Preview: 6 Nations Round 2

Ireland v FranceFriday night's game between the Irish and the French has the makings of a title decider about it even at this early stage.

How much we can judge from their opening encounters is hard to say. Both teams were in full command throughout their opening matches, with their packs so dominant that the raft of handling and passing errors committed by both sides went almost entirely unpunished. France in particular played in near perfect conditions, with their backs having the freedom to try almost anything thanks to a pack that was so dominant that even opposition scrums and line-outs provided a basis for attack.

With such a powerful pack that knows each other so well, and is close to the combination that took them to third in the World Cup, France will go hardup frontagain this weekend. There is little to choose between the two teams' starting forward line-ups but, if the game is still close after 60 minutes or so, the advantage will be with the greater depth of experience on the French bench.

On paper the Irish backline would seem to have the advantage and they make just one change in the centre.  They know each other well, are more experienced and, some wild passes aside, made fewer mistakes against Italy. Niamh Briggs was arguably the best player of the opening round - despite having a relatively poor day with the boot. However France's young guns also showed great potential (none of their sevens stars are in the squad, despite being available) with in particularCabalou having a sensational debut at 10, while Billes offered speed, and Tremouliere showed an all-round game that threatens Briggs' "best kicker in the Six Nations" crown. The unanswerable question will be whether they can turn it on again.

Although the Irish beat France the last time they played them in Ashbourne, this is really too close to call with the game possibly turning on the kicking of the two number 15s.

Ireland:15 – Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemian/ Munster) (Capt), 14 – Aoife Doyle (Shannon/Munster)(late replacement for Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/ Leinster)), 13 – Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), 12 – Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/ Leinster), 11 – Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht), 10 – Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), 9 – Larissa Muldoon (Skewen RFC), 1 – Ruth O'Reilly (Galwegians/ Connacht), 2 – Gillian Bourke (Olympico de Pozuelo RFC), 3 – Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), 4 – Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), 5 –Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), 6 – Paula Fitzpatrick (St Marys/ Leinster), 7 – Claire Molloy (Bristol/ Connacht), 8 – Heather O'Brien (Highfield/ Munster)16 – Sarah Mimnagh (Wasps/Exiles), 17 – Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemian/ Munster), 18 – Fiona O'Brien (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), 19 – Orla Fitzsimons (St Marys/ Leinster), 20 – Katie Norris (Blackrock / Leinster), 21 – Tania Rosser (Blackrock/ Leinster), 22 – Jackie Shiels (Richmond/ Exiles), 23 – Sene Naoupu (Galwegians/Connacht)

France:1. Lise Arricastre (Lons), 2. Gaëlle Mignot (Montpellier), 3. Julie Duval (Ovalie Caennaise), 4. Manon Andre (Blagnac- Saint Orens), 5. Marine De Nadaï  (Montpellier), 6. Coumba Tombe Diallo (Stade Bordelais), 7. Laëtitia Grand (Lons), 8. Safi N’diaye (Montpellier), 9. Yanna Rivoalen (Lille- d’Ascq)Villeneuve, 10. Camille Cabalou (Bayonne), 11. Julie Billes (USAP), 12. Céline Heguy (Bayonne), 13. Elodie Poublan (Montpellier), 14. Caroline Boujard (USAP), 15. Jessy Tremouliere (Romagnat)Replacements:16. Wendy Divoux (USAP), 17. Elodie Portaries (Montpellier), 18. Céline Ferer (Bayonne), 19. Pauline Rayssac (Montpellier), 20. Cécilia Saubusse (Bordeaux), 21. Carla Neisen (Blagnac- Saint Orens), 22. Laura Delas (Tarbes), 23. Christelle Chobet (USAP)

Scotland v WalesScotland can take some positives from the opening game despite the big loss to France - their heads never dropped despite being second best on the day and they will have seen Wales as much more realistic target to at least hit one of their aims and that is to get points on the board.

However realistic hopes of getting much from their game with Wales probably faded following the sterling Welsh effort on Sunday, The only real plus for Scotland is that at least the Welsh pack will not send them into reverse with quite the alacrity that the French managed, as a result of which their backs should have at least some ball to play with. Howeverpossession may not mean points, as England discovered on Sunday when when they found it almost impossible to break into the Welsh 22, never mindmake it to the try line.

Wales will also begin the game with huge confidenceagainst a side without a win in the tournament in 23 matches. Young though their team is, they played with strength and skill beyond their years, World Cup experience shining through