Six Nations: Key matches, what to expect from Eddie Jones' England, who will win and chances of another Super Saturday
A look ahead to the 2016 Six Nations championship and the biggest talking points
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Your support makes all the difference.The 2016 Six Nations championship sees England begin a new era under head coach Eddie Jones in an attempt to get the better of their closest rivals, as the established coaching teams of Ireland, Wales and Scotland look to build on their Rugby World Cup performances.
No Six Nations side was able to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, with both Wales and Scotland coming desperately close to making the last four only to be beaten at the death by South Africa and Australia respectively.
And with England, Ireland and France reeling off disappointing campaigns, and an Italy side who on their day can beat anyone, the Six Nations provides a welcome chance for a fresh start at the start of the next World Cup cycle that will lead to Japan 2019.
England haven’t won the Six Nations since 2011, with the Stuart Lancaster era producing four consecutive second-place finishes that so often delivered promising performances tinged with one soul-destroying defeat.
Ireland will hope to retain the title they have won for the past two years, but will need to do so without the services of the talismanic Paul O’Connell after he retired from the international game – Ulster’s Rory Best has since taken on the captaincy.
For Wales, the tournament provides a chance for them to recall many on their key players who either missed the World Cup or were ruled out along the way. With three of their five matches in Cardiff, they will certainly be in with a shout of reclaiming the crown they last won in 2013.
Scotland were arguably the most impressive of the home nations last autumn, and had it not been for a controversial refereeing call, they could well be regarded as World Cup semi-finalists. However, the side is certainly on the up under Vern Cotter, and an opening weekend Calcutta Cup clash with England could be the catalyst for an unlikely title assault.
France, like England, have a new head coach in Guy Noves, and the Toulouse legend set his stall out early by naming Guilhem Guirado his captain in a squad that no longer features the battering ram centre Mathieu Bastareaud. Noves wants to bring the flair back to French rugby – whether he can deliver it is another question.
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