FFR Choose Design Winner For New Rugby Stadium

by Dugald Skene

As much as I'd love my life to be centred around all things blogging and generally expressing my often maligned opinion on the world of sport, it's unfortunately not the way it has turned out.  Instead, I spend my days doing the day job - being an Architect.

So it's a nice coincidence when the world's of architecture and sport collide and offer up something new to look at, and that's exactly what has happened this week in France.

Talk has been ongoing for years about the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) building their own home in France - the Twickenham or Murrayfield equivalent, if you like.  The FFR launched a design competition last year and Populous, the architects most notably behind London's Olympic Stadium, have been announced the winners this week.  The firm, in cooperation with French practice Ateliers 2/3/4/ have designed a stadium that looks, well, very unlike a stadium.

The new Grand Stade du FFR

Like most equivalent new facilities, there is much focus on the future flexibility of the stadium.  It's clear that rugby unions need to optimise their income from what is often their single biggest asset, and the FFR have been no different in their approach to the design brief.

Legendary French full back Serge Blanco, a member of the judging panel and vice president of the FFR, confirmed this approach and the response to the brief by Populous. “The proposal made by Populous and Ateliers 2/3/4/ proved to be the most suitable to meet the objectives that we have set for the medium and long term. It fits perfectly with the idea that we are creating the multifunctional stage par excellence", he said.

The stadium will seat around 82,000 fans

Ben Vickery, senior principal of Populous, said “The Grand Stade of the Fédération Française de Rugby will be not only the new home of French Rugby, but a cultural catalyst for the district of Essonne as well as France.”

Hold on a minute - Essonne? That's right, the FFR are building their home of rugby 25 kilometres south of the capital Paris.  Given the stick that the Stade de France has had over the years for being too far out from the city centre, despite only being 2 or 3 kilometres away in St Denis, it seems odd that this new 82,000 seat behemoth be situated so far out from the city.

The FFR are going for the alternative stadium look

Time will tell how successful a ploy this turns out to be, but for now, we have some pictures from Populous of their monolithic creation, said to be inspired by the idea of a 'fortified town delivering both hospitality and protection'.

I'll let you be the architectural critics on this one.  What do you think of the design, it's proposed location and the very need for it's existence?

Wales vs France Preview

Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Date: Saturday, 17 March
Kick-off: 1445 GMT

by Dugald Skene

So, this is it, the decider.  Unless there are two freakish results that see Wales and Ireland lose by around 20 points each, Wales have the championship covered.  But despite what the players have being saying the last fortnight, all that people in Wales and elsewhere have been talking about is the big one.  The grand slam.

Should Wales beat France on Saturday, they will join the French as being 3 times 6 Nations grand slam winners, a huge achievement given the size of the country and relative size of the player pool available to them.

It would also mean that the Welsh have a 100% record - 3 titles, 3 grand slams.  That’s better than France who have a 60% grand slam success rate, or England who only have a 25% success rate.  Many would argue that grand slams aren’t everything, and they’re right, but for a nation as especially rugby daft as Wales, it makes it all the sweeter.

Phillipe Saint-Andre has selected a defensive line up to compete with the size of the Welsh backline.  The impressive Wesley Fofana, who is on to set a 6 Nations record of scoring a try in each of the 5 games, has been moved out on to the wing while bulky centre Florien Fritz comes in at 12 for his first appearance in this year’s tournament.  With Vincent Clerc out injured and Julien Malzieu dropped, Alexis Palisson has leap frogged Maxime Mermoz to the starting lineup.  Despite a horrible showing against England, the massively overrated Clement Poitrenaud retains his place at full back.

Up front, all three members of the impressive French back row have recovered from knocks sustained against England.  The changes have come up front where William Servat, arguably the best hooker in world rugby, will make his final start before retiring from international rugby after the tournament.  Alongside him, David Attoub comes in for the inexplicably dropped Nicolas Mas, who has been the best scrummaging prop so far in the tournament.

So what to make of these changes?  It’s clearly thought by Saint-Andre that Wesley Fofana came off second best against Barritt and Tuilagi last week, and so holds little hope the newcomer will stand a better chance against the powerful Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies.  The selection of Fritz is defensively minded, but could actually play into Wales’ hands.

