SIX NATIONS

Will Eddie Jones manage what his six predecessors in the England hot-seat did, and avoid defeat in his first match in charge? Can Italy lay a 19-year Paris bogey to rest with victory against France? Will Ireland hit the ground running like they always seem to do?

Here's our whistle-stop guide to the weekend's big fixtures in Europe.

FRANCE v ITALY

The opening fixture of the latest edition of the Six Nations is in Paris for the first time since 2012, where Italy will be looking to beat France in their own backyard for the first time in almost 19 years, and upset Guy Noves’s first match in charge of Les Bleus. The history books suggest the Azzurri will be disappointed. Since the sides first met in 1935, France have won 64, Italy four and there has been one draw in matches where caps were awarded by at least one of the nations.

Both teams include four debutants in their starting XVs. For France, Guy Noves hands maiden starts to sevens star Virimi Vakatawa, centre Jonathan Danty and scrum-half Sebastien Bezy. While in the pack, second-row Paul Jedrasiak will make his debut at the Stade de France this weekend. David Odiete, Mattia Bellini, Andrea Lovotti and Ornel Gega are the Italian newcomers. In addition, Carlo Canna makes his championship debut at fly-half.

QUICK TAP

  • Italy’s 29-0 home defeat to France in 2015 was the second time they had been nilled in the competition. France inflicted their other ‘whitewash’, in Paris in 2004.
  • Italy’s only victory over France on French soil was 40-32 at Grenoble in the final of the FIRA Championship in 1997. 
  • France have a 54 per cent win ratio in the history of the Championship

RANKINGS READY RECKONER

With France unable to improve their rating point tally with victory over Italy, Les Bleus need Scotland to beat England to cling on to seventh place in the World Rugby Rankings. Even if Italy spring a surprise and beat France this weekend, they cannot be ranked any higher than their current position of 12th.

SCOTLAND v ENGLAND

"Did you know?"

An England coach hasn’t lost his first test match since Geoff Cooke’s team were edged 10-9 by France at the Parcs des Princes in 1988

The oldest rugby international, where the sides first met at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh in 1871. England have won 73 matches to Scotland’s 42 with 18 draws.

Not for the first time in recent years a new England coach has a baptism of fire up at Murrayfield. Stuart Lancaster got his tenure off to a winning start in the Scottish cauldron back in 2012. Scotland also provided Brian Ashton with his first opposition in the 2007 Six Nations, this time at Twickenham, and England ran out 42-20 winners.

An England coach hasn’t lost his first test match since Geoff Cooke’s team were edged 10-9 by France at the Parcs des Princes in 1988. Lancaster was caretaker when England lost to the Barbarians in May 2011 but the game wasn’t a capped international. Other than Lancaster and Ashton, Martin Johnson, Andy Robinson, Jack Rowell and Dick Best kicked off with wins and Clive Woodward began with a 15-15 draw away to Australia.

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  • Scotland have only once before begun a Six Nations campaign with victory in round one: 20-16 over France at Murrayfield in 2006.
  • England’s record in the past five Six Nations tournaments has been identical with four wins and a defeat each season, winning the title in 2011 but being runners-up for the past four seasons.
  • England have not conceded a try at Murrayfield for 424 minutes since Simon Danielli crossed in 2004.  
  • Scotland have only scored six tries in the last 10 Calcutta Cup fixtures

RANKINGS READY RECKONER

An England win combined with an away win for Wales in Dublin would see England jump two places to sixth. Scotland could go as high as seventh if they win by more than 15 points and France fail to beat Italy, but any margin of defeat would see them drop to 11th place. A loss by more than 15 points could also be costly for England as - unless France lose - they will slip to their lowest ever ranking of ninth.

"Did you know?"

Ireland have only failed to score a try once against Wales in the Six Nations (in 2008)

IRELAND v WALES

Sunday sees Ireland begin the defence of the Six Nations trophy that they have held onto since 2014 with Warren Gatland’s Wales out to spoil the party in Dublin. The sides first met in 1882. Wales have the better head-to-head record with 67 wins, Ireland have won 50 and there have been six draws.

Tom James starts his first game for Wales for six years after being selected on the wing.

QUICK TAP

  • When he was Ireland head coach, between 1998-2001, Warren Gatland won two of his three matches in charge against Wales.
  • Ireland have won their last five matches at Aviva Stadium in the Six Nations since drawing there 13-13 with France 2013. Their only defeat in the Championship at the venue since the opening round of 2012 was to England in 2013. 
  • The sides have contrasting records on the opening weekend. Ireland have lost only once in round one since 2004: to Wales at the Aviva Stadium in 2012. Whereas Wales have begun the Six Nations with an opening weekend defeat in four of the last six years.
  • Ireland have only failed to score a try once against Wales in the Six Nations (in 2008)

RANKINGS READY RECKONER

A winning margin of more than 15 points would see Ireland climb above Wales into fifth place with Argentina also rising one place. Should Wales win by as many, it would still leave them more than three points adrift of their RWC 2015 quarter-final conquerors South Africa in third place. 

EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP DIVISION 1A

In the European Nations Cup, can Germany turn the form book upside down by beating the seemingly invincible Georgia? Will Spain reign in Russia? And how will Romania fare at home to Portugal? You can watch all the action live on www.rugbyeurope.tv

RUSSIA v SPAIN

Spain have their hearts set on finishing the European Nations Cup Division 1A in second place for only the second time in their history. The Bears go into the competition with renewed confidence after the encouraging performances of Enisei-STM in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

The two first met in 1994 and Russia have 14 wins to Spain’s three. A closely-fought clash could be on the cards as the four matches before last year’s 43-20 win for Spain ended with four points or less between the sides.

The only time Spain have won on Russian soil was in 2002 when they prevailed 38-22 in Krasnodar.

QUICK TAP

The individual record for points in matches between the two nations is shared by Russia’s Konstantin Rachkov and Xabier Gerediaga Nanclares with 27 points.

RANKINGS READY RECKONER

Any sort of win for Spain would lift them above Russia in the World Rugby Rankings. Russia are currently 18th and Spain 21st. It is possible that Spain and Russia could simply swap places, depending on what also happens in the Americas Rugby Championship match between Canada and Uruguay.

ROMANIA v PORTUGAL

Romania currently lie second in the Division 1A standings but need a win to keep some daylight between themselves and Spain and Russia. Portugal are second from bottom after only one win (against Germany) in 2015.

The two first met in 1967 and Romania have 19 wins to Portugal’s three, with Portugal’s wins all coming between 2003 and 2011. Romania won last season’s game in Lisbon 37-10. Portugal’s last win over the Oaks came in 2011 when they raced into a 24-3 half-time lead before eventually winning 24-17.

QUICK TAP 

  • Loose forward Goncalo Uva is brother of Vasco Uva, Portugal’s most-capped player with 98 tests.
  • Former Emerging Springbok Jody Rose, of Timisoara Saracens, is named in the Oaks’ ENC squad and will get the opportunity to add to his one and only cap, against Spain in last summer’s World Rugby Nations Cup
  • Romania have won four European Nations Cup titles since 2000, the last in 2010. Portugal’s solitary success during that period came in 2003.

RANKINGS READY RECKONER

Portugal could rise four places from 27th to 23rd if they pull off a shock win away to Romania. The Oaks will not improve their rating with victory over Portugal so cannot climb from 17th.

GEORGIA v GERMANY

It’s top versus bottom as Georgia look to extend their long unbeaten record in the European Nations Cup against a side yet to register a win at this level in 15 previous attempts.

The two first met in 1995 and Georgia have won all four previous matches. The biggest winning margin is 74 points (in February 2010). Back-to-back wins over Brazil in November and December brought Germany’s losing sequence to an end.

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  • Germany’s all-time points scorer, Raynor Parkinson, is ruled out of the start of the ENC due to injury
  • Hooker Zurab Zhvania became only the seventh Georgian to bag a hat-trick of tries in tests in the Lelos’ 64-6 win over Germany last year.
  • Winners for the last five years, Georgia are on a 19-game unbeaten run in the European Nations Cup, dating back to a 25-18 defeat to Spain in Madrid in February 2012.

RANKINGS READY RECKONER

Any form of win would catapult Germany up three places to 23rd unless Portugal pile on the points and win well in Romania, in which case they’d move up two. Georgia will stay 14th regardless of any margin of victory.