Six Nations 2010

After the November Tests, the cold of December, the thrill of the Heineken Cup and a brief pause for breath this weekend, the Six Nations kicks off next Saturday, when Grand Slam champions Ireland play Italy.

There is a sense of trepidation around this tournament rather than expectancy. Nobody is predicting an open tournament; many doubters have said that it will be a kicking festival and little else.

Most of the coaches are not entirely focused on the tournament itself, with Wales coach Warren Gatland the most open about the fact that while the Six Nations is great, the preparation for World Cup 2011 begins in earnest right here - for his side, that means at Twickenham on Saturday.

Marc Lièvremont is still the man chopping and changing the most, with a whole host of established stars omitted from his initial tournament squad. France without Cédric Heymans and Lionel Beauxis? Only four backs from Toulouse? Vive la revolution!

Ireland appear to be sticking staunchly to the recipe that brought them the taste of success last year, while England are another team seemingly still sifting through the ingredients and wondering what to cook.

Italy have to cope without injured talisman Sergio Parisse and Scotland need to be a little more consistent than in November, when they beat Australia and lost to Argentina, if they are to have a material effect on the tournament.

So we'll see - when all is said and done, it's probably between Ireland and France again. But to give you a closer insight, here's an overview of the sextet of countries competing for the crown in 2010...

"England's first chance of getting that ball rolling will be against Wales at Twickenham in a Six Nations opener that may just shape how their Championship pans out..."

"Despite Cardiff and the Scarlets' exit from the Heineken Cup, the Amlin Challenge Cup qualifications of both suggest all is not catastrophe in Wales..."

"Ireland head into the tournament as Grand Slam champions having claimed the clean-sweep for the first time in 61 years and they will be just as tough to beat again..."

"We'll have to see what sort of character-building effect last year's hellish schedule had for Italy..."

"On the back of their superb home triumph over world champions South Africa in November, France start the tournament as the bookmakers' favourites..."

"Victory over Australia for the first time in 27 years in November has given Scotland reason to believe that 2010 will bring more good news..."