One of the keys to a strong Six Nations challenge has always been to get off to a good start, with only three teams having lost their opening match and gone on to claim the championship.
The 2022 edition of the tournament will be no different, adding a bit of extra spice to what is already one of the most eagerly anticipated weekends of rugby all year.
Defending champions Wales have the honour of bringing up the curtain on this year’s Six Nations when they travel to Ireland on Saturday, while Scotland and England contest the Calcutta Cup later in the day.
Round one wraps up with 7/5 title favourite France playing host to whipping boys Italy on Sunday.
Ireland to Lay Down Title Marker
Ireland are strongly fancied to challenge for their fourth Six Nations title in nine years after an excellent end to 2021.
Andy Farrell’s men have won their last eight matches, a run that includes an impressive victory over New Zealand in the autumn and appear to have put their previous try-scoring problems behind them.
Irish regions have been flying in the European Champions Cup and so the vast majority of the squad enter the Six Nations in excellent form, forcing Farrell to make some tough selection decisions.
The likes of Cian Healy, James Hume and Ryan Baird have all been forced to settle for places on the bench, while wing Mack Hansen wins his first cap – one of two changes to the team that beat the All Blacks.
It’s an impressive Ireland XV, supported by some very capable replacements, and their potential superiority is reflected in them being made 14.5-point favourites on the handicap to defeat Wales.
Bench Strength a Wales Worry
Despite a myriad of injury issues, the Welsh have managed to name a strong team featuring 13 of the 15 players who began the Autumn International win over Australia.
The lack of strength in depth begins to show on the bench for Wayne Pivac’s men and they’ll do well to avoid an eighth defeat in their last 11 Six Nations games in Ireland.
A home win by more than 13 points has been the most common outcome in previous clashes in the Irish capital and could cash again at 20/31 with Ireland expected to pull away late on.
Scots Desperate to Prove Credentials
Scotland may have finished fourth in last year’s Six Nations, but that failed to reflect a strong campaign that saw them score their highest number of tries and record wins in London and Paris.
A good set of results in the autumn has raised confidence levels further within the camp and they are now targeting the best possible start to a Six Nations by beating old rivals England again.
Gregor Townsend has settled upon a strong XV, led by Finn Russell, skipper Stuart Hogg and last year’s top tournament tryscorer Duhan van der Merwe.
Jones Bold With New Line-up
The same can’t be said for his opposite number Eddie Jones, who has jettisoned several members of the squad that finished fifth in the 2021 Six Nations.
Regular skipper Owen Farrell is also missing through injury, giving opportunities to the likes of Marcus Smith, Max Mallins and Joe Marchant.
Tom Curry will captain the side – the youngest skipper since Will Carling – and while it’s a talented bunch, it’s tough to know what to expect from so many players yet to be tested away from Twickenham.
Scotland are 2.5-point underdogs and are certainly worth supporting with that start at 50/59 given the lack of experience in the England ranks, while an outright win for the hosts at what is forecast to be a wet and windy Murrayfield is 6/5.
Italy no Match for Les Bleus
It’s been seven years since Italy last won a Six Nations game and there’s little sign of them turning the corner anytime soon.
A narrow victory over Uruguay in the autumn ended a 16-game losing run in all competitions and coach Kieran Crowley has a huge job on his hands just to quell discussion over the possible relegation of the Azzurri from the Six Nations.
A trip to France is the last thing Crowley needs with Les Bleus having put New Zealand to the sword in their last game. With momentum behind them and three matches at home this year, including games against Ireland and England, the French look set up to end a 12-year wait for a Six Nations title.
A home game with Italy will be the perfect opportunity to get some of their undercooked players up to speed with Antone Dupont having only played once in the last month, while Covid hit the camp in the build-up to the tournament.
France have won all 11 home Six Nations games with Italy, but have covered the pre-match handicap just twice in that time.
The handicap is set at 34.5 points for Sunday’s encounter and rather than take that option at 25/27, backing France to win by 21-25 points at 29/4 or 26-30 points at 25/4 may prove to offer more value.
*All odds correct at time of writing