Overview
- Andy Farrell confirmed a 37-player Ireland panel featuring uncapped call-ups Edwin Edogbo and Nathan Doak, with the squad set to depart for a warm‑weather camp in Portugal before opening in Paris on 5 February.
- Ireland’s depth will be tested early as loose-heads Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy are sidelined and expected to miss the start of the Championship, with additional absences including Ryan Baird and Mack Hansen.
- Steve Tandy named a 38-man Wales group led by hooker Dewi Lake, selecting uncapped Gabriel Hamer-Webb and Louie Hennessey and recalling tighthead Tomas Francis for his first involvement since the 2023 World Cup.
- Wales supplemented their staff on an interim basis with Duncan Jones as scrum coach, Dan Lydiate overseeing defence and Rhys Patchell working on skills and kicking ahead of camp starting 26 January.
- Off the field, the WRU entered an exclusivity period to negotiate a potential sale of Cardiff, with media reporting Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media as the preferred bidder and the union considering a restructure that could reduce professional teams.