Can anyone stop France in the Six Nations?

Winter’s almost done and spring’s on the way. We can tell because the Six Nations is about to muscle into view – with the battle of the world’s best national anthems as Wales meet France at the Stade de France on Friday evening. This year’s tournament could be even better than last year’s, but we always say that – and if France live up to some of the rhapsodic predictions the whole thing could go flat as a wet weekend in Calais as Les Bleus romp to a runaway victory. Some pundits have been advising the other five nations to send out for white flags ready to run up the flagpoles. If the French don’t win the Championship at a canter, there’ll be some pursed lips around the pastis.

With the rugby royalty of the astonishing Toulouse side – from backs Thomas Ramos, Romain Ntamack and Antoine Dupont, still the best player in the world, to Thibaud Flament in the scrum – making up the bulk of the French national team, it is hard to see anyone stopping them. Toulouse put 80 points past Leicester Tigers the other day in a mesmerising performance that made poor Julian Montoya, the doughty Leicester captain, apologise to Tigers fans. Wales may well win the national anthem pre-match contest by a short head, simply because they know that from then on it’s almost certainly going to be a tin-hat job manning the trenches. As things stand, Wales’s best shot looks like being able to finish fifth in the table ahead of Italy.

England have a tricky opening trio of matches, against Ireland, France and the endlessly enterprising Scotland XV, in that order. Clean-living Maro Itoje has at last been appointed captain.