5 Bold Predictions for the 2016 RBS 6 Nations

Sports are notoriously unpredictable, and surprising results are almost guaranteed in every major tournament. With this in mind, here are 5 bold predictions for the 2016 6 Nations

1. Scotland will upset England to claim the Calcutta Cup:

Last year, this would’ve been a ludicrous prediction, but since then, things have changed dramatically. Firstly, Scotland look like a different team. They appear more motivated, and scrum half Greig Laidlaw is clicking much better alongside young Finn Russell. The addition of WP Nel has drastically improved the Scottish set piece, which has allowed them to unleash their young weapons in Mark Bennett and Stuart Hogg. England on the other hand struggled mightily throughout the World Cup, and under new head coach Eddie Jones have seen major changes made to their squad selection. This typically leads to a change in gameplan, which usually results in a slow start. Its also worth mentioning that England will need to travel to Murrayfield, and with Scottish hopes high at the start of the tournament, winning there will be no easy feat. Scotland have all the momentum here, and are rapidly growing into a really dangerous side. While England may be the better team on paper, an inspired Scotland performance may actually catch them off guard and allow the Scots to claim a major upset.

2. Ireland will not win the title:

Ireland have been racked with injuries this season, and these injuries have culminated in some of their most important players. Up North in Ulster, Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, and Dan Tuohy have all been felled. Out west in Galway, Connacht have been without Robbie Henshaw for some time and he has not played since his recovery. In the south, Tommy O’Donnell has only just recovered from his hip injury, and although Keith Earls did go down, his play against Stade says that he should be alright. In the capital, Cian Healy, Jack Conan, and veteran tighthead Mike Ross are all out with injuries. This is a massive list of casualties, and when you throw in the mediocre form of Jonathan Sexton this season, you begin to see that Ireland’s 6 Nations masterplan may have to change .

With games against England in London and France in Paris, all the ingredients are there for Ireland to struggle in this tournament.

3. Wales will win a Grand Slam:

This is a very bold prediction indeed, but I don’t think it is ridiculous. As I have mentioned, Ireland are struggling with injuries, England and France may have to deal with a transition year as they get used to a new coach and playing style, and Wales have the talent and coaching to beat Scotland and Italy. With Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts healthy, the Welsh have a fearsome center pairing, and their backrow is one of the best in the world. With their scrum now sorted thanks to Samson Lee and Scott Baldwin, Wales should be able to put up a much bigger fight against England, and no one can doubt the quality of their player pool. Perhaps most crucially, Wales have an experienced side, many of whom have won a 6 Nations championship before, which means they know how to win these games. With leaders like Alun Wyn-Jones and Gethin Jenkins in the side, this Welsh team has what it takes to repeat the feat they achieved in 2012.

4. Stuart Hogg will be the leading try scorer:

Anthony Watson would be another good choice here, but I’ve chosen to go with Hogg because he remains Scotland’s best attacking weapon. Last season, Hogg clearly announced himself as one of the world’s best, and now I expect that Vern Cotter will be looking to use him in attack whenever possible. With Mark Bennett and Finn Russell inside him to create space, any player with the pace and footwork of Hogg will thrive, and the Scottish fullback should do just that. Hogg was a lion at 20 years old, and he will want to make sure that he is a Lion again in 2017, and there would be no better way to start towards that end than a dominant 2016.

5. Guy Noves will return France to their old ways:

One of the biggest slights against French coach Phillipe Saint Andre was that he forced France to play a boring, suffocating style. Now, with Guy Noves as coach, I suspect that this will change. You only have to look at the way Toulouse played in Europe for years, as well as Noves’s selections for this tournament to understand why. Toulouse loved to play smooth, elegant rugby for years, and their soft hands and beautiful offloading lead them to 4 Heineken Cup titles. Noves will no doubt bring a similar mindset to the French team. Additionally, dropping Mathieu Bastareaud in favor of the more skilled Jonathan Danty, and the exclusion of Camille Lopez and Sebastien Tillous-Borde seems to indicate that France will be playing a much quicker attacking game.