England

Coach Steve Borthwick

Captain Maro Itoje

What to think of English rugby at the moment? Few experiences are more exhilarating these days than watching the Premiership. Occasionally, it can be quite enjoyable even watching England. But far harder to come away from the English clubs’ recent experience in the Champions Cup, say, with much other than a powerful sense of dread. To watch teams at the top of the Premiership, replete with England internationals, get schooled by opponents, mainly from France and Ireland, but also Scotland and South Africa, does not inspire confidence. Even Benetton from Italy have weighed in, beating top-of-the-table Bath.

Then there is the England team. There is evidence of some progress since Borthwick was chucked the hot potato before the last World Cup, but the old warhorse cannot seem to take so much as a step forward without being forced back again by some conspiracy of events. A World Cup semi-final was flattering, but the jewel in his crown is that win over Ireland, in all their pomp, in round four last year, followed up by a creditable performance in defeat to France. Since then, there have been gratifying moments, but too many defeats.

Key player Alex Mitchell. The common denominator in Northampton’s good performances (as opposed to the bad), he is expected to shake off a minor injury to line up in Dublin.

Prospects Part of an unseemly mid-table scrap, ending in, let’s say, fourth.

France

Coach Fabien Galthié

Captain Antoine Dupont

Experience cautions against talking up France when they are expected to do well, but there does seem to be a hardness, even a reliability, to this vintage. That said, they blew their big chance at their own World Cup, but that quarter-final loss to the Springboks was one of the great matches of modern times – so some mitigation there. They also flopped at home to Ireland in the opener to last year’s championship, but they were without talisman Dupont – so a bit more again there. Dupont is back and France do look the pick.

They are without Gaël Fickou for at least the first two rounds and Charles Ollivon will not play at all, but they are stuffed to the gunwales with those playing the rugby of the gods for their clubs, particularly Toulouse and Bordeaux. On the debit side, it is their turn to play three out of five on the road and they have them in a row, culminating in a trip to Dublin in round four. But away games may mean we expect less – no bad thing for France.

Key player Thomas Ramos. Dupont, Penaud, Ntamack et al steal the limelight, but what France have now, which they never really did, is the metronome of that ball between the sticks. Again. And. Again.

Prospects Beat England at Twickenham – likely – and they will be on a roll to the grand slam.

Ireland

Coach Simon Easterby

Captain Caelan Doris

A third title in a row? Unheard of. Even in the Four/Five Nations eras, no one won three in a row outright (there were a few runs of that length that included one or more shared titles). So a little added motivation for Ireland there. The great imponderable for them is how they cope now that Andy Farrell has joined Johnny Sexton in absentia. Farrell’s is more of a hiatus – and he is probably on the end of a phone, as he plots the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia this summer – but that is two fixed points of reference undone.

They seemed to handle the loss of Sexton OK when they retained their title last season, albeit without the consecutive grand slam they so cherished. Jack Crowley stepped up with composure, but this lad Sam Prendergast is almost Sexton incarnate. No side has won a grand slam when facing Italy in the final round, which Ireland do this year. But these days Italy are not the soft touch anyway (we hope). Ireland’s first two games are key – aren’t they always. Their trip to Murrayfield in round two feels important, before France roll into town in round four.

Key player Sam Prendergast. Looks the future for Ireland. He is surrounded by other key players but could not look more comfortable walking among them. It’s as if Sexton were back.

Prospects Not quite as on it as France. Chances are they will lose one of their first four matches to finish second.

Italy

Coach Gonzalo Quesada

Captain Michele Lamaro

Two wins and a draw last season, two of those results secured away, and the whispers about Italy’s gathering prowess grow louder. True, those whispers are not fresh and they have been drowned out all too often by the next humiliation. A 50-point defeat by Argentina in November – along with a narrow win over Georgia and a comprehensive loss to the All Blacks – are but the latest reasons for pause. Despite their heroics last time round, Italy finished fifth.

This time they are still rated sixth by the bookies, which is a simple function of history, but not favourites for the wooden spoon, mainly because they are at home to Wales. For only the second time, they start the Six Nations not the bottom-ranked team (2013, if you’re asking, when Scotland were). A core from confident Benetton, leavened by a handful of players at major clubs in France and England. The whispers grow louder …

Key player Tommaso Menoncello. Won player of the tournament last season, with good reason. One of a wave of talented youngsters on the way through.

Prospects One year soon they will break out of the bottom two. Suspect it will be fifth for them again this time though.

Scotland

Coach Gregor Townsend

Co-captains Finn Russell, Rory Darge

Touch of the Italys about Scotland too when it comes to false dawns. The sights have been a little higher, but time and again hopeful whispers about this being the year have been confounded by a cold dash of reality. Or outlandish bad luck or rank injustice or further reasons to rail against the gods. But if it keeps happening you do start to wonder.

Sure enough, there we were, all set to talk them up again, when in the space of a couple of days they lost two key players for the whole tournament. The loss of Sione Tuipulotu, captain and heartbeat, to an injury in training was particularly harsh, but that of his Glasgow teammate Scott Cummings a day or two later could prove just as debilitating. Still, they start off with two home games, with particular focus reserved for the second when Ireland come calling. Ireland really have been Scotland’s nemesis throughout all those years of promise. If they are two from two after that, well, this could be the year.

Key player Jonny Gray. After a lengthy absence through injury, Scotland’s war horse, now with high-flying Bordeaux, returns in timely fashion, given Cummings’s loss.

Prospects It is all about getting off to a flyer. How sweet if Scotland were in contention come Paris in the final round. Third is likeliest.

Wales

Coach Warren Gatland

Captain Jac Morgan

For the first time, it is Wales who are the bottom-ranked team, staring at a 13th consecutive defeat. They start the campaign with two away fixtures, including Friday night’s opener in Paris against mighty France, Shaun Edwards et al. So that’s No 13 right there, all but the most wildly optimistic must be thinking. Round two in Rome is of desperate importance, because if they do not win that, next up is the visit of Ireland: 14, 15. Then it is up to oh-so-forgiving Murrayfield: 16. On the final weekend, there is respite at least in the form of a home fixture. But Wales-England is hardly an inconsequential event for a young team to discover themselves. On the plus side, Cardiff are doing OK in the URC, but they have mostly played fellow Welsh teams. And Taulupe Faletau, Liam Williams and Josh Adams, echoes of a more glorious past, return to the squad. But that squad is looking worryingly thin in places, not least in the front row and, shock, horror, at fly-half.

Key player Jac Morgan. Faletau returns, but the back row is an area of relative strength, where Morgan is standard bearer for the next generation, a real talent.

Prospects Could we really be looking at 17 defeats in a row? Alas, it seems likelier than not.