The Welsh squad is about as strong as could be hoped for.  Captain Sam Warburton has recovered from knee trouble to start at openside and will have the chance to get a full 80 minutes against the French after his personal disappointment in the RWC semi-final.

Captain Sam Warburton returns to the Welsh line-up

There is also an opportunity for 3 players, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones and substitute Ryan Jones to join an esteemed and short list of Welsh players to have won 3 grand slams.

The consistency of Wales' line-up is one of their strongest factors, and backed up with one of the strongest benches in the championship they have come through the tournament relatively unscathed.  Gatland has heaped praise on the likes of Dan Lydiate who has been one of the quieter performers but influential on the pitch, particularly in Sam Warburton's absence.  Ian Evans has also excelled at the heart of a dynamic pack.

In the backs, Rhys Priestland has done no more than necessary.  He hasn't shone like he did at the RWC other than flashes of brilliance against Ireland in the opening weekend.  Jonathan Davies has grown into the team over the past 12 months and now forms part of one of the strongest centre pairings in world rugby with Jamie Roberts.

George North has been unstoppable, breaking more tackles than any other player in the tournament and Alex Cuthbert has been going from strength to strength with each game.

But the star of the show for Wales has been Leigh Halfpenny.  Having started his international career on the wing, Halfpenny has now made the full back position his own having worked hard on his spacial awareness and positional responsibilities.  He has taken the kicking duties in his stride and with a couple of tries under his belt, is the tournaments highest scoring player.

Given the form of each team coming into this final weekend, it's hard to see Wales losing.  But then, they are playing the French.  Of all teams in world rugby, they are the most unpredictable and anything can happen.  Away from home and with nothing to lose, they present a very real danger for Wales.

I predict a Welsh win and grand slam, but it won't be an easy one for them.  The French have had their successes at the Millennium Stadium in the past (most notably the RWC 2007 QF win over the All Blacks) and will look to upset the odds.  It should be a an absolute cracker!

Wales:

15. L Halfpenny, 14. A Cuthbert, 13. J Davies, 12. J Roberts, 11. G North, 10. R Priestland , 9. M Phillips, 1. G Jenkins, 2. M Rees, 3. A Jones, 4. A Wyn-Jones, 5. I Evans, 6. D Lydiate, 7. S Warburton, 8. T Faletau

Bench: 16. K Owens, 17. P James, 18. L Charteris, 19. R Jones, 20. L Williams, 21. J Hook, 22. S Williams

France:

15. C Poitrenaud, 14. W Fofana, 13. A Rougerie, 12. F Fritz, 11. A Palisson, 10. L Beauxis, 9. D Yachvili, 1. JB Poux, 2. W Servat, 3. D Attoub 4. P Pape, 5. Y Maestri, 6. T Dusautoir (c), 7. J Bonnaire, 8. I Harinoroquy

Bench: 16. D Szarzewski, 17. V Debaty, 18. J Pierre, 19. L Picamoles, 20. M Parra, 21. F Trinh-Duc, 22. J-M Buttin.

6 Nations Round 4: Team Of The Round

by Dugald Skene

Here's my take on the outstanding performers in this weekends RBS 6 Nations. What do you think?

1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Dan Cole
4. Richie Gray
5. Ian Evans
6. Tom Croft
7. Julien Bonnaire
8. Sergio Parisse

9. Eoin Reddan
10. Owen Farrell
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Leigh Halfpenny

Jamie Roberts scoring for Wales against Italy

Honourable mentions go to Imanol Harinordoquy, Lee Dickson, Chris Robshaw, Keith Earls, David Denton, Wesley Fofana, Brad Barritt, Stephen Ferris and Donnacha Ryan.

What do you think? Who would you change?

Scotland Defeat Leaves Bitter Taste But Much To Be Positive About

Scotland 17-23 France
Sunday 26th February 2012

Brave. Proud. Valiant. Courageous.

Personally, I hate these words, but they have unfortunately become synonomous with the Scotland Rugby team.  Worse still, a Scotland team that loses.  Never will you hear them used in the throes of victory.  Once again, they have been applied to Scotland's latest performance, this time against France at Murrayfield in a 17-23 loss.

Let's look at the positives, and there are many from a game that Scotland arguably should have won.

Scotland dominated in all the key areas including possession, offloads, completed passes and turnovers. The difference in this game to the previous four test match losses was the much anticipated execution.

