THE Guinness Six Nations Championship is back and there is simply no better tournament to spirit us from the biting frosts of winter into the first buds of spring. Historic rivalries that date back 140 years will be reprised, blood and thunder collisions will shock and awe and jet-heeled wings will fly, as the unbridled joy of watching enormous men tearfully belting out anthems before creating moments of jaw-dropping drama captivates the audience.
Ireland
Strengths
Coach Andy Farrell took time to win over Ireland fans, after a period of heady success under his predecessor Joe Schmidt, but the series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand cemented his status as the best-loved Englishman since Jack Charlton. He is aided by former England centre Mike Catt, who has turned the Ireland backline into a well-drilled unit capable of scoring tries of fine simplicity. In Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan and gnarly old warhorse Peter O’Mahony, they have forwards who can trade
