By Chris Chaplin
March 20 2003

As we'll all recall the last round of the Six Nations was the latest in this year's somewhat lack lustre tournament. Ireland sort of bobbed along and did what they needed to against a pretty ineffectual French side. Scotland continued the ritual humiliation of the Welsh and England were a World Class side for 20 minutes, a third local side for another 30 and a decent side for the last 10.

Surely it must get better - come on excite us or even enthral us but do something!

Scotland actually looked pretty useful at times against the Welsh although having said that it's hard to judge how good they really were with the Red Dragon all but having it's fire extinguished. The Scots were all over the Welsh like a cheap suit in the first half with the Scottish pack running their opposite numbers ragged.

Tom Smith, as usual, was superb even putting though a little kick for the star of the show, Chris Paterson, to collapse on. I'm looking forward to another bravura performance from the Saint and he'll certainly need careful policing around the fringes. Gordon Bulloch looks a bit old fashioned in these days of front row forwards that play like they're centres but sometimes the kind of grunt that he gives is of greater currency than all the fancy-dan stuff and his performance in the set pieces will be key, particularly his ability to find his jumpers in the line out. Completing the front row will probably be Bruce Douglas who plays his rugby for the Borders and is a decent enough sort but in spite of finding himself scoring against the Welsh whether he's International quality is another matter - we'll see.

On the subject of quality Scott Murray has been named in the 22 and if he's on form and Falcon's Stuart Grimes is allowed to play as well as he did against the Welsh the line out could prove a rare old tussle. I don't know if the move north of the border to Edinburgh has done much for Murray's game, as in his earlier appearances he did not look the same player as we'd become used to seeing in the Premiership, indeed he was initially dropped for the Welsh game before being reinstated.

The Scots' back row, even sans Budge Pountney, looked the pick of those I saw in the last round of Six Nations matches with Adrian Mower lightening fast to the breakdown and Simon Taylor seemingly everywhere rounding off a fine performance with a try, which completed by the excellent Jason White was a very, very impressive display by the unit.

Having said all that then it's hardly surprising that my favourite scrum-half, one Bryan Redpath, had a superb game and although local opinion is that Edinburgh's Mike Blair is pushing the Sale man hard for his place I can't see McGeechan forgoing Redpath's nous and talent against England. Gregor Townsend seems to have made one of his Lourdes like recoveries to form and essentially if he's on fir so's the whole back division, if he's not then it all becomes rather harem scarum. The centre pairing of Kevin Utterson and James McLaren, who plies his trade for Bordeaux-Begles these days, are doughty defenders and in the case of the latter rather too doughty as he ended up in the sin-bin during his last international outing. If they're given quality ball from Townsend they can do something with it but from what I've seen of them they are not "self starters" in the Will Greenwood mould, able to make something from nothing.

On the wings could be Gabby's "Old Man", but his form is so patchy his selection always has a big question mark over it and whether the Scottish management will take a chance on him having a good day remains to be seen, otherwise it's in front of the TV with Gabby - not a bad consolation prize when the alternative is being mowed down by Ben Cohen all afternoon!! Unless he's been struck down by the ague I can't imagine Chris Paterson failing to make the cut as he was superb against the Welsh and will surely link up again with Glasgow's Glenn Metcalfe who did pretty well until the closing stages when he looked to lose a bit of concentration, but by then the game was up for the Boyos.

Surely then pretty much a case of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" for Ian McGeechan I'd have thought, but he'll know that his charges will face a very different challenge to that posed, or rather not posed, by the Welsh when they meet England at Twickenham.

So then is this the game when Woodward's boys finally get it absolutely right for 80 minutes?

Well when the opposition look at the team they are bound to swallow hard. It's full of talent and it's playing in position for a change!!

