David Flatman: North to be the new Williams – and watch out for Debaty

From the front row

This year's Six Nations' Championship promises to be the most watchable in a good while. Italy, like England, are under new management, Wales will have to do without their greatest player in a generation, Shane Williams, and France – as ever – look brutally potent. Here are the six players who I believe could have the biggest impact for their respective nations.

George North (Wales)

Whether he likes it or not, North (pictured below right) is the man his country is hoping will replace the legend Shane Williams. Apart from the fact that the Welsh wizard is all but irreplaceable, North seems like the man for the job. Being large, quick and brave is important but, as shown countless times by his departing mentor, intelligence and timing are what make good players great. North has shown glimpses of real opportunism and guile in the past year, and he will need to bring all these attributes together if he wants to become Wales's next go-to man. He has the ability to inspire his people.

Sergio Parisse (Italy)

Long regarded as a world-class No 8, Parisse hasn't been in great form for his club side, Stade Français. But this isn't unusual, as he has also long been known for producing his best form for Italy. Just watch how his team-mates almost cease to move when he takes hold of the ball, waiting for him to break the gain line or throw a game-changing pass. He is the hub in the truest sense of the word; his performance is often an accurate indicator of how Italy will perform.

Stephen Ferris (Ireland)

We all know he's big and strong, and we all know he could dump-tackle a dumper truck. But if you want to know why players hold Ferris in such high regard, just observe the carnage he causes whenever the game enters his personal space. Put simply, he has everything. On his day, hewill appear so dominant and relentlessly powerful that the best players on the planet will be made to look like schoolboys. Rugby must be a right laugh when you're that good.

David Strettle (England)

Injury-free and playing week in, week out, Strettle is the country's form winger. Not a particularly large winger by modern standards, he is ferociously strong and bizarrely difficult to put on the floor. Like Chris Ashton, he is hungry for work and often pops up where least expected. This makes him both an asset to his team and a nightmare for the tired front-five forwards he seems to target with ball in hand. Given quality ball, his blistering pace, tenacity in contact and remarkable work ethic could see him emerge as the star of this tournament.

John Barclay (Scotland)

When Scotland play host to England next weekend, Barclay may well find himself the only pure openside flanker on the field. England will have expert ball-winners, but none whose job spec is quite so exacting as Barclay's seems to be. He is extremely athletic and looks utterly comfortable when a hole opens up before him, but he always looks to relish most the contest on the ground. I expect England will try to run directly at him, forcing him to make tackles and rendering him unable to pilfer ball. This won't always be possible, though, so watch Barclay swoop in and latch on when the opportunity arises to punish any English latecomers.

Vincent Debaty (France)

The loosehead prop's selection was a complete shock to everyone in France. This is not because he is no good, but because he is third choice at his club, Clermont. Admittedly, France's first choice, Thomas Domingo, is out injured, but Debaty has still only started a handful of games so far this season. However, Philippe Saint-André has seen something in him that he likes, and I must say that I agree. He is typically enormous but, despite his dimensions, he is a major contributor in the loose. His tackle count is invariably high and he loves to pop up on the shoulders of his half-backs, hoping for pop passes at close quarters. He charges down kicks, snaffles loose ball on the floor like a man half his weight and even scores the odd try. Another big lump in the French front row, then; what on earth do they feed them?