Holders Wales under 'new headmaster' in Wayne Pivac; England the bookies' favourites; tough task for Farrell and Ireland
Saturday 1 February 2020 12:48, UK
The Six Nations returns on Saturday as defending champions Wales host Italy and Ireland welcome Scotland to Dublin, while on Sunday, France play England in Paris.
Wales are seeking a defence of their crown under new management, England will want to bounce back from Rugby World Cup heartbreak, Ireland need to get back on track, Scotland seek a first title since 1999, France start yet another new era, and Italy will target a scalp or two.
Have your say on how the 2020 table will end with our rankings list below and read how each camp is faring ahead of the Six Nations Championship's big kick-off...
It's a case of new school term, new headmaster appointed for defending Grand Slam champions Wales. Warren Gatland's 12-year tenure as head coach has come to an end. How will Wayne Pivac fare?
Whenever there's change, there's always a sense of stepping into the unknown. Take Alun Wyn Jones for example. The Welsh captain has been capped 134 times by Wales. He's the most-capped Welshman of all-time but life under Gatland is all he's been used to. It's a fresh challenge for Jones & co.
Read Wales' full tournament preview HERE.
It is almost three months since the World Cup final in Japan - a tournament where England produced a remarkable display to beat favourites New Zealand in the semi-finals, only to capitulate a week later when they were beaten by South Africa.
The 2020 Six Nations is a chance for England to get back on the horse, so to speak, a chance to show us the All Blacks display was not a one off and England are - as head coach Eddie Jones predicts - capable of being the best team ever.
Despite last winning the Six Nations title back in 2017, England are the bookies' favourites to win this year's title.
Read England's full tournament preview HERE.
As Ireland look to recover from a poor 2019, what will new head coach Andy Farrell be able to achieve?
Two years on from a Grand Slam success, a year on from a poor Six Nations campaign and over three months from yet another Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit, Farrell faces a tough task in the post-Joe Schmidt era.
Read Ireland's full tournament preview HERE.
Off the back of a very disappointing Rugby World Cup showing, can Gregor Townsend get Scotland back to form in 2020?
Last year's Championship was one of great hope for Scotland before the tournament started, but ultimately proved one of negatives. While this year, off-the field issues has seen playmaker Finn Russell depart before a ball has been kicked.
Read Scotland's full tournament preview HERE.
It's a completely new France that will host England in their Six Nations opener at the Stade de France on February 2 - Les Bleus have come into 2020 almost unrecognisable from the side that was dumped out of last year's World Cup at the quarter-final stage thanks to a red card shown to Sebastien Vahaamahina.
With a revamped squad led by a new coach and captain, there is even more mystery than ever when it comes to one of rugby's oldest questions: Which France will pitch up this time?
Read France's full tournament preview HERE.
The Five Nations became the Six Nations 20 years ago to accommodate Italy - how are the Azzurri expected to fare in 2020?
Italy's first match in the tournament was in Rome on February 5, 2000. Playing against the defending champions Scotland, Italy got off to the perfect start with a 34-20 victory courtesy of 29 points from the boot of Diego Dominguez and a try from replacement prop Giampiero de Carli.
It's been tough going for Italy since then, however, as they have struggled to make much of an impact on the global stage. With a new captain and new coach in charge, could this be the start of a more fruitful era for Italy?
