The 2016 Six Nations, which kicks off tomorrow, is already being labelled as the most intriguing ever. Which, given the pure 80-minute adrenaline rush that was England v France at Twickenham last March – the culmination of a riveting tournament – is a beefy suggestion.
There is certainly plenty of room for anticipation…
- England have a new coach in Eddie Jones and a new captain in Hartley – zest is renewed. They can loose no more pride – they tore that to shreds after losing emphatically to the men from Down Under. They therefore enter this tournament hoping to re-establish themselves as serious contenders in the realms of rugby union.
- The Scots, having come so close to upsetting the Australians in the World Cup quarter final, have been swatting away accusations that they go into the tournament as favourites. Even they appreciate that this is wishful thinking, but the mere thought of Scotland returning to their once great rugby nation of old will make for tantalising viewing. They sit 9th in the World Rankings, just one place behind England.
- Wales still have the painful moral high ground, having doomed Lancaster’s men to an embarrassingly early exit from said World Cup on home soil. They would love to do the same again, to not only rub salt into the wound, but also leave a scar and cement themselves as the dominating team of the two. They also sit 4th in the World Rankings, the highest of any Northern Hemisphere team.
- Ireland, ravaged by injuries (namely Paul O’Connell), will be trying hard to show their mettle in the absence of such integral men. However, let’s not forget that they are the current Six Nations Champions. And with Sexton’s boot such a lethal weapon in their armoury there is no writing them off.
- France’s complete lack of predictability means that you never quite know what to expect from them – they could romp to victory over England, only then to be trampled by Italy. Where France play, entertainment follows close behind.
- And the Italians, they’ll be attending too.
Here’s to hoping it lives up to the hype.
The Gentleman’s Journal prediction:
1st England, 2nd Wales, 3rd Ireland, 4th Scotland, 5th France, 6th Italy
Image: Getty
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