Stuart Hogg on his first start and Lee Jones on his third both scored tries at crucial times to open their accounts and take Scotland into 7 and 4 point leads at the start of each half.  Both players provided plenty for the Scottish faithful to look forward to.

Stuart Hogg scores his first try for Scotland

The back row of Barclay, Rennie and Denton were again outstanding.  Rennie in particular was all over the place, often the second man into the tackle to rip possession from the French.  Barclay too, was excellent at the breakdown, making the tackle and retrieving the ball to set up Jones' try.

After a torrid couple of weeks, Nick De Luca had an earlier than expected introduction to the game following Rory Lamont's horrific leg break injury.  Whether or not he felt he had something to prove, de Luca played out of his skin for 50 minutes of the game, producing his finest display in a Scotland shirt in my opinion.

To the game and Scotland’s fortnight of work on patience in possession was clear to see.  France did very well to slow ball down and frustrate Mike Blair and later Chris Cusiter, but the first try came after a long period of phase play that hadn’t seen Scotland move very far other than across the field, the slow ball allowing France to reset their defence all too comfortably.  Ultimately though, Scotland didn’t force the issue and waited for the opportunity when Laidlaw collected a loose ball, switched direction and targeted the French prop Poux, offloading to Lee Jones who then dispatched Stuart Hogg into the corner for the first try with Julien Malzieu having gone AWOL from his wing.

Excellent defence and continuous Scottish pressure resulted in a Laidlaw penalty to see the Scots go 10-0 up after 25 minutes.  An excellent opening to the game.

The thing about the French is they don’t panic, and sure enough they took the ball to the Scottish 22 for the first time, recycling quickly.  With a split defence, Parra spread the ball left to Trinh-Duc who bowled over Laidlaw, sucking in an extra defender before offloading to Clerc who then passed to Wesley Fofana who came in like a train and at an angle that couldn’t see 4 men take him down as he crashed over.

The ensuing conversion and a further penalty from Parra saw the scores tied at 10-10 at halftime.  Scotland could maybe count themselves a little unlucky to only be drawing at that stage, but following the departure of the injured Lamont and Mike Blair, the game turned somewhat in favour of the French at the end of the first half. 

Into the second half, and it was Scotland again who were taking the initiative.  After some toing and froing in the middle third of the pitch, it was John Barclay who made the difference, tackling a French forward, getting straight on his feet and stealing the ball from under their noses.  The offload to de Luca set up a three on two overlap seeing the ball pass through substitute Richie Vernon to Lee Jones outside to finish off a clinical piece of finishing that has been so absent from previous games.

Scotland again held the advantage with Duncan Weir effortlessly converting on his debut from near the touchline, looking as composed as though it was his 50^th cap.  Scotland 17, France 13.

The French came back though, and with broken play in the midfield, the ball came loose on the French side releasing the backs.  Julien Malzieu, who saw precious little of the ball throughout the game, took off down his left wing.  Lee Jones missed the tackle, meaning Hogg had to cover across allowing the excellent Maxime Medard the space to finish off a ruthless and typically French attack.

With 15 or so minutes to go and the French holding a slender 3 point lead, there was still all to play for.  Scotland were looking for a try, something they now had the belief they could get against the French and something the crowd almost expected now they had seen two already.

Referee Wayne Barnes did little to help Scotland's cause. Much like Steve Walsh in the England v Wales game the previous day, there were quite a few ruck infringements from the French that were either unseen or not penalised.  Worst of all was the lack of penalty awarded for a clear and obvious high tackle on Duncan Weir. Had it been given, Scotland could have tied the game 20-20 at that stage and who knows what might have happened?

The French had other ideas and were defiant and controlling with the ball, their forwards keeping it tight and starving the Scots of possession and territory.  With Morgan Parra marshalling his forwards with precision and effortless momentum, they set up stand in fly half Lionel Beauxis for the drop goal that saw the French extend their lead to an unassailable 6 points.

Final score: Scotland 17, France 23.

Despite a fifth test defeat in a row (the first time since 2004), Scotland have shown that they are making progress.  It is surely only a matter of time before it clicks into place to get what every player, coach and fan is waiting for; the big W.

Scotland have passed more than any other team in the tournament, gone through more phases and with players like Denton and Rennie carried the ball as much if not more than any other player in the competition so far.  What matters to many are the results, but progress is being made here and that shouldn’t be ignored.

