Who will win and why?
France. They are desperate to make up for their World Cup defeat, boasting Europe’s strongest scrum-half and an electric backline. Had the absent Antoine Dupont been around, they would have been a Grand Slam credential. Even without him, they were still formidable. Robert Kitson
England. The game went well and a trip to Italy gave them a win before taking on a young Wales side. Reinforcements in Ollie Lawrence and George Martin will then return and if they can end their poor performance against Scotland then it will be smooth sailing for them. I don’t think they’re going to win in France, but I don’t think they need to do that to win the title. Gerald Meagher
FranceThey have home advantage against England and Ireland and the only thing to watch out for is whether they have shaken off their World Cup hangover. Andy Bull
England. No, come back. They have won the past two post-World Cup tournaments. They have a sense of evolution and renewal. Most importantly, their schedule will allow them to build momentum for a (possible) last-day showdown in Lyon. Jonathan Liu
Ireland. Obviously, a lot depends on the opener. But even if Ireland lose this game, they will have home games against Italy and Wales, so they will likely be able to play at home on the final weekend as well. Michael Irvine
Estimated order of completion
1 France 2 Ireland 3 Scotland 4 England 5 wells 6 Italy RK
1 England 2 France 3 Scotland 4 Ireland 5 wells 6 Italy General Motors
1 France 2 Ireland 3 England 4 Scotland 5 wells 6 Italy AB
1 England 2 France 3 Ireland 4 Scotland 5 wells 6 Italy Jilin
1 Ireland 2 France 3 Scotland 4 England 5 Italy 6 wells Well
pay attention to…
Finn Russell (aka Lionel Messi). Several rookie halves – Jack Crowley, Finn Smith, Sam Costello – have opportunities to shine, but Russell is at his creative peak. Scotland’s No. 10 will produce a brilliant performance at some stage. RK
How France and Ireland cope with their post-World Cup hangover. Both sides have a chance to pull off a cathartic win on Friday night, but the loser may find it difficult to regain momentum the rest of the way. General Motors
Posolo Tuilagi. After some back-and-forth over his qualifications, Henri Tuilagi’s son impressed his coach in training and was eventually called up to the France squad. At 1.93m (6ft 4in) and 150kg (23 8lb) he is hard to ignore. AB
Ross Vintcent, from Italy and Devon, is generating a lot of buzz, with the 21-year-old Exeter No.8 possessing excellent hands and lightning speed. “He’s a special talent,” said Rob Baxter, who could do some damage if he can work his way into the starting XI despite missing the England game. Jilin
Italy. Hope is a cliché, but let’s hope Italy can turn things around after another humiliating World Cup. They had a strange feeling about England’s opener. Benetton ranks first in URC. Well
Newsletter Promotion Post
The top scorer will be…
Damien Penaud. If not him, it would have been another Frenchman. RK
Thomas Ramos Having made five appearances for Toulouse this season, it’s fair to say he’s had more chances at full-back than he did at half-time at the club. He is incredibly quick and scored three times in last year’s Six Nations. General Motors
Damien PenaudHe scored 14 points in 11 Tests last year and needs three more to overtake Serge Blanco as France’s all-time top scorer. AB
Damien Penaud. Jilin
Damien Penaud. I picked him because he’s a great player. Not sure if he’ll find himself completing sweeps more than others, but hopefully he will. Well
what i’m looking forward to most
All of the above predictions turned out to be dead wrong. Because it means the Six Nations still retains all of its glorious uncertainty. And, on a personal note, raise a glass to much-loved journalist colleagues who, for various reasons, will be absent from this year’s tournament. RK
Heading to Lyon in the final week, France will play matches across the country while the Stade de France undergoes renovations ahead of the Olympics. It will never catch on in other countries, but it should. General Motors
See England again. I haven’t said this in a few years, given the way they play, but they did well in the World Cup. It will be interesting to see how they play with a new captain, a new defensive coach and some new players. AB
Saw France on the road. With the Stade de France decommissioned, the team now has the opportunity to strengthen the bonds they established with the French public during last year’s World Cup. Jilin
Well, I’ve done Italy and I’ve done Peno. Let’s join Ioan Lloyd. Wales are definitely a wild card this year. It would be hard for Lloyd to second guess if he had the chance. Well
