All set for Six Nations

There is a mantra in sport about being in the right place at the right time. The variables and unpredictability are what make it so endearing.

One person who encapsulates that is Giampiero De Carli, the replacement prop who scored Italy’s first ever Six Nations try in a 34-20 win over defending champions Scotland way back in 2000 as the Azzurri made their mark.

He will be hoping for a sense of déjà vu as he coaches the Italian forwards alongside Conor O’Shea, Mike Catt and Brendan Ventner in their Championship opener at home to defending champions, England.

England’s coach, Eddie Jones, is unashamedly using this championship as preparation for the World Cup in Japan in 2019. While his selection has been hamstrung by injuries - hardly unusual in such a brutal sport - he is expected to blood a number of youngsters.

Having recently signed a lucrative extension to his contract the Australian is at least winning friends amongst the Premiership owners by stipulating that his players have to perform to their optimum week-in-and-week-out to be selected. That’s just how it should be.

The opening fixture against Italy is given added spice as a result of the tactics deployed by the Azzuri last year, in which they chose not to contest rucks, confusing the England players for the first half. While the laws have subsequently been amended, the red rose are preparing for similar innovation.

Since 2000 only Scotland and Italy have failed to win consecutive titles, yet England enter the season seeking to become the first to claim three.

Jones explained: “We’ve got to be the hungriest team in the tournament to win and that’s what we’re aiming to be.

“That’s why we don’t mind these other teams being spoken of as the darlings of European rugby - it gives us something to chase.

“All I can remember is last year we won every game apart from one and our rugby was rubbish!”

Jones has lamented the lack of leadership qualities in players who emerge from academies cosseted and cocooned, one reason for the retention of Hartley and the recall of Haskell when, to some, the hardened oaks have reached their fell-by date. England lost only one of their 10 Tests last year but they tended to play in patches, fortified by the winning habit.

England, New Zealand and Ireland are the only three tier-one nations to go into 2018 looking equipped to reach the World Cup Final given that Australia are rugby’s version of association football’s Arsenal, regarding defence as an optional extra.

Joe Schmidt’s Ireland side look strong heading into the Championship after winning all three autumn Tests although have a tough opener to their campaign in Paris against France.

The NatWest 6 Nations comes on the back of Leinster and Munster both earning home quarter-finals in the European Rugby Champions Cup and skipper Rory Best wants to see that momentum transferred to the international arena.

“It’s really important we turn the page quickly from Europe,” he said. “At the top level of club rugby, the Irish provinces are doing really strongly.

“Hopefully we take that momentum into this Championship. You have to park the domestic stuff because home quarter-finals are only useful if you can channel it in the direction of the national team.”

Ireland is also struggling with injuries although Schmidt said that he would rather focus on what they have rather than who they are missing. All eyes will be on 20-year-old Jordan Larmour who brings the team great versatility as he can play at full-back, as a winger or in the centres. The youngster has been in blistering form for Leinster this season and his performances have earned him a maiden international call-up - a meteoric rise for a man who played for Ireland Under-20s in last year’s Under-20s Six Nations.

Larmour joins the likes of British & Irish Lions Keith Earls and Rob Kearney, as well as more youthful options such as Jacob Stockdale, in the back-three and Schmidt is convinced he has the balance just right.

Scotland also enjoyed their pre-Christmas internationals claiming a record win over Australia and pushing world champions New Zealand to the limit.

Scotland are stirring but judgment on them will be suspended until after their opening Six Nations match in Cardiff, given their poor recent away form in the championship, with only three wins, two in Rome, this decade.

They have been boosted by the return from injury of Player-of-the-Championship in each of the last two years, Stuart Hogg, who is absolutely pivotal to Scotland’s hopes in 2018.

Last year he inspired them to three wins for the first time in a decade and was sublime in their narrow loss to the All Blacks in the autumn. But a hip injury sustained in the warm-up before playing Australia in November has sidelined him since then. Also returning is scrum-half Greig Laidlaw who captained Scotland during last year’s Championship.

Elsewhere, there is also a return for Tommy Seymour on the wing, Alex Dunbar in the centres and John Barclay at No.8. They are led by a local legend, Gregor Townsend, who enters his first Championship as Scotland head coach - after replacing Vern Cotter last May - and has spent time with the likes of former Scotland coaches Jim Telfer, Sir Ian McGeechan and Frank Hadden, as well as ex-England supremo Stuart Lancaster, during the build-up.

The 44-year-old also had a session with Pep Guardiola, the manager of the Premier League’s Manchester City Football Club, whose side have only lost one game this season.

At the opposite end of the coaching spectrum, Wales will be buoyed by the return of Warren Gatland who missed last year’s Championship whilst he prepared for the British & Irish Lions’ Tour to New Zealand.

The Kiwi has included uncapped flanker James Davies and wing Josh Adams in his squad, hinting that he will be looking to some fresh faces to make an impression.

“Post-World Cups, the first two years are important because it’s about seedings and that tends to be why you’re not so experimental with selection.

Alun Wyn Jones will lead Wales into the NatWest 6 Nations, having taken over the captaincy role from Sam Warburton ahead of last year’s Championship. Wales centre Jonathan Davies is out of contention having been sidelined for about six months because of a left foot injury

Restoring confidence is the first order of business for Jacques Brunel, according to the man himself, as he gears up for his first NatWest 6 Nations as France head coach.

France finished third, after securing three wins, in the Championship a year ago but a frustrating autumn saw Guy Noves relieved of his coaching duties at the end of December.

Brunel, 64, has taken on the role at short notice and had to quickly build a coaching staff - bringing in Julien Bonnaire, Sébastien Bruno and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.

Brunel has named six uncapped players in his 32-man squad for the NatWest 6 Nations opener against Ireland.

French club sides make up four of the eight European Rugby Champions Cup quarter-finalists - with La Rochelle, Toulon, Clermont and Racing 92 all in the last eight - and Toulon hooker and France captain, Guilhem Guirado now wants that form to transfer to the international stage.

The big news is the long-awaited return of Noa Nakaitaci from injury. The France winger - who beat more defenders than any other Frenchman in last year’s Championship - is looking to force his way back into the international fold.

With so many injuries and debuts it will be one of the most open Championships in memory.

As Warren Gatland described it: “Everybody’s capable of beating each other on the day, so there will be some upsets. It’s a tough tournament and that’s what makes it such a challenge.”

Abu’s prediction: I expect home fixtures to be vital and with that in mind, of the top teams Ireland look to have the easiest draw. If they get past France in their opener I believe they will win the title although may do so by points if they lose to England away on the final day.