Six Nations 2015 predictions: Who will win, who'll enjoy a breakthrough year and which game is not to be missed?
The Independent's rugby writers look ahead to the 2015 Six Nations campaign
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Your support makes all the difference.The 2015 Six Nations championship gets underway this evening at the Millennium Stadium as Wales host England in dress rehearsal for the World Cup later this year. While it would be easy to look ahead to the showcase tournament, the Six Nations will still play a huge part in the international calendar, so we asked The Independent's rugby writers Chris Hewett, Hugh Godwin, Matt Majendie and Jack de Menezes to give their predictions for the next six weeks.
LIVE: Wales vs England
Chris Hewett – Rugby Union Correspondent
Who needs to make their mark?
Whoever wears the No 12 shirt for England carries the troubles of a rugby nation - a World Cup host nation, at that - on his shoulders. Stuart Lancaster has struggled to cast the role to anyone's satisfaction, just as Martin Johnson and Andy Robinson struggled before him. If this tournament fails to provide an answer to this knottiest of issues, to whom will the country turn in September? Sam Burgess? Oh puhleeese.
Who will enjoy a breakthrough championship?
Collectively, the Scots could do themselves a power of good, even if they finish in the bottom half of the table. Individually, a couple of players have an opportunity to end the championship with considerably more kudos than they begin it. Jake Ball, the Wales lock, is beginning to put himself about to great effect, and there are high hopes in France that Camille Lopez may just be an outside-half capable of restoring some subtle artistry to the Gallic game.
The best match of the championship?
For atmosphere, the Wales-England opener in Cardiff will take an awful lot of beating. There is nothing like the rich mix of fear and loathing - Red Rose fear, Red Dragon loathing - to send shivers down the spine. For open rugby of the end-to-end variety, Scotland-Wales at Murrayfield in round two has lift-off potential.
Who will win and will it be a Grand Slam?
Wales have big chances this year: they have the most settled, battle-hardened team, with Test Lions coming out of their cauliflower ears, and they welcome both England and Ireland, the other obvious title contenders, to the Millennium Stadium. A Slam is probably beyond them, though. They have the knack of winning in Edinburgh, but Paris will be a tough day out.
Hugh Godwin – Rugby Union Correspondent
Who needs to make their mark?
Someone - anyone - wearing a French jersey. A restoration of faith is painfully overdue after three seasons finishing in the bottom half of the Championship. And Sam Warburton, the Welshman closing in on his country’s record for Tests as captain, needs to reinforce his reputation. Collectively, Wales have never been more settled or more confident, giving Warburton in a still-brilliant back row the platform for a Six Nations resurgence after his post-Lions tour, injury-affected downturn.
Who will enjoy a breakthrough championship?
To tip Camille Lopez is hazardous, as the French seem to revel in making life difficult for their own fly-half as much as the opposition’s. The forwards are annoyingly flighty, while any Les Bleus scrum-half worth his salt regards playmaking as his responsibility, not that of the No.10. Despite all this, Lopez - who has five caps - has shone for Clermont Auvergne this season with a lovely, fast-maturing combination of kicking, running, sleek handling and guts.
The best match of the championship?
Little need to look beyond Wales v England. Ignoring the travel hell – you can allocate less time planning a trip to the Moon than deciding when to set out from London to Cardiff – and it has everything you want: quality backs, bristling forwards, the debate over Welsh form and English uncertainty. Plus a tingling feeling in the water that the visiting scrum will do 10 times better than when England lost in 2013. There again, how much fun will England v France at Twickenham be if the Championship is resting on it?
Who will win and will it be a Grand Slam?
England, Italy and Scotland each have three home matches, and if the Scots can win in Paris and/or Twickenham for the first time in ages, you never know… But that feels too much like fantasy. England have the power to win in Cardiff and the tools and fixture list to go on and complete the job, but are they likelier to peak later in the year? Wales are an obvious pick, based on the continuity and known strengths of a remarkably settled side, although the front five may be vulnerable. Either way, I would like to see some belting characters including George North and Jamie Roberts prevail - so, seeing as every time I tip Wales, they stumble, I'll steer clear.
Matt Majendie - Rugby Union Writer
Who needs to make their mark?
If Wales coach Warren Gatland is to be believed then wing George North. It might be kidology on Gatland’s part but he has twice given the Wales and Lions wing a public wake-up call by warning that his place is under threat from Liam Williams on the bench after failing to attain his usual high standards over the course of the autumn.
Who will enjoy a breakthrough championship?
Jonathan Joseph - England have used him sparingly in the past but back then he was told to work on his defensive game and physicality. Now 18 months on, he is arguably the form centre in the Premiership having made more metres than anyone else in that position plus made more clean breaks. Manu Tuilagi’s continued absence could yet prove a blessing as Stuart Lancaster gets to try out one of England’s most attack-minded assets.
The best match of the championship?
It’s no means an easy pick from the opening Friday night fixture at the Millennium Stadium between Wales and England to the final kick-off six weeks later between England and France at Twickenham. But assuming strong starts by both the French and Welsh, the middle fixture of the entire tournament between them in Paris has the potential to be a barnstorming game and possibly the tournament decider.
Who will win and will it be a Grand Slam?
You could make a case for five of the six even to win the tournament - no disrespect to Italy - to the extent that a Grand Slam seems inconceivable this time around. Picking the overall champions is somewhat tougher but, with England's current injury woes, I'd pick France to sneak the title with both Wales and Ireland breathing down their necks.
Jack de Menezes – Rugby Union Writer
Who needs to make their mark?
Billy Vunipola will regain the England No 8 shirt by virtue of Ben Morgan’s unfortunate injury, but he’ll want – and need – to perform better than his last run out in the autumn. The Saracens forward comes with a larger reputation than perhaps his recent showings deserve such was his explosion onto the scene, but the rather large shadow of Nick Easter behind him means he’ll need to prove to Stuart Lancaster that he can cope on the back foot as playing in a pack going forwards. If he struggles once again, Easter’s transformation from exile to linchpin could be complete.
Who will enjoy a breakthrough championship?
I’d love to see Liam Williams enjoy a sustained run in the side, but the problem is unless one of George North, Alex Cuthbert or Leigh Halfpenny get injured, I simply can’t see it happening. On that basis, I’m going to select Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw. Removing the talk of the “big boots” he has to feel
The best match of the championship?
If England come through their daunting trip to Cardiff – and that’s a mighty big if – they’ll be riding the crest of a wave of momentum rarely seen in English rugby. What should be a straight forward win over Italy is followed by a trip to the Aviva Stadium to face Ireland, and with all the focus on this Friday’s encounter, the visit to Dublin is going under the radar. The defending Six Nations champions will have no intention of letting the English come to their backyard and leave with two points, and by then their returning stars should be up-and-running following the weekend off in between rounds two and three.
Who will win and will it be a Grand Slam?
Wales are supremely confident, and right they are to be. If Warren Gatland feels he can name his side two day’s early for an Anglo-Welsh clash then the alarm bells should be ringing across the Northern Hemisphere. Should Wales win on Friday, they’ll go on to win the Grand Slam, providing they can keep their monstrous back line intact for the next six weeks.
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