The RBS Six Nations 2011

Paul Farrell Previews This Year's Tournament

Ireland

It might be difficult to imagine but after 12 years, more than 100 caps, and about 17,000 tries but Ireland Captain Brian O'Driscoll is adamant he is as ready as ever to do battle in this years Six Nations Championship.

This will be the 12th tournament for the Irish skipper, and once again the talisman will have to be on top form if Ireland is to have any chance of regaining their 2009 Six Nations Championships.

With his place already guaranteed in Rugby's all-time Hall of Fame, the pressure is not on O'Driscoll to perform.

Everybody in the rugby world knows what O'Driscoll is about there'll be no surprise from him.

Jonathan Sexton will be Ireland's key man this time around as he steps into the big No. 10 shirt, worn with such pride by O'Gara, Ward and Campbell.

His form for Leinster has been a real positive so there shouldn't be any problems for him creating opportunities, not only for O'Driscoll but for Gordon D'Arcy too.

Sexton's kicking as well as his useful habit of popping up with key tries at key times will be vital.

Leinster's form in Europe must be catching the attention of their Six Nations rivals, given that the province now forms the backbone of Declan Kidney's squad.

There is a strong chance that Ireland could get in under the radar here.

Last season it seemed as if the Irish gave up their title without much of a fight, especially in the last game humbling at the hands of Scotland.

The horrible curse of Paris is not a factor this time, plus the opportunity to beat England at the Aviva for the first time will be heavy with the players, who've risen to these occasions before.

Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic but if lack of fight is our only problem, then that's a huge positive.

Prediction: 1st.

England

Coach Martin Johnson must believe now with the appointment of his new captain Mike Tindall, he now has the natural leader who can lead England back to the top of the Rugby pile.

The Gloucester centre, provided he can shake an injury scare that he suffered at a training camp in Portugal will be charged with uniting his talented team mates and remove the individualism that has haunted their squad since their glorious 2003 season.

Aside from their 2007 run to the World Cup final, where they seemed to get there despite themselves, England are fast adopting Ireland former title of "Regular Underachievers".

Now England have climbed back up to 4th in the World, so expectation is back on them, as the highest ranked European team, on paper nothing should stand in there way.

Rugby though is not a game played on paper, Martin Johnson still has a young side. Lewis Moody's injury will be a crushing loss leading up to their encounter with Wales.

When we see how England deal with the pressure and atmosphere in Cardiff, we'll learn an awful lot more about whether or not Johnson's side can follow in the footsteps of Sir Clive Woodward's great 2003 World Cup and Grand Slam winners.

Prediction: 2nd.

Scotland

Only a year ago the boot of Dan Parks in the dying seconds condemned Ireland to defeat in their final rugby international at Croke Park.

A huge upset and shot in the arm for Scottish rugby. Something it desperately needs, 1999 was the last time the Scots took victory in the competition, back in the ye olde times of the Five Nations.

Third is the highest they've managed in recent years (back in 2006). Things are looking good though, arguably they are the most in-form team going in into the tournament with five wins in their last six.

This includes an highly impressive victory over South Africa in November which showed that when the Scots play as a unit, good things can happen.

Newly appointed captain Alistair Kellock has the opportunity to vindicate Coach Andy Robinson's faith in him.

Kellock has been an on/off captain for the Scots, so to ensure he retains the armband for the World Cup, he will need to show off his leadership skills that he uses every week with Glasgow.

Ruaridh Jackson and Rob Harley are two players demonstrating the good strides Scottish rugby is making.

22-year-old Jackson is playmaker from fly-half who loves to get on the ball and makes things happen whereas the uncapped 20-year-old flanker Harley has been a fixture for Glasgow Warriors this season. This young side could really cause some waves this time around.

Prediction: 3rd.

France

2010 couldn't have been a more perfect year for French rugby, the national side winning the Grand Slam and Toulouse capturing the Heineken Cup.

Perhaps the French though would have preferred 2010 to have been the World Cup year rather than 2011 which finds there team in a bit of shambles.

Since last summer the French have been beaten badly by South Africa and Argentina, combined with a humbling defeat to the Aussies in November.

All this leading to disarray in their build-up to defending their Grand Slam title. Coach Marc Lievremont told the media in France recently that he would take a more hands-on approach with his squad.

This as a way of counter acting any chance of a mutiny, the last thing French sport needs is another international embarrassment on the world stage.

Lievremont has also suggested that he may use this tournament as dress-rehearsal for next September's big show in New Zealand. A major development to any pretenders to the French crown.

Though nothing can be taken for granted with the power of French rugby, Morgan Parra, for example, comfortable at No.9 or 10, can control a game as well as any player in the world.

Imaonal Harinordoquy too, has to prove that his fantasy performances last year were no fluke, dropped for their humiliating 59-16 thrashing by Australia, his World Cup place is surely in doubt. This years Six Nations is the place for French rugby to prove itself.

Prediction: 4th.

Wales

Things are pretty bad within the Welsh camp right now. Former Ireland coach Warren Gatland knows exactly how important a spirited some Welsh performances will be this tournament.

If the Welsh, as expected, go out with a whimper, it's unlikely that Gatland will be given the opportunity to lead the Welsh to the World Cup in his native New Zealand next fall.

With two wins in their last 13, Gatland, who now has to prepare without prop Adam Jones, is likely to be dreading the visit of English to Cardiff on Friday.

Welsh domestic rugby is in a similar state, the relative demise of Ospreys and poor performances from Scarlets must have seriously have hurt the morale amongst fans of the national side, though none of these will come in to play when their traditional foe England come to the Millennium Stadium.

The recent contention by the Welsh RFU that the game is played with the roof closed shows how desperate they are for any slight advantage.

Gatland has taken tough decisions in order to resuscitate his struggling side, dropping legend Martyn Williams out of his squad, just two caps short of a century and favoring instead the youth of 22-year-old Cardiff Blues' Sam Warburton and Osprey's Josh Turnbull.

Perhaps it will be better for Welsh rugby as a whole to use this tournament as an opportunity to blood new talent rather than attempt one last gasp from an aging squad.

Added to that the return of Shane Williams in the back line, maybe it's not quite time up for Welsh rugby, just for Warren Gatland.

Prediction: 5th.

Italy

Perennial whipping boys Italy will be under no illusions of the massive task facing them once again this year.

Hosting Ireland will be as tough an opener as there is given Ireland's record in against the Azzuri (14-0), followed by a trip to Twickenham to visit favorites England. A beacon hope will come for the Italians on February 26th when a dysfunctional Welsh side visit Stadio Flamino, Italy have two Six Nations wins over the Welsh in 2003 and 2007 at home, not to mentions an historic draw at the Millennium Stadium in 2006.

Italian rugby is on an upturn, with the admission of Treviso and Aironi into the Celtic League. Aside from their fleeting appearances in the Heineken Cup, Italian rugby has suffered with a lack of decent domestic competition.

Italy's coach Nick Mallet has also added key No. 10 Kristopher Burton, though Australian-born will have to battle for fly-half position with Luciano Orquera, a hint that there is some depth within the Italian squad finally.

Preparations have been seriously hurt too though with the risk that Maura Bergamasco may miss the entire tournament, the flanker went down with a shoulder injury in November.

Though the Italians will be as spirited as ever, whipping boys will remain their status.

Prediction: 6th.