Following the defeat, yet more people are calling into question Robinson’s role as coach.  There are many who are snapping to the decision to let him go but this would be a huge mistake at this stage.

If there is a time to lose games, it is now.  This team is reforming and rebuilding.  There is real young talent in the squad and a depth rarely seen in the Scottish game.  The structure of the team and the ability to execute game wide tactics has improved immeasurably, even if the results haven’t come.  Those losses haven’t come down to tactics, rather individual mistakes here and there.  Robinson has created a real foundation for lasting consistent success, the fruits of which will surely start to bare in the next couple of years.

Against England, Scotland needed to create the chances.  And they did.  Against Wales, they needed to do the same but also put up an enormous defensive effort. And they did, at least for 65 minutes.  Against France, the next objective was to carry those on and add execution and tries to the mix and again, they rose to that challenge.  Scotland are building and it is clear for all to see.

Scotland vs France Preview

Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Date: Sunday, 26 February
Kick-off: 1500 GMT

So after the first interval break, we steam ahead to the third round of the 2012 RBS 6 Nations and the middle weekend throws up some intriguing contests all over again.

On Sunday, the winless Scots take on the French who haven't played for 3 weeks since the Italy game in Paris because their match with the Irish was called off at the eleventh hour because of a frozen pitch.  Can we read anything into that? Probably not.  What it doesn't give Scotland is the match video that would have been so useful in the lead up to this weekend's game.

Their win over Italy was enough to blow some cobwebs away, but was not so demanding as to really push them.  Saint-Andre will have been pleased with the forwards display and the execution from the backs when the chances were there.  What is clear about that game is that Italy didn't perform to their potential, all the more obvious after seeing their performance against England in Rome.

The French will field the same side that was due to face Ireland last weekend. Dmitri Yachvili is still out with a back problem, so Morgan Parra will start with Francois Trinh-Duc at 10.  The consistency in team selection is so important for any team, but the French have no reason to change a winning formula.  they will come to Edinburgh as clear favourites, but they will need their wits about them against a Scotland team that has shown signs of promise over the last 2 rounds without getting the results.

For Scotland, their self-destructive tendencies have contributed to their losses so far.  Certainly in the case of the English game, they lost it rather than England winning it, butchering some chances that would have seen them win reasonably comfortably.

Look beyond that initial layer of frustration, and it is clear to see the positive elements of play that Andy Robinson and the players have been keen to focus on in the two week break.  The defence has been excellent for the most part, the lineout has been superior in both games and the back row play at the breakdown has been a step beyond where it was at the World Cup.

Despite only scoring 1 try, the creation of chances is there.  The first 80% is great, it's the final 20% that has let the team down.

Scotland have been excellent at many things, but they will have to be the bare minimum requirement as they face a French team that has the potential to make it a very uncomfortable afternoon for Scotland.  The French lineout will be very good and the new back row combination for Scotland will never have faced a unit of the likes of Picamoles, Harinordoquy and the rucking machine that is Thierry Dusautoir.

The team news for Scotland is significant and I think positive with changes at centre where Lamont has been moved out to 13 with the re-introduction of Graeme Morrison into the 12 position, meaning a very physical midfield and a drop down to the bench for Nick de Luca. The returning Ruaridh Jackson will have to wait for his return to the international fold as Laidlaw starts and Weir holds on to his place on the bench. Stuart Hogg gets his first start and displaces Rory Lamont from the full back position to take Max Evans' place on the wing. Crucially, there is a swap at scrum half where Cusiter will warm the bench and Blair starts. I think both have good impact from the bench and I expect to see the change after around 50 minutes.

In the forwards, Robinson's hand has been forced slightly with the injuries to Kelly Brown and Al Strokosch meaning John Barclay will get his first start of the tournament at blindside and Richie Vernon taking the supporting role on the bench.  Otherwise, the settled pack is unchanged from the Wales game.

Morrison returns to the Scottish midfield

The spotlight will be firmly focussed on the Scottish backline, who will be looking to move on from the Welsh debacle and finish some of the chances they know the team can create.  Lee Jones has yet to show his killer instinct, but may get to run a bit as the games with the French tend to open up a bit (remember last year when Scotland scored 3 tries in Paris?).  Stuart Hogg will have the chance to build on his impressive debut in Cardiff and will also benefit from broken play.