In the forwards Vickery's continued enforced absence is of course a loss, of that there can be no doubt, but having said that how many countries would turn their noses up at a front row of Rowntree/Thompson and Leonard with Trevor Woodman likely to make an appearance at some point and Regan in the wings as well. If I had to find fault it would probably be that Regan should have been given a start with Thompson rested to the bench. Regan would be good enough in this company and he's playing really well for Leeds at present. But the line up is a good one and even with Bulloch and Tom Smith against them I can't see them being bested. BUT Thompson must be more accurate with his lineout throwing than in the Italian job otherwise Scott Murray and Stuart Grimes will mess up the possession.

In the second row we see the welcome return of Johnno who's presence was missed against Italy especially when the wheels came off the England chariot for an hour and it swung to a stop rather than swinging low. Johnno would have steadied the troops and got the show back on the road, lucky for Wilko that we were so far ahead at the time and it was the Italians and not the French or Irish we were facing otherwise he could have been celebrating his elevation to the nobility with the first loss at Twickenham since Adam was a lad. Partnering Johhno is Ben Kay for whom I have tremendous regard but both for club and country he's not been at his best this season.

Perhaps we forget that he's still young and it's a bit unreasonable to expect the consistency of the phenomenal form that he showed throughout 2001/2 from one so young in terms of front five players. I think that had Grewcock not decided to put on his stupid hat last Saturday he'd have started. Instead he's on the bench and Ben gets another chance to shine as we know he can. Provided that Thompson's service is accurate and we don't start playing high risk long balls in the first phases of the game I can't see the talented Scots pairing getting enough quality ball or being able to pinch England's either.

Back row? Well, probably the most experienced unit in World rugby and all playing in their rightful positions. Backy fresh to the fray and keen to again demonstrate to his detractors that he's far from over the hill. Lawrence Dallaglio back to his best and having successfully negotiated the blight of being thought to have had a "relationship" with Ulrika, will be bristling and of course the wonderful Richard Hill, back in the blindside position that fits him like a pair of well worn slippers. Good as the Scottish back row was against the Welsh, and they were good, it's hard to favour them over the English trio.

The referees' assistant retains his place by right but to be fair he is hardly being pressed by either Gomersall or Bracken, although I was surprised to see the former rather than the latter on the bench. I bet Oz is chewing lumps out of his bottom lip when he thinks what might have been but for his ill starred decision that he was to be a World Class #10. The tussle between Dawson and Redpath will be a real vignette in the game, although the expected dominance of the English pack will probably see the contest end in the Saint's favour.

Wilko at #10 - of course. I expect him to have a really good game. Freed from the mantle of captaincy, behind a quality pack with a back row capable of protecting him and with a point to prove against Townsend, he'll be chomping at the bit. Outside him Mike Tindall. Well not much will get past him, he's attacking game has also improved so we'll see what he can do against the Scots and whether he can get the sinewy frame of Will Greenwood away to open up the Scots' defence.

At last, at last. Jason Robinson on the wing. I can't wait to see him run at the opposition from a position inside their 22 rather than his own. On the other side of the park another World Class winger in Ben Cohen who'll take some stopping for a whole load of different reasons and finally playing at full back a full back!! Josh Lewsey, rightly MOTM against Italy, can now show us what he can do against what should be sterner opposition if Townsend gets his back line moving. We know Lewsey is a fantastic attacking #15 now we need to see how he shapes up at International level both in attack and defence.

So is this it then? Will England demonstrate what they can do with all but their front row at full strength and even that's not half bad!? Yes I think they will. They're a good side full of talent, some of it acknowledged as being of World Class and with all the players finally in their proper positions. A packed house at Twickenham on a warm sunny Spring Saturday and against, well, frankly average opposition.

If they can't do it now they'll not be able to in Australia in six months time let alone against Ireland on Sunday week in front of a packed Lansdowne Road crowd who may just be a bit fervent. I'm expecting and the Nation demands a big win against Scotland and you know I think we may, for once, not be disappointed.

The only downpoint is that Woodward will have that daft grin on his silly face!!!