5 Bold Predictions for Week 1 of 2016 RBS 6 Nations

The grand old championship is upon us once more, with new faces in charge both on and off the field for England and France, while Ireland start a new era without one of their all-time greats.

The Six Nations climaxed in a breathless finale in 2015 and sent the northern hemisphere sides into the World Cup with confidence they could cut loose when the occasion required and score tries for fun.

But when it came to the big show, the best teams in Europe got nowhere near the main prize, each of them turned back by southern hemisphere opposition no later than the quarter-finals.

And so we will be watching a tournament full of sides with plenty of ground to make up on the best in the world.

Here's where the storylines will come from in week one.

1. Scotland to Beat England

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Scotland appeared to take a giant leap forward in the World Cup despite their defeat to Australia in the last eight.

Vern Cotter’s men were left seething with what they saw as the injustice of that defeat, but as they went home, they did so a side transformed in the eyes of those who watched their progress, as Eddie Butler opined in the Guardian.

They now face England, a side still getting to know their new coach and still recovering from that disaster in the autumn.

The Scots will be itching to pick up where they left off and will see an England side being rebuilt as a team there for the taking. And take them they will.

2.George North to Cut Loose

Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images

We learned on Tuesday that George North is frustrated with his lot at Northampton.

The Wales wing told WalesOnline he was fed up with carrying the ball into a wall and is looking forward to having more space to "open the taps" when he dons the red of Wales for their visit to Dublin on Sunday.

The Lion has certainly not looked as devastating in club colours and has revealed why that is with this candid interview as he limbers up for a return to international action.

So perhaps we will see the old George North on Sunday, running rampant over defenders and galloping through the open spaces.

Ireland may have other ideas.

3. Ireland's Pack to Struggle

MARTIN BUREAU/Getty Images

The post-Paul O'Connell era really started in Cardiff in the autumn, when Argentina ripped Ireland to pieces as the injured captain watched on from the sidelines.

The former Munster talisman is now rehabilitating his hamstring in Toulon, and Joe Schmidt has had to rebuild his pack without that weight of experience and also with a lack of game time for first-choice props Cian Healy and Mike Ross. Peter O'Mahony also misses this game and the entire tournament.

Ireland's reliable platform up front may not be as trustworthy as it used to be until the new blend has had more time together, and Wales could sniff this as an opportunity to dominate them up front.

4. Vakatawa to Arrive in Style

New French coach Guy Noves has ushered in a host of new names to his first squad, among them Fijian-born wing Virimi Vakatawa.

The wide man has made his name with some explosive displays for France on the sevens circuit, and the visit of Italy to the Stade de France may just be the occasion for the exciting 23-year-old to cut his full international teeth.

If he gets half a chance, he will tear Italy apart.

5. Hartley's Temper to Be Tested

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

It is bound to come.

There will be at least one moment at Murrayfield in which someone gets in Dylan Hartley's face or holds him into a ruck ever so slightly too long.

It will flash through the hooker's mind to lash out with a stray boot or elbow, and in those moments we will learn whether or not the weight of the England captaincy will keep the Northampton man's temper in check.

This column's bold prediction is that he will past any such test on the field. As for any further questions about his disciplinary record in post-match press conferences, they may just light his fuse.