I can't help but think that it all just has to click for Scotland at some point.  Will it be this weekend?  Why not.  The French will look to spread the ball and as mentioned, they can be ruthless when their minds are in the game.  We have also seen them lose concentration and create opportunities for opposition teams (thinking specifically of the RWC where they lost to Tonga).

Scotland can do it, but they can't rely on lapses in French concentration to pull it off.  They will need to continue to create and carve out the opportunities thay have done to date but only convert them much better.  Only.

Scotland:
15. S Hogg, 14. R Lamont, 13. S Lamont, 12. G Morrison, 11. L Jones, 10. G Laidlaw, 9. M Blair, 1. A Jacobsen, 2. R Ford (c), 3. G Cross, 4. R Gray, 5. J Hamilton, 6. J Barclay, 7. R Rennie, 8. D Denton

Bench: 16. S Lawson, 17. E Kalman, 18. A Kellock, 19. R Vernon, 20. C Cusiter, 21. D Weir, 22. N de Luca

France:

15. M Medard, 14. V Clerc, 13. A Rougerie, 12. W Fofana, 11. J Malzieu, 10. F Trinh-Duc, 9. M Parra, 1. JB Poux, 2. D Szarzewski, 3. N Mas, 4. P Pape, 5. Y Maestri, 6. T Dusautoir (c), 7. I Harinordoquy, 8. L Picamoles

Bench: 16. W Servat, 17. V Debaty, 18. L Nallet, 19. J Bonnaire, 20. J Dupuy, 21. L Beauxis, 22. M Mermoz.

France vs Ireland Preview

Perhaps the most intriguing game of this weekends RBS 6 Nations will be when France host Ireland on Saturday.  Both teams have something to prove following the first round of results.

As seems to be the way this year, each team selection seems to be that bit more based on current form rather than old favourites, perhaps symptomatic of squad evolution following World Cups.  The French are no exception as they produced a solid enough display against the Italians to see out a 30-12 victory at the Stade de France.  The new look backline with the introduction of Wesley Fofana at centre and the return of the in form Julien Malzieu on the wing looked to be a settled unit which certainly took their chances when they presented themselves.

However, I wouldn't say that the French were at their brilliant best.  If anything over the last few years, particularly under Marc Lievremont, the French became less synonomous with the famous flair and more with how they can grind out results, and that's when they win.  The French lost on more occasions than they'd like to remember under Lievremont, including 3 games at the 2011 RWC and a trouncing at home to Australia.  Saturday's victory was much along the same lines - flashes of brilliance but still very much a workmanlike overall performance. 

Saint-Andre won't mind.  He was a player who thrived on capitalising on the great setup play created by having a hard working and heavy pack, much like the one he controls now.  I dare say that the French fans will be looking for a slight return to the days of free flowing rugby that saw their team win numerous Grand Slams early on in the 6 Nations.

Saint-Andre has tinkered slightly, most notably by bringing in the bigger Imanol Harinordiquy for Julien Bonnaire at openside, and starting with Morgan Parra in place of the injured Dmitri Yachvili (back).

Keith Earls will start for Ireland after missing

out against Wales for personal reasons

Saturday sees the visit of the Irish who will be hurting after losing at home to the Welsh, after being up by a score and a man with 10 minutes left in the game.  Winning in Dublin isn't easy, and it's a place the Irish hate to lose, so they will have everything to prove against the French on their own patch.

Perhaps the pressure will be off the Irish a little, as it is for any team playing away from home.  The Stade de France is an intimidating atmosphere when the French have the wind at their backs, but equally baron when the opposition get the upper hand.  Over the years, it has proved to be as much of a distraction to the French when they are losing than it is for the visitors when they are.

I think this will be as tight a game as the Welsh game was for the Irish, and I can't see who will win it.  The French haven't done enough in the first round to convince me that they can fulfil my prediction of winning the tournamnet.  Then again, it was Saint-Andre's first game at the helm, and a win is a win.  The Irish will be supremely motivated to put Sunday's result behind them and probably pleased that they only have 6 days to get out there and show their fans what they are all about.

Let's remember, at times, the Irish played very well against Wales and have the ability to beat anyone on their day.

It should be a cracking match, and I'm looking forward to it with relish.

