2. Ireland Coach Eddie O'Sullivan Captain Brian O'Driscoll (right) Last season 2nd Verdict Despite saying it's only a tag, Ireland never sit well with expectation and that's a worry. Their November form, though, was special and if they stay injury clear, and play with their heads up, they're well capable of the Grand Slam. Their problems lie in potential injuries to key players, and a set-piece game that has creaked of late, but the brilliance of Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara should ensure that whoever wins at the Millennium Stadium next Sunday, wins the tournament.

3. France Coach Bernard Laporte Captain Fabien Pelous (right) Last season Winners Verdict They are well capable of winning this competition outright, but you get the sense that the French have more than one eye on the World Cup towards the end of this year. Laporte needs to nail down his starting back-row, scrum-half and out-half over the next seven weeks and, as a result, there's going to be a fair bit of experimentation in the French ranks for this Six Nations. Away games in both London and Dublin won't help their cause.

4. England Coach Brian Ashton Captain Phil Vickery (right) Last season 4th Verdict This campaign is all about getting things back on track. If the former Bath coach selects the right players, and his first squad suggests he will, then the side who've lost eight of their last nine games could surprise a lot of people this term. Victory in their first two home games, against Scotland and Italy, could give them a huge boost, and from there anything could happen if they play sensible rugby.

5. Scotland Coach Frank Hadden Captain Chris Paterson (right) Last season 3rd Verdict You can't really see them repeating the heroics of last season, when they beat both England and France, especially as they don't appear to have added anything extra to their touchline-to-touchline game over the past season. Their pack, however, is building into an impressive unit and the consistency of Chris Paterson's goal-kicking will keep them in many games, but a lack of killer instinct will hurt them.

6. Italy Coach Pierre Berbezier CaptainMarco Bortolami (right) Last season 6th Verdict You feel for Italy because they're actually not that far off becoming a half-decent side.

Last season they put together their most impressive series of backline displays since joining the competition, but all they could manage for their troubles was a spirited away draw against a demoralised Wales. With Ireland, Wales and France at home this year, a victory could be dif"cult to come by.