Jeff Probyn: They’re all out to derail Eddie’s English chariot

In just a few more days, the waiting will be over and the greatest rugby tournament in the world will begin. The Six Nations is the premier rugby event in world rugby with an unparalleled history that underpins its appeal to all that follow the game.
The Rugby Championship, Rugby World Cup and even the Lions cannot match the sheer complexity of what the Six Nations means to all the countries and supporters involved and the emotions evoked.
As the oldest competition (if we include the Five Nations), it would always have an advantage but age alone is not what makes these games so compelling. Unlike the other elite competitions, the Six Nations is about playing your ‘next door neighbours’ who geographically are very close and literally within driving distance.
Those neighbours share a common history, sometimes as conquerors, sometimes as the conquered with a sense, at least in the Home Unions, of oppression by the English.
I think this year’s competition is especially interesting because all the personnel changes made after the 2015 RWC have bedded in and are now playing for real.
The new boys, Italy (the farthest outpost at around 1100 miles from Dublin), have yet to make the impact that was hoped for when they joined but they are moving in the right direction as their recent win over South Africa proved.
Conor O’Shea’s first Six Nations as manager this year will make them more competitive and they are capable of upsetting any team that takes them too lightly.
The French under Guy Noves will be a difficult proposition for all teams as usual. But they, like England have suffered a number of injuries and it will be how the players coming in adapt to the changes Noves is making to the style of play that has dominated French rugby over the Laporte, Saint-Andre years that could make the difference.
This year there is more than a grain of truth in the old adage, ‘it depends which French team turns up’ that could decide who wins the tournament.
Wales seem to be struggling across the board this year with Gatland concentrating on the Lions just as the Wales squad needed a rebuild. With Warren Ball a dead duck and key players like Jamie Roberts and George North now neutralised, Wales need to find some new talent to lift the team and regain some ground on their rivals.
Howley’s inclusion of Thomas Young, Owen Williams, Olly Cracknell, Ashton Hewitt, Rory Thornton, Steff Evans and Aled Davies is a start but I think for this season, roof open or not, Wales have a lot to do and no time to do it.
Scotland, with Glasgow setting the pace, are on a high in the club game; the big question is, can they translate that form to the international stage or again be battling to avoid the wooden spoon?
This is Vern Cotter’s last Six Nations in charge of Scotland, with Gergor Townsend taking over in the summer, and as much as I admire Cotter as a coach, I think Scotland, of all the home nations, really need a Scottish coach to flourish.
The Scots are a passionate side that have always punched well above their weight as the country with the smallest player base, even after going on regular worldwide trawling expeditions, but they need someone who understands the Scottish mentality and passion to get the best out of those limited resources.
The last time Scotland won a Grand Slam was when they had Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer in charge way back in 1990 when the Scottish passion more than made-up for the power and skill of their opponents and I should know as I was playing.
Ireland are on a roll and it will take a very good team to beat them, the mental lift they got from beating the All Blacks has spread through the nation’s players.
There is an air of confidence exuding from the Irish squad at the moment making them the team to beat along with England.
I say England, but in truth England are the only team that everybody really want to beat no matter what and Eddie Jones has made the usual desire worse by conjuring up the potential of a record breaking run of wins.
Add the spectre of a possible back-to-back Grand Slam, something that only one of the home nations has achieved since the war, England 91-92 (I was playing in them as well!) and you have a motivational tidal wave for teams facing England.
You can almost hear the re-runs of Phil Bennett’s 1977 pre-match speech resonating around the training fields of Wales as they await England’s arrival. Every Scottish team and supporter will be practised in the David Sole’s 1990 slow march out on to the Murrayfield turf with just a tinge of regret that the game is being played at Twickenham.
Ultimately, all of England’s Six Nations rivals will be hoping that by 18.30 on the March 18, at least one of them would have managed to derail Eddie’s chariot.