WALES
Coach Rob Howley (since April 2012)
Captain Sam Warburton
Six Nations history Three-time Grand Slam winners in 2005, 2008 and 2012, matching the illustrious record of the 1970s Welsh team - but no other titles.
Fixtures Ireland (H), France (A), Italy (A), Scotland (A), England (H)
IRB World Ranking 9
Title odds 5/1
Grand Slam winners last year, Wales go into the 2013 RBS Six Nations on the back of seven successive defeats, with four of those in autumn knocking them down to the third set of seeds for the 2015 World Cup draw. Worse still, a tough couple of opening games against Ireland and France could mean Wales' dispiriting wait for victory goes on even longer this spring, before a resurgence on the road followed by a return to form against England in Cardiff.
Prediction: 4th - wins against Italy, Scotland and England, after a tough start.
ENGLAND
Coach Stuart Lancaster (since March 2012)
Captain Chris Robshaw
Six Nations history Four-time champions - but three of those victories came in the competitions first four years as England built towards their 2003 World Cup win. England's only title since 2003 came two years ago.
Fixtures Scotland (H), Ireland (A), France (H), Italy (H), Wales (A)
IRB World Ranking 5
Title odds 15/8 fav
English rugby gained a massive lift from the record win against New Zealand in the autumn - but one victory, against an All Blacks side weakened by illness, does not a great team maketh, and form in the autumn was otherwise average, at best. England have been installed as favourites for this year's tournament and, while Stuart Lancaster's men can be confident of their three matches at Twickenham, the trips to Dublin and Cardiff will never be easy.
Prediction: 3rd - home wins against Scotland, France and Italy, but defeats on the road.
IRELAND
Coach Declan Kidney (since May 2008)
Captain Jamie Heaslip
Six Nations history Grand Slam winners in 2009 but, despite being competitive almost ever year, that remains Ireland's only Six Nations title. Ireland are actually second in the all-time table, two points clear of England.
Fixtures Wales (A), England (H), Scotland (A), France (H), Italy (A)
IRB World Ranking 6
Title odds 4/1
Declan Kidney takes charge of his fifth Six Nations campaign but, while there have been stronger Ireland teams in the past, it would be folly to write-off the boys in green. After all, the Irish get what would normally be considered as their toughest away game, against Wales, out of the way first - and face a team in Cardiff desperately low on confidence. It should then be up to Ireland's home form against England and France as to just how far they go this year.
Prediction: 2nd - four wins but defeat to France in front of home support to prove costly in points difference.
FRANCE
Coach Phillippe Saint-Andre (since December 2011)
Captain Pascal Pape
Six Nations history The most successful country of the Six Nations era with five titles in 13 years including Grand Slams in 2002, 2004 and 2010.
Fixtures Italy (A), Wales (H), England (A), Ireland (A), Scotland (H)
IRB World Ranking 4
Title odds 2/1
France seemed to have turned a corner recently. Not that they were never a good side but Les Bleus have gained a hitherto rarely-seen consistency and, of all of the northern hemisphere sides, came out of the Autumn Internationals with most credit following thumping wins over Australia and Argentina. Former coach Marc Lievremont may have got France to a World Cup final in 2011 but his kooky tactics also resulted in some incredible defeats, including to Italy in the same year. There is surely no chance of the latter under Phillippe Saint-Andre.
Prediction: Winners - the title heads across La Manche but without a Slam following another outstanding one-off performance by England at Twickenham.
ITALY
Coach Jacques Brunel (since November 2011)
Captain Sergio Parisse
Six Nations history Collected the wooden spoon on nine of the 13 occasions so far. Highest placing of fourth in 2007, which is also the only time the Italians have won more than one game at a single championship.
Fixtures France (H), Scotland (A), Wales (A), England (A), Ireland (H)
IRB World Ranking 10
Title odds 200/1
Italy's aim, as ever, will be to avoid the wooden spoon, a fate which they have been unable to avoid on nine of the 13 occasions since their original invitation. With the Italians facing three successive away games in the middle of this year's Championship, including to their most likely victims Scotland, it would be a huge surprise if the Azzurri were able to clamber off the bottom this year. Pushed Australia close in the autumn but those days still remain too few and far between.
Prediction: Wooden spoon - difficult to see where a win is coming from, considering fixtures against Scotland and Wales are away.
SCOTLAND
Coach Scott Johnson (interim, since December 2012)
Captain Kelly Brown
Six Nations history The last Five Nations champions in 1999 but the only team, other than Italy, never to have won the Six Nations. Failed to win a single match in the competition last season, the third time which the Scots have faced the ignominy of the wooden spoon.
Fixtures England (A), Italy (H), Ireland (H), Wales (H), France (A)
IRB World Ranking 12
Title odds 33/1
Scotland come into the 2013 RBS Six Nations amid no little turmoil, under the tutelage of an interim coach from Australia, following the resignation of Andy Robinson after the Scots' awful defeat to Tonga at Pittodrie in November. Scott Johnson only confirmed the selection of his skipper as Kelly Brown this week - and, lying a lowly 12th in the world rankings, their best weapon is probably the element of surprise. Hopeful that they can take advantage of some English arrogance in the opener, the Scots have the advantage of their three games after that being at home. And there is nothing like a bit of momentum in the Six Nations Championship.
Prediction: 5th - Scotland will need more than just spirit to score tries against anyone other than Italy.
RBS 6 NATIONS TABLE 2012
How they finished last year. (T) Tries.
| W | D | L | F | A | (T) | Pts | |
| WALES | 5 | 0 | 0 | 109 | 58 | 10 | 10 |
| ENGLAND | 4 | 0 | 1 | 98 | 71 | 7 | 8 |
| IRELAND | 2 | 1 | 2 | 121 | 94 | 13 | 5 |
| FRANCE | 2 | 1 | 2 | 101 | 86 | 8 | 5 |
| ITALY | 1 | 0 | 4 | 53 | 121 | 4 | 2 |
| SCOTLAND | 0 | 0 | 5 | 56 | 108 | 4 | 0 |
RBS 6 NATIONS FIXTURES 2013
All matches live on the BBC. All kick-off times GMT.
| 2 Feb 13:30 | WALES v IRELAND | Millennium Stadium | |
| 2 Feb 16:00 | ENGLAND v SCOTLAND | Twickenham | |
| 3 Feb 15:00 | ITALY v FRANCE | Stadio Olimpico | |
| 9 Feb 14:30 | SCOTLAND v ITALY | Murrayfield | |
| 9 Feb 17:00 | FRANCE v WALES | Stade de France | |
| 10 Feb 15:00 | IRELAND v ENGLAND | Aviva Stadium | |
| 23 Feb 14:30 | ITALY v WALES | Stadio Olimpico | |
| 23 Feb 17:00 | ENGLAND v FRANCE | Twickenham | |
| 24 Feb 14:00 | SCOTLAND v IRELAND | Murrayfield | |
| 9 Mar 14:30 | SCOTLAND v WALES | Murrayfield | |
| 9 Mar 17:00 | IRELAND v FRANCE | Aviva Stadium | |
| 10 Mar 15:00 | ENGLAND v ITALY | Twickenham | |
| 16 Mar 14:30 | ITALY v IRELAND | Stadio Olimpico | |
| 16 Mar 17:00 | WALES v ENGLAND | Millennium Stadium | |
| 16 Mar 20:00 | FRANCE v SCOTLAND | Stade de France |
IRB Rankings correct as of 28 January 2013. Title odds from Ladbrokes
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