France:

15. M Medard, 14. V Clerc, 13. A Rougerie, 12. W Fofana, 11. J Malzieu, 10. F Trinh-Duc, 9. M Parra, 1. JB Poux, 2. D Szarzewski, 3. N Mas, 4. P Pape, 5. Y Maestri, 6. T Dusautoir (c), 7. I Harinordoquy, 8. L Picamoles

Bench: 16. W Servat, 17. V Debaty, 18. L Nallet, 19. J Bonnaire, 20. J Dupuy, 21. L Beauxis, 22. M Mermoz.

Ireland:

15. R Kearney, 14. T Bowe, 13. K Earls, 12. G D’Arcy, 11. A Trimble, 10. J Sexton, 9. C Murray, 1. C Healy, 2. R Best, 3. M Ross, 4. D O’Callaghan, 5. P O’Connell (c), 6. S Ferris, 7. S O’Brien, 8. J Heaslip

Bench: 16. S Cronin, 17. T Court, 18. D Ryan, 19. P O’Mahony, 20. E Reddan, 21. R O’Gara, 22. F McFadden

6 Nations Preview

The 6 week long extravaganza that is the RBS 6 Nations officially launches today, and each nation will be heading in all with optimistic expectations.

After a world cup that saw some home nations excel and others ultimately leave disappointed, every team will be looking to improve during the 6 Nations.

I'll state now that I don't think there will be a Grand Slam winner this year. As the gaps in class between the 6 teams get smaller, everyone has the ability to take points from each other, this year more than ever.

Here's my rundown on each country, their key issues, expectations and players and what it'll take for each to take home the title.

England

England fans surely can't wait for the tournament to start. It'll be the first opportunity to see their team since the disappointing RWC campaign in New Zealand, to hopefully wipe the slate clean and of course to see if they can defend their 6 Nations title.

A new era has brought in a new interim coach with Stuart Lancaster calling the shots. His elite squad includes 9 uncapped players who are all based in England with the exception of Ben Morgan (Scarlets) and who have all performed well for their respective clubs.

Stand out additions include Owen Farrell who has been superb at Saracens. Playing at 12 lately with the resurgence of Charlie Hodgson at 10, Farrell looks a player well beyond his 20 years, exciting and with a good kicking boot. A useful kicking option at inside centre, he provides a Mike-Catt-style midfield option and of all the new faces, will most likely find a starting berth in February, or at least a place in the 22.

Owen Farrell

Harlequins prop Joe Marler brings his significant bulk and skill (and ridiculous haircut) into the fray. At 21, he again looks every bit an established player, though he admits he has lots yet to learn. With a secure berth in the Quins front row, he has managed to progress significantly and consistently through the season and deserves his squad place.

It's hard to assess the prospects of a largely new squad and new coach. Personally, I can only hope that the style of rugby that Lancaster will instill into his team will be an improvement on Martin Johnson's ethos, so it will be intriguing to guage England's efforts when they start their defence at Murrayfield. With that trip and a visit to Paris, I just feel they might struggle a little in this time of transition.

Key players for England will be the same ones they pinned their hopes on during the world cup but who never really shone; the likes of Foden, Ashton, Lawes and Hartley.

Prediction: Fourth

France

The French look to be going into the tournament as favourites following a turbulent but reasonably successful RWC in New Zealand, reaching the final and losing by only 1 point to the hosts (making it 3 appearances and 3 losses in RWC finals).

New coach Phillipe Saint-Andre looks to have a steadier head on him than his predecessor Marc Lievremont who tinkered constantly with his selections. Saint-Andre has stuck to the majority of those who performed at the RWC and added a couple of new faces, most notably the exciting young Clermont centre Wesley Fofana.

France didn't part with many of their players through retirement after the RWC, and the team will be very similar to the one that took to the field against New Zealand. Given that consistency and that they have 3 home games it is hard to see them doing anything other than triumph, although maybe not with a Grand Slam (thinking specifically of their trips to Wales and Scotland).

Morgan Parra

The key player for me is scrum half Morgan Parra. Still only 22, the Clermont nuumber 9 has proved to be the best in his position in the world at the moment. He packs every skill required of his demanding role with the added responsibility of goal kicking. He calls the shots, marshalls his forwards and distributes always when required, reading the game so comprehensively. When Clermont played Leicester in the Heineken Cup earlier this season, he showed England's Ben Youngs exactly how it should be done, and in his own back yard.

