Wales 28-13 Italy
There’s turmoil off the field, but Warren Gatland says this is the fittest squad he has had to pick from for some time, and the defending champions, seeking an unprecedented third successive outright title (and whose team for this game includes 11 Lions), have the ideal warm-up at home against Italy.
Wales are looking to win a third successive tournament, while England – watching the Welsh celebrations at the Millennium Stadium last year – will be looking to avoid the pain of a similar meltdown in 2014
That’s not to say the perennial underdogs should be taken lightly (and that’s not the case, judging by the Welsh selection), especially given their perfomance at Twickenham last year. But there’s a reason the Azzurri are a best-price 200-1 to win the tournament, and 18-1 to win at the Millennium Stadium. I reckon it will be one of those relatively unconvincing displays by Wales, but one which still results in a victory which was never really in doubt.
The team Gatland has selected almost picks itself, with the Rhys Priestland v Dan Biggar battle the only point of contention for some. But the continuity of the team, particularly in the backs, is surely a source of strength for Wales.
If Jonathan Davies were fit, this back line would be exactly the same as that which lined up for the opening game in 2012, while Biggar was the only difference at this stage last year.
France 23-20 England
France struggled during the autumn internationals, and predicting which France will turn up is always something of a shot in the dark. If England win in Paris they’ll become favourites for the Grand Slam, with Wales and Ireland both having to visit Twickenham. Maybe that’s part of the reason for this prediction – if England do win, the juggernaut chariot might be unstoppable. There seems to be a lot of optimism around the England camp at the moment, timed perfectly for their home World Cup next autumn. Just so long as some of the new blood – which includes players like Jack Nowell, George Ford and especially, from an adopted Northampton Saints quasi-fan’s point of view, Luther Burrell – makes a successful step up to the biggest stage.
Ireland 32-16 Scotland
Ireland’s last-ditch defeat to New Zealand was the most-discussed autumn international, with the hosts displaying a Welsh-style ability to throw away a game they looked on course to win against a Southern Hemisphere giant. The performance, particularly in the first half, has convinced many people Ireland could well win a first championship since 2009, although it will be Wales’s trip to Dublin next weekend which is the first proper test of this Six Nations tournament for both teams.
An Early Bath 