Italian job can give us the perfect launch pad
Traditionally, the opening weekend of action is never great, as teams seem terrified of losing that all-important first encounter as opposed to grasping the nettle and going out with a positive attitude. Momentum is a word you will be hearing a lot about over the course of the tournament, as the Six Nations is all about trying to build it, especially over the opening two weekends.
On the eve of this championship, injuries have dominated every squad, highlighting even more forcibly just how physical the game has become in recent times. Rounds five and six of the Heineken Cup seem to have taken a serious toll on all the international squads which suggests that the country with the greatest playing resources are at a distinct advantage, perhaps an early pointer towards the gifted but unpredictable French.
