Every Six Nations after a Lions’ tour has been won by France, but with the Stade de France side currently unconvincing, Wales may be in line for a historic treble.
Wales
Arguably the strongest team going into this year’s competition, not least because they always seem to manage the big wins against their European opponents, they will however be concerned about their injury count going into the tournament. Missing centre Jonathan Davies in particular is a blow. The political situation surrounding the exodus of players to France, and to a lesser extent England, is an issue, but it should not meaningfully affect the side in this tournament. For the moment they are a relatively experienced and settled side and many would expect them to walk away with the trophy at the end of it all. Prediction: 1st
England
England have a tough opening fixture away in Paris, but they have a good record against the French in recent competitions. If they win here then it will stand them in good stead for the rest of the tournament, where they certainly can be title contenders. However, to win they will have to beat the Welsh, who have defeated England two years in row. For that to happen they will have improve their dynamism, Owen Farrell must to stand flatter in the attacking line, and finding a settled and attacking centre partnership is key. Young guns like Jack Nowell and Luther Burrell could bring something exciting to the England line-up but above of all they will be eagerly awaiting the return of Manu Tuilagi. The English squad are the youngest and most inexperienced team in the competition, yet they have some big young stars such as Joe Launchbury who will be eager to assert themselves.
Prediction: 2nd
Ireland
The Irish will enter this year’s competition buoyed by their narrow miss against New Zealand in the Autumn and if they play as they did then they are potential winners. They too have injury troubles, with Sean O’Brien out for the competition and he will be sorely missed, especially after his gigantic display against the Kiwis. The Irish have retained a number of their big name players, most obviously Brian O’Driscoll, who even after nearly retiring after the Lions tour last summer, still remains one of the most dangerous players in the tournament. Paul O’Connell will also be leading from the front in his role as captain. When on form the Irish are up there with the very best, but how well they do very much depends on which team turns up on the day. Prediction: 3rd
France
The French have struggled in recent times, finishing fourth and last in the past two seasons. They have also lost two key players to injury in scrum-half Morgan Parra and captain Thierry Dusatoir., while they have had trouble finding a fly-half Yet they must always be taken seriously, especially with the attacking threat that those such as Wesley Fofana offer. Again, the opening fixture against England will be key for their tournament as a whole. If they succeed in beating the English, that may give them vital momentum, with the clash against Wales at the Millenium Stadium on February 21st a potential tournament decider. France will always be a threat but perhaps they are not as big a title contender as in the past. Prediction: 4th
Italy
Italy will be hoping to repeat last year’s victories over France and Ireland, although, as ever, their aim must be to defeat Scotland. The Azurri are the most experienced team in the competition and the likes of Sergio Parisse will be important in giving them ‘go forward’. However, injuries to London Wasps player Andrea Masi and experienced centre Gonzalo Canale are big blows for the Italians. The team are coming off a poor Autumn run, so their main objective will be to win a game or two. Prediction: 5th
Scotland
Scotland are in a confusing state as they kick off 2014, with Scott Johnson still head coach, despite the fact that Vern Cotter will be taking over in time for the summer. Richie Gray is their stand out player with young gun Stuart Hogg and David Denton also key. However they are struggling for quality otherwise.
Greg Laidlaw has a useful boot though and so they always have the ability to win ugly, but as they lack any attacking creativity, they are my pick for this year’s Wooden Spoon. Prediction: 6th
