've found some really good young players who were dominant for England in previous years in the Under-20s. Guy Pepper, Fin Baxter, Henry Pollock, Tommy Freeman, Max Ojomoh. They just have a lot of youthful exuberance and really good young players that have filtered into the team in the last couple of years.

"It's not that long ago that we were saying England were dreadful, poor, and bland to watch. They've become a lot more efficient in what they're doing. I know the structure and the game plan can be pragmatic - they still kick a lot - but they have some individuals in top form bringing a little bit of X-factor. They seem to manage games well, and when momentum swings, they can punish teams."

Henry Pollock is getting ready to take centre stage once more in an England jersey, after one of the all-time great break-out seasons throughout 2025. If you had been living under a rock for the past 12 months, then you would have missed Pollock go from the England U20s stage to earning his first senior cap, and bagging a brace of tries in the 2025 tournament closer against Wales.

Pollock then rolled this momentum forward for Northampton, with a pivotal role as the Saints marched on to the 2025 Investec Champions Cup final. Then, Andy Farrell called upon Pollock to be the youngest member of his British & Irish Lions squad, who enjoyed a successful tour across Australia in the Summer.

"I'd like to have played with him." Quinlan added. "He does some special things. His acceleration and skill level - he plays like a back, really. He's just so fit, has a massive engine, and he’s a maverick. He's not your traditional "show no emotion" type in rugby.

"The tricky part for young players is slipping in under the radar, having brilliant performances, and then finding it difficult once teams know them. I think he's continued past that stage of surprising people. Everybody knows his quality now. Does he still need to be a little bit careful? Possibly. That will come as he gets older. But look at some of the celebrations - they're phenomenal tries. He doesn't score boring tries; he comes up with incredible plays."