The Rugby Union Six Nations

Martin Johnson, now past his honeymoon period as England Rugby Union manager, is struggling to field a team of any great promise for the Six nations tournament which commences this weekend at Twickenham with an opening match against, thankfully, Wooden-Spoon contenders, Italy. Mind you, with the Italians reputedly having the best scrum in Europe and three games in Rome, it could be the Lions who find themselves at the bottom of the heap in three weeks time.

Many Rugby Union betting fans are now forecasting a Wales, Ireland and Scotland top three in the contest, with a sorry England and an inexperienced France fielding a weak front, trailing some way behind. Frank Hadden has done a remarkable job, north of the border and Scotland stand their best chance of a top-three finish in years. Wales, with two Grand Slams in their last four outings have a worthy claim but the Irish, long the bridesmaid and never the bride, are better positioned than at any other time in memory to grab the honours this year.

With injury excluding Toby Flood and others, plus Danny Cipriani’s ignominious but deserved demotion, Martin Johnson has had to redefine the notion of a winning side and put together a team which can dictate the pace of the game and give space for his heavyweight side to counter the speed of their rivals. Six nations betting enthusiasts take note – this is a defensive team and it will be a miracle if they break into the top three this year.