Prediction: First

Ireland

After a world cup that promised so much, particularly after topping their group with the win over Australia, the Irish were ultimately left disappointed after their quarter-final loss to the Welsh in New Zealand.

Declan Kidney has named a small squad that excludes the injured talisman and captain Brian O'Driscoll through injury. Munsterman Paul O'Connell will lead the team in BO'D's absence. Other notable exclusions include Luke Fitzgerald, once seen as the longterm replacement for O'Driscoll. The news that he has not even been selected for the Irish 'A' Wolfhounds team shows everyone that he has a lot of work to do to earn a place in Kidney's thoughts again.

Paul O'Connell

Domestically, the Irish are doing extremely well. 2011/12 is the first season in the Heineken Cup that 3 Irish teams have made the quarter-finals with Ulster joining the perennial winners Leinster and Munster. All 3 teams provide the vast majority of the Irish squad and given the way those clubs are playing at the moment, it would take a strong will to bet against the Irish this time around.

Ireland host Scotland, Wales and Italy where they will be fully expected to win all 3. The trips to Twickenham and the Stade de France will certainly prove to be trickier, but recent history shows that the Irish have had their fair share of results at those stadiums.

Prediction: Second

Italy

The Italians always had it to do when placed in a RWC group with Ireland and Australia. They held their own for the first half against the Aussies but got decimated in the first half by Ireland.

There seems to be no question that the overall quality of the Italians has increased following the introduction of Benetton Treviso and Aironi into the RaboDirect Pro12 league. With much of the Italian squad based either in these two teams or in the French Top 14, nearly every player is now exposed to top level European rugby on a consistent basis.

Italy recorded their most famous victory of the 2011 tournament over the French in Rome, and it's the French they face first up, this time in Paris. It's difficult to see any kind of upset, that really would be the biggest result in the history of the 6 Nations following the intorduction of the Italians in 2000.

Their key man, as it seems to be every year, is number 8 Sergio Parisse. With the sort of ability that would see him claim a place in any international team setup, Parisse carries much of the responsibility of his team and country's expectations. And yet he either seems to thrive on it or manages to block it out as he is the most consistent performer when he takes to the field.

Sergio Parisse

Italy will be targeting home wins against England and Scotland in the final weekend. In the past, they have pushed the English close at least once and following their result against the French last time out, they'll believe they can do it again. On the basis that Scotland will pick up a couple of results prior to the game with Italy, I see the Italians once again struggling at the bottom of the table, but they will almost certainly provide a shock result somewhere.

Prediction: Sixth

Scotland

It's fair to say that Scottish rugby is on something of a high at the moment. Edinburgh's success in topping their Heineken Cup group and earning themselves a home quarter-final against 4 time winners Toulouse is testament to Michael Bradley and the style of rugby they promote. Glasgow meanwhile are still harbouring ambitions of grabbing a league play-off place for the second time in 4 seasons as their consistency of success in the RaboDirect Pro12 league continues.

Once again, it these teams that provide the bulk of Andy Robinson's squad members. He has selected hooker Ross Ford to lead out the country during the tournament after his first choice for captain Kelly Brown was injured last weekend playing for Saracens at Treviso and will be out for at least 8 weeks. Ford will win his 54th cap against England on February 4th.

Ross Ford

Injuries are a key worry for Scotalnd in the final fortnight leading up to the first weekend, most notably to Robinson's first choice fly-half Ruaridh Jackson (thigh), former captain Al Kellock (respiratory infection) and props Alasdair Dickinson (shoulder) and Ed Kalman (calf). The prop positions particularly are a worry as Moray Low is already ruled out and Euan Murray chooses not to play on Sundays, ruling him out of 2 of the 5 games.

Scotland's successes in the tournament have traditionally come in the 'even' years when they host England and France and travel to Ireland, Wales and Italy. Should they get off to a great start against England, and away in Cardiff against the Welsh, who knows what could happen. Having a two week gap before and after the French game could also prove to be beneficial.

Scotland's shortcomings, highlighted particuarly at the recent world cup in New Zealand, include the inability to capitalise on the possession and territroy they make. Scoring tries has been a real struggle in previous seasons, and it's hard to see where they will come from this time around. With no notable strike players added to the core group from the World Cup (it should be noted that game changing Edinburgh winger Tim Visser qualifies for Scotland this June, a little late for this tournament), Scotland will again be relying on the tactical nouse of either Dan Parks, the inexperienced Duncan Weir and Jackson when he returns.

