Six Nations now a test site for new regulations

They keep messing around with the jewel in the European crown. They move it back in the season, they scatter kick-off times, they move games to Sundays (and England even denied terrestrial television live games at Twickenham), they're talking about compressing it into a seven-week period and perhaps even moving it to later in the year in conjunction with the TriNations in the Southern Hemisphere. Now they're at it again.

During the World Cup sevens in Argentina two weeks ago, the International Board summoned the 10 referees in charge of this season's Six Nations championship and issued guidelines which could greatly alter the tenor of the matches. A whole two weeks. Nothing like a bit of advance planning, eh?

In an effort to allow more players to partake in rucks while at the same time speeding up ruck ball for the ripple effect to generate more space further out, the board want supporting ruckers to stay on their feet, and for the referees to be far more vigilant in penalising them for going to ground or "bridging".

At the same time, though, the IB want referees to be stricter in penalising tacklers who don't make a greater effort to roll away from the ball. Confused? We all most certainly will be.

As for the competition itself, pundits and bookies alike have once more cast the established pecking order in stone, yet we forget the wonderful propensity for surprise which the Six Nations has had. Two seasons ago, it began with the fastest international try of all time by John Leslie after nine seconds and concluded with Wales denying England an anticipated Grand Slam at Wembley with a Scott Gibbs try and a Neil Jenkins conversion in injury-time. The nett result was that from wooden spoonists France (who had won back-to-back Grand Slams) to the top of the table, each team had beaten the team immediately above them. Go figure.

Last season's championship began with Italy beating Scotland on the opening day as 4 to 1 outsiders, and concluded with Scotland as 10 to 1 underdogs denying England another Grand Slam.

Those last-day heartbreakers must be gnawing at England. But they laid a few big-occasion ghosts in recent times, beating the Springboks in Bloemfontein, matching that at Twickenham and then toppling Australia to come into today's opener away to Wales on a run of four wins. You can only learn from mixing it with the best, and no European country has met Southern Hemisphere opponents more (16 times) in the last four seasons.

It leaves England with the least obvious weaknesses or mental question marks, as they have a bruising tight five, a well-balanced back-row of Hill, Dallaglio and Back, a top-class goalkicker, a creative midfield and pace out wide, but most of all the most ruthless, unyielding and organised defence.

As usual, Wales are buoyantly cock-a-hoop. But the European Cup quarter-finals pinpricked their inflated optimism, and they no longer have their main creative force in Shane Howarth at full back (which is suddenly a problem position).

England could unexpectedly lose at Lansdowne Road on March 24th, but a win at the Millennium Stadium today would most likely see them unbeaten until the crunch game with France on the last weekend of the competition.

France also come into the championship on the back of good results. In the triseries with the three Southern Hemisphere powers they were competitive in all of the matches, and concluded with a fine win over the All Blacks in Marseilles.

France's defence has improved immeasurably and coach Bernard Laporte has finally begun to use his former Stade Francais proteges. The pragmatic coaching of John Connolly at the much-improved Parisian outfit, who now use more homegrown players, could well have beneficial spin-offs for the national side.

The trip to Dublin in round two looks like France's only potential banana skin before the Twickenham finale.

So a re-assertion of the old Anglo-French hegemony again looks the likeliest outcome, which leaves the three Celtic countries in a mighty scrap for third place. But the Celtic teams have been characteristically unpredictable and mercurial in recent years.

Scotland will just about pull together enough players of class for Ian McGeechan to attempt his silk purse from sow's ear trick, but with the major proviso that key players avoid loss of form and injury.

As results and European Cup fare have shown, Wales and Ireland can absorb those hits better. On their day, their back divisions can be the best in the championship and their clash in Cardiff could be one of the highlights of the campaign as well as deciding the Celtic pecking order.

Though Ireland were third last season, this year's cycle is less favourable. France haven't been beaten at Lansdowne Road since 1983, nor England there since 1993. We haven't beaten Scotland away since 1985. The bookies probably called it right in making two wins marginally favoured over three. Three wins would make it a good campaign and the most consistent back-to-back Irish performances in almost two decades.

It being a Lions year will add to the intrigue, and individual performances will be scrutinised intensely. Preparation and fitness levels will thus go up another notch, though motivation levels won't improve. They never need to.

We are blessed with the most varied, entertaining and exciting rugby competition on the planet. Rugby to win out.