With changes aplenty to the playing and coaching rosters of the competing nations, the RBS Women’s Six Nations 2015 is shaping up to be the most unpredictable championship yet.
Several of the leading lights from last year's phenomenal Women's Rugby World Cup in France have announced their retirement. Gone are the likes of England legend Maggie Alphonsi and Ireland’s talisman and captain Fiona Coghlan, making room for a host of new stars to make their mark before the next World Cup in 2017.
A whole raft of uncapped players have been called up across the board for the opening round of matches, defending champions France naming no less than eight first-timers in their matchday squad for their encounter with Scotland in Nantes on Saturday.
With so many of their contracted sevens players away competing in the Brazil round of the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series this weekend, France’s backline will be almost unrecognisable from the one fielded at the World Cup.
But, even with so many absentees, France will expect to get their title defence off to a winning start against a Scotland side that has struggled in recent years.
Scotland have not won a Six Nations game since they beat France 10-8 at the start of the 2010 championship – a run of 24 games, and in the last three seasons they have managed to score just two tries and 20 points.
Score to settle
In an attempt to avoid a fifth straight wooden spoon Scotland have appointed former Under 20s coach Jules Maxton as head coach. Maxton has named four new caps in her starting line-up, including Wasps centre Nuala Deans who has already represented her country at football and cricket.
Scotland, like Italy and Wales, know that wins are vital if they are to qualify for Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 with the best two of these teams across the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Six Nations booking their ticket to the showpiece event in the women's game.
Before 2013, when Ireland won their first Grand Slam, England had won the tournament seven times on the trot including six Grand Slams and after winning the World Cup they will return to the Women's Six Nations with a score to settle.
World Cup-winning coach Gary Street departed last week and is temporarily replaced at the helm by Nicky Ponsford. England are captained in their opening match against Wales in Swansea on Sunday by Tamara Taylor, who is one of eight World Cup winners in the starting line-up. World Cup winning captain Katy Mclean and are number of others from that victorious squad are on sevens duty in Sao Paulo.
Like many, Ponsford says it is anyone’s guess as to who will win the Women’s Six Nations: “I certainly think this year’s Six Nations will be the most open yet. Everyone is going through a rebuilding stage after last year’s World Cup but we are confident that we have a squad that can register a solid performance to kick start our campaign," she said.
Wales look the most settled of all the squads as they look to improve on last year’s fifth place finish. With the experienced trio of Jenny Davies, Catrin Edwards and captain Rachel Taylor - combined they have 174 caps - the foundations apear to be in place for a better campaign.
Ireland, losing semi-finalists at the World Cup, have a new coach and captain. Former Ireland scrum-half Tom Tierney takes charge of a squad that will be led out for the first time in Florence on Friday by 30-year-old full-back Niamh Briggs. "It's a massive thing for me to be Ireland captain - I was driving home when I received the phone call and I nearly crashed my car, I wasn't expecting it at all but it's an absolute honour,” she said.
Italy finished a creditable fourth with two wins to their name in 2014. “This year we are determined to get good results so that next year we can complete our qualification for the World Cup in 2017,” said long-serving captain Silvia Gaudino.