The burden of scoring tries in the backs will fall to the household names of Sean Lamont, Joe Ansbro, Max Evans and Nick de Luca.

I believe that Scotland have a chance of achieving a top 3 place this year, provided they can secure the crucial home victories against England and France, which they are well capable of doing. England go to Murrayfield on February 4th having not won there since 2004 (and only twice since 1998) and Scotland will want it to stay that way.

Prediction: Third

Wales

There is perhaps greater expectation than ever on the Welsh team following their heroics at the world cup which some them knocked out at the semi final by the French, and by a single point. Many Welsh fans will still be debating the red card given to inspirational young captain Sam Warburton that day, but there is no point dwelling on the past. The 6 Nations provides an opportunity to cement the form they showed during the world cup and even exact some revenge against the French.

Warren Gatland has selected a squad that has a healthy mix of experience and new talent, the possible excpetion being the inclusion of Gavin Henson who has arguably only bagged a place due to first choice number 12 Jamie Roberts being out injured. As discussed previously in The Skene Skrum, Wales have more than enough options to cover for Roberts without Henson.

Wales are one of the hardest teams to predict for tournaments. Who would have thought after the 2007 RWC where they crashed out of their group, they would come back to claim a Grand Slam in 2008? That came 3 years after the Grand Slam that seemed to come out of nowhere. Having had a good world cup this time around, who's to say that the Welsh won't flunk and be competing for the wooden spoon this year?

George North

The key player for me is George North.  The natural try scoring successor to Shane Williams, North enters the tournament after a very impressive world cup.  Along with fellow winger Leigh Halfpenny, the pair will be looked upon to bag a few tries this time round.

Wales have three home games this year, but travel to Dublin and Twickenham. The home fixture with Scotland threw up a thriller two years ago and will no doubt do so again. Wales have proved by winning the Grand Slams in '05 and '08 that they can beat all teams home and away, but can they do it this time? I have a sneaky feeling they may struggle this year with the likes of Jamie Roberts, Alun Wyn-Jones and Luke Charteris out and Gethin Jenkins an injury doubt.

Prediction: Fifth

A French Fancy

Phillipe Saint-Andre released the details of his French 30-man 6 Nations squad today, and it makes for interesting reading.

Firstly, there are only two uncapped players included - the Clermont centre Wesley Fofana, who has been in sparkling form this season so far, and of the games I have seen him in during the Heinekin Cup, looks to be a potent threat.  He would have to be, because he's kept Toulouse man Florien Fritz and resurgent Toulon man Mathieu Basteraud out of the offing.  The other is Toulouse lock Yoann Maestri who looks to be another in a long line of quality second rowers from France.

Fofana has been outstanding so far this season

However, the most striking thing that immediately stands out to me is the fact that the squad is comprised entirely of France-based players.  Not such a surprise perhaps, France has always been quite insular with it's homegrown talent, and with the money that is swirling around the Top 14 clubs, why would they want to leave?  But the 30 strong squad represents 8 different clubs in the domestic league.

The largest investment of players, predictably, comes from Toulouse where 12 players have made Saint-Andre's cut.  Clermont are second with 7, but the rest are fairly evenly split between Biarritz, Castres, Perpignan, Montpellier, Stade Francais and Toulon.

Looking more closely at those that have made the squad, it's clear to see that the clubs providing just 1 or 2 players are hardly making up the numbers - they are providing quality players.  Take Montpellier where Francois Trinh-Duc and flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo are likely starters for the French.  Biarritz are the same with Fabien Barcella and Imanol Harinordoquy.

What is great about the French Top 14 is that the quality of players are spread across such a large number of teams.  There are some that do things differently, like Toulon, who have invested heavily in foreign imports but generally speaking, French rugby talent is very well taken care of, and with the spread of that talent, there are plenty of opportunities for players to play rugby at the highest level.

Saint-Andre's selection looks ominously strong, and efficient.  30 men is 6 less than what Scottish coach Andy Robinson has picked for Scotland.  If the new French coach is as ruthless with his tactics as he is with his selection, we should all be watching out.