In terms of quality the 2023 Guinness Six Nations will do well to match last season's tournament. It's one of the world's great sporting spectacles with all the local rivalry that's been bubbling away for centuries spilling over on the great rugby venues of Europe. Yet let's be honest. The Southern Hemisphere's Rugby Championship has been where the quality is with all the Rugby World Cup winners bar England in 2003 coming from what has long been regarded as rugby's beautiful south.
However, the two best teams on the planet in 2022 were both Guinness Six Nations protagonists. France won a Grand Slam and went unbeaten through the calendar year. Ireland won a series in New Zealand and a Triple Crown. Yes, it was a vintage Guinness Six Nations but there was a division rarely seen between the world's best two sides and the rest.
England were down in the dumps with Scotland and a 40% win record. Even their great rivals, Wales, losing to Italy in Cardiff, was little to no consolation. It was the beginning of an end for Eddie Jones which became all but inevitable when Argentina won at Twickenham in November.
Good luck to Australia and Eddie, even more well wishes to the new England boss Steve Borthwick and his Leicester defence coach, the inspirational Kevin Sinfield. Borthwick was always favourite to replace Jones when the change was made. It just happened to occur before and not after the Rugby World Cup. Not that you'll hear too much about the great global gathering in France. That's not his style.
He's ticking the days off ahead of a critical game against a Scotland team who have developed the habit of beating England before falling away. The former England skipper isn't one for the fancy stuff. He will see his first key job (apart from the obvious matter of getting selection right) as improving the set piece. And beating Scotland.
Scrum and line out is a traditional strength of the English game. It struggled last season, making it hard for England to build a sequence of performances and, without consistency, results. Borthwick meanwhile restored Leicester to their old set piece ways and turned them from strugglers to champions. It was a very English rugby revolution.
But that is not to say he is averse to attacking rugby. His decision to appoint Harlequins coach and former All Black, Nick Evans, is a bold move. Under Evans, England will get their attack going sooner than some think possible. To achieve this transformation the speed of ball from the breakdown has to be quicker. That is the essence of Harlequins.
The jigsaw puzzle requires solid set pieces, an ability to breach the gain line, recycle quick possession and do the basics – like passing and running angles – well. England has a coach who understands the need for these basics. The fact he has men like Evans to constantly question strategy and selection is good news as well. It has to rub off on the players too. There has been a dearth of decision making on the field.
Owen Farrell, superb for Saracens this season, is captain. It is an interesting decision on the part of Borthwick because that club form has not translated into international form for some time (taking into account his injuries). Marcus Smith knows the Evans template inside out. Logic says Farrell starts and Smith comes off the bench when the game breaks open. Last season Smith started and was finding some form in Scotland when Jones substituted him. It wasn't one of the manager's best decisions in what wasn't one of his better years. 10/12 is key.
Overall, there's a fresh sense of optimism. The squad for the Guinness Six Nations is – give or take the odd decision – pretty much the one I wanted; there's never total agreement. I'm glad to see Dan Cole back in the squad. He may be 35 but he has been as good as any English tight heads for years. He was made a scapegoat for the World Cup final. He has served his time. On the front row flip side, Gloucester's Val Rapava-Ruskin must consider himself unlucky not to make the squad but in a squad the size of England's the odd disagreement is guaranteed.
Behind the scrum Ollie Lawrence is a late call up to replace the concussed Elliot Daly. He could (and might yet) – be fashioned into the man who breaks the gain line. It's a shame he wasn't included. However, some old established names have been omitted on form, Jonny May has shown little spark for club and country while Exeter's Jack Nowell, for all his commitment, lacks cutting edge. Into the squad come a pair of youngsters in Ollie Hassell-Collins and Caden Murley, two hugely promising and predatory wingers. It's sad to see Daly concussed after his initial recall. He can play winger, full back or outside centre. Can Evans reinvent him at a later date as a bit of all three?
After Scotland, Italy make their way to Twickenham. South Africa hammered them in November but their victories in Cardiff and a first ever win against the Wallabies in Florence were no flukes. Their backs play some delightful attacking rugby. If an away win at Twickenham is stretching credibility, it is fair to state they have it in them to make Sunday, 12 February a thrilling afternoon of test rugby.
Two victories to start leaves them in a great position. Ireland away is a game where England are not expected to win while Wales and Warren Gatland will be preparing a typically Welsh welcome across the Severn.
Which brings us back to Twickenham and France for England's finale. France have already lost key men like Jonathon Danty and Cameron Woki to injury but have tremendous strength in depth and one of the great players in Antoine Dupont. Even an English fan can enjoy his brilliance. Victory is not quite as tall an order as Ireland in Dublin but England will need their best performance of the Guinness Six Nations to beat their Gallic foe.
It could be close. England are expected (by me, anyway) to close the gap with the Big Two but Scotland and Wales are fixtures fraught with threats. Three wins would be an achievement, four outstanding and a Grand Slam one of the great English efforts given the strength of France and Ireland.
It's hard to predict the results; what can be predicted is a better structured and more ambitious England and that will do for starters.
