{"id":15929,"date":"2017-01-27T12:11:36","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T12:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=15929"},"modified":"2017-01-27T12:11:36","modified_gmt":"2017-01-27T12:11:36","slug":"wales-chances-rate-six-nations-challengers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2017\/01\/27\/wales-chances-rate-six-nations-challengers\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Wales&#039; chances? We rate the Six Nations challengers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>England<\/b><br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15931\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15931\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15931\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Reigning champions England will be looking for another Grand Slam under Eddie Jones and Dylan Hartley \u00a9 Jumpy News\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-770x576.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-500x374.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-293x219.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie.jpg 1027w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15931\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Reigning champions England will be looking for another Grand Slam under Eddie Jones and Dylan Hartley \u00a9 Jumpy News\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-770x576.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-500x374.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie-293x219.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Dylie-Eddie.jpg 1027w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript> <strong>England looking for another Grand Slam under Dylan Hartley and Eddie Jones<\/strong> \u00a9 Jumpy News<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\nAFTER\u00a0an unbeaten 2016, during which they recorded 13 straight victories under the tutelage of the venerable Eddie Jones, England have an air of invincibility which makes them strong favourites for a second consecutive Grand Slam.\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But a raft of injuries over the winter has ravaged the squad leaving them short in several key areas. Jones\u2019 use of his wider squad will be vital to England\u2019s chances.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three home games gives them a good chance of another title, but away trips to Cardiff and Dublin (on the last day of the Championships) could put the Grand Slam beyond them. <\/span><br \/>\n<b>Prediction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1st<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Key Player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maro Itoje<\/span><b> \u00a0<\/b><br \/>\n<b>France<\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">FRANCE\u00a0had a positive autumn series and showed signs that their famous flair could be returning after several years of unimaginative dross under Philippe Saint-Andre.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guy Nov\u00e8s\u2019 squad is full of big, strong men playing fast and loose rugby and if any side lets them get into a rhythm, their huge pack and skilful Fijian wingers will have a field day. Losing the excellent centre Wesley Fofana, though, is a big blow.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s a little early for France to be targeting the title, especially with trips to Ireland and England, but there should be an improvement on previous years. Home games against Wales and Scotland will be vital if they are to make the top half. <\/span><br \/>\n<b>Prediction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">5th<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Key Player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0Louis Picamoles<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Ireland<\/b><br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15932\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15932\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15932\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Ireland coach Joe Schmidt will be looking to oust England to claim the title \u00a9 Jumpy News \" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-770x576.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-500x374.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-293x219.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt.jpg 1027w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15932\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15932\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Ireland coach Joe Schmidt will be looking to oust England to claim the title \u00a9 Jumpy News \" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-770x576.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-500x374.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt-293x219.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/Joe-Schmidt.jpg 1027w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript> <strong>Ireland coach Joe Schmidt looking to oust England to claim the title<\/strong> \u00a9 Jumpy News<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">FRESH\u00a0off the back of an autumn victory over the All Blacks, Ireland are the team best placed to challenge England for the Six Nations crown. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Irish provinces have been flying\u00a0in the Pro12 this season and their squad is packed with talent. Many of the names in the squad will end up on the Lions tour this summer, which will undoubtedly include the scrum\/fly-half pairing of Conor Murray and Jonny Sexton.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ireland have three away trips to encounter this season, but crucially face favourites England at home in the final match of the tournament. It could be a Grand Slam decider and Ireland have the ability to pull it off. <\/span><br \/>\n<b>Prediction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2nd<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Key Player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0Conor Murray<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Italy<\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ITALY\u00a0made a good coaching appointment after the last Six Nations, bringing in ex-Harlequins boss Conor O\u2019Shea, who lead them to a first ever win over South Africa in his first autumn campaign.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sadly for the Azzurri, both Scotland and France, their closest rivals at the bottom of the table in recent years, have both made big improvements,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and avoiding the wooden spoon looks to be a huge ask.\u00a0<\/span>Still, Italy will target wins in Rome against Wales, Ireland and France. If they can repeat the type of performance which ousted South Africa, they could spring a surprise.<br \/>\n<b>Prediction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">6th<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Key Player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sergio Parisse<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Scotland<\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OTHER\u00a0than England, no nation has progressed as much as Scotland since the 2015 World Cup, and Vern Cotter\u2019s men will be looking to improve on their fourth place finish from last year\u2019s tournament.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scotland developed a reputation over the last decade as a try-shy team, but that has all changed now. They have the most enviable group of centres in the Northern Hemisphere and one of most exciting backs in the sport in Stuart Hogg.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Home games against Wales and Italy are an enticing prospect, as is a mouthwatering trip to France, but much of their chances will depend on their opener against Ireland. Win that, and it could be a special tournament for the Scots.<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Prediction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">3rd<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Key player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stuart Hogg <\/span><br \/>\n<b>Wales<\/b><br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15930\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15930\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15930\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Captain Alun Wyn Jones stands next to the trophy \u00a9 Jumpy News\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-770x576.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-500x374.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-293x219.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ.jpg 1027w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15930\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15930\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Captain Alun Wyn Jones stands next to the trophy \u00a9 Jumpy News\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-770x576.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-500x374.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ-293x219.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ.jpg 1027w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript> Captain Alun Wyn Jones stands next to the trophy \u00a9 Jumpy News<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">FOLLOWING\u00a0a strange autumn in which Wales won three out of four matches but failed to convince on the pitch, Rob Howley (filling in as head coach for Warren Gatland) faces a difficult task to get the nation back onside.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gatland\u2019s Wales have faced criticism for failing to move with the times, but a squad with seven uncapped players suggests the will to change is there from the coaching staff. Wales\u2019 success could well depend on whether these in-form names can break into the first XV.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The fixture list is tough; trips to Scotland and France are increasingly daunting prospects, as are home games against favourites Ireland and England. The squad has the talent to pick up results, but it could be a difficult campaign. <\/span><br \/>\n<b>Prediction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">4th<\/span><br \/>\n<b>Key Player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Justin Tipuric<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>England AFTER\u00a0an unbeaten 2016, during which they recorded 13 straight victories under the tutelage of the venerable Eddie Jones, England have an air of invincibility which makes them strong favourites for a second consecutive Grand Slam.\u00a0But a raft of injuries over the winter has ravaged the squad leaving them short in several key areas. Jones\u2019 use of his wider squad will be vital to England\u2019s chances.\u00a0Three home games gives them a good chance of another title, but away trips to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":248,"featured_media":15930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,151,4],"tags":[152,1642,180,1644,154,985,328,242,339],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-15929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-lead","category-rugby","category-sport","tag-italy","tag-england","tag-france","tag-ireland","tag-rugby-2","tag-scotland","tag-six-nations","tag-six-nations-championship","tag-wales"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What are Wales&#039; chances? We rate the Six Nations challengers - The Cardiffian<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2017\/01\/27\/wales-chances-rate-six-nations-challengers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What are Wales&#039; chances? We rate the Six Nations challengers - The Cardiffian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"England AFTER\u00a0an unbeaten 2016, during which they recorded 13 straight victories under the tutelage of the venerable Eddie Jones, England have an air of invincibility which makes them strong favourites for a second consecutive Grand Slam.\u00a0But a raft of injuries over the winter has ravaged the squad leaving them short in several key areas. Jones\u2019 use of his wider squad will be vital to England\u2019s chances.\u00a0Three home games gives them a good chance of another title, but away trips to [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2017\/01\/27\/wales-chances-rate-six-nations-challengers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Cardiffian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-01-27T12:11:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/01\/AWJ.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1027\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cathyduncan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@cathyduncan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cathyduncan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2017\/01\/27\/wales-chances-rate-six-nations-challengers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2017\/01\/27\/wales-chances-rate-six-nations-challengers\/\",\"name\":\"What are Wales&#039; chances? 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