Next weekend sees the 2012 Six Nations campaign kick off with a fascinating set of matches. All 6 teams enter fresh from a winter break following a brutal and exciting 2011 World Cup that gave the different teams varying degrees of success. Now, with a fresh start in the New Year, how will these Northern Hemisphere sides fare when pitted against each other in what promises to be an intriguing few weeks of rugby. Here is a team by team guide of how I see the 2012 Six Nations panning out.
England
Following an extremely disappointing World Cup, England enter a new era in 2012. Martin Johnson has left his role as head coach, and former Saxons coach Stuart Lancaster has taken over on an interim basis as the man in charge for the Six Nations. England are certainly in a period of transition at the moment, with a number of new faces in the squad. Inexperience is sure to see England fall short of a repeat of last year’s Championship victory, however players such as Owen Farrell, Lee Dickson, Charlie Sharples and numerous others will be out to prove their quality on the international stage. The likes of Chris Ashton and Ben Foden are quality players, but without more experienced players alongside them, it will be interesting to see how they step up to lead the team. I expect England to be involved in some very tight games, but feel they lack the experience to mount a serious challenge for Six Nations glory. Scotland should be outclassed by England, and although a trip to Italy will be tough, England should have too much quality when the pair meet on the 11th February. The other games will be tough though, and I can’t see England getting much more from this campaign.
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| Chris Ashton-England Dangerman |
KEY PLAYER: Chris Ashton
ONE TO WATCH: Owen Farrell
PREDICTED FINISH: 4th
France
Similarly to England, France also begin a new era when they kick off their Six Nations campaign in Paris against Italy on Saturday. Pierre Saint-Andre takes over from Marc Lievremont as Head Coach, and will be keen to show early on in his new job that he can get the best out of France’s talented players. France managed to reach the World Cup final in November, but like so many I am quite unsure as to how. France performed well below expectation in the tournament, and although they scraped the results they needed to advance to the final, they were far from convincing. Unlike England however, France have much of the old guard still in the side to take them into battle on Saturday. Players such as Francois Trinh-Duc, Morgan Parra and Clement Poitrenaud have one year more experience under their belts and, their flare with ball in hand is sure to be too much for many defenders. In the pack, Imanol Harinordoquy and Thierry Duasutoir are as good as they come. The ability that France have is in no doubt, but the main question is whether Saint-Andre will succeed where so many of his predecessors have failed and get the best out of the talent at his disposal. At home, France will be as formidable as ever, but the game against Wales at the daunting Millenium Stadium to close the Tournament on the 17th of March will be tough, and could well be the game that deems the campaign either a success or a failure for Saint-Andre and France.
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| Imanol Harinoroquy- Key to French Success |
KEY PLAYER: Imanol Harinordoquy
ONE TO WATCH: Maxime Mermoz
PREDICTED FINISH: 2nd
Ireland
Ireland looked excellent in the 2011 World Cup, shown by victory their over Australia that led them to the top of their group. Meeting in-form Wales at the Quarter-Finals was unlucky for Ireland, and although they fell just short the boys in green certainly proved they are one of the most well rounded teams in the world of rugby. However, Ireland are without inspirational captain Brian O’Driscoll in midfield for the entire campaign. This is a huge blow as expected, and leaves me wondering if they really have the star quality required to be champions. Players such as Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls are excellent backs; however I am unsure as to whether they have a flair player capable of changing a tight game with a moment of magic as O’Driscoll has done so many times. Their forward pack is one of the most dynamic in the world, whilst the formidable second-row pairing of Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell gives Ireland by far the strongest line out in the tournament. The team seems to have no obvious flaws for the opposition to expose, and for this reason Ireland should be able to beat Italy, Scotland and England, although their trip to Twickenham will be tough. However, I am doubtful they have the little bit extra that would be required to beat France and Wales for that elusive tournament victory.
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| Paul O'Connell-Lineout Expert |
KEY PLAYER: Paul O’Connell
ONE TO WATCH: Fergus McFadden
PREDICTED FINISH: 3rd
Italy
This year sees Italy switch stadium to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome whilst their usual Stadio Flaminio home undergoes redevelopment. Despite the move, Italy are sure to be strong on home soil, and the visit of England on 11th February is a chance for Azzurri to surprise a few and show everyone what they are capable of. Italy have a pack that is able to match most teams, with the front row of Martin Castrogiovanni, Andrea Lo Cicero and Leonardo Ghiraldini giving them a very strong scrum. Sergio Parisse is, in my opinion, the best number 8 in the world right now and his flair round the fringes will be key to Italy. However, defensive frailties will let Italy down badly, whilst their inability to perform well away from home will be a big issue with 3 away games this campaign. New coach Jacques Brunel will also struggle to live up to what former coach Nick Mallett achieved with very limited resources. Although they could spring a surprise, I expect Italy to be winless going into their final game at home to Scotland which should determine who ends with the wooden spoon.
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| Sergio Parisse-Stylish Number 8 |
KEY PLAYER: Sergio Parisse
ONE TO WATCH: Giovanbattista Venditti
PREDICTED FINISH: 6th
Scotland
Although they went out at the first hurdle, Scotland will be greatly encouraged by their 2011 World Cup performances. Coming within 1 point of Argentina and 4 points of England was a major achievement considering Scotland possess a squad with much less talent and quality than those two opponents. Coach Andy Robinson continues to make steady improvements with his team and this Six Nations should be no different. After a period of being cast adrift from the rest of the Six Nations along with Italy, Scotland are finally clawing their way back to shore and beginning to compete again with the likes of Ireland and England. Scotland have a very tight defence that will be hard to beat. John Barclay and Kelly Brown are superb forwards, whilst Second-Row Richie Gray has been a revelation for the Scots. Despite some good backs such as Jo Ansbro, Scotland lack the flair to score serious points, and their excellent defence is often not quite able to compensate for the lack of points. I definitely believe Scotland will be very close against Ireland and England, and when they meet Italy in the final round of the tournament the Scots should be good enough to stop themselves finishing with the Wooden Spoon.
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| Richie Gray-Rising Star |
KEY PLAYER: Richie Gray
ONE TO WATCH: Jo Ansbro
PREDICTED FINISH: 5th
Wales
Of all the Northern Hemisphere teams Wales certainly performed the best in the World Cup. Despite a controversial red card to captain Sam Warburton, Wales only just lost to France in an enthralling semi-final. Now, the Welsh will be looking to perform at a similar level for another 5 games, and if they can do that they will surely secure a Championship victory. Many players emerged with a bang onto the world stage in 2011, and people like Toby Faletau, Rhys Preistland and George North will be desperate to show they can perform to the highest level on a consistent basis. However, an injury to Matthew Rees this week will be a blow, and missing Gethin Jenkins, Alun-Wyn Jones and Luke Charteris will mean a much weaker pack than the one that impressed so many at the World Cup. I think Wales will be too good for Scotland, Italy and England, but the opening game against Ireland on Saturday will be very tough, especially with Ireland looking for revenge for their World Cup defeat to Wales in November. The game with France at the Millenium Stadium will be crucial, and I suspect the winner of that game will have the Six Nations trophy to collect at the end of the game.
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| Sam Warburton-Welsh leader |
KEY PLAYER: Sam Warburton
ONE TO WATCH: Alex Cuthbert
PREDICTED FINISH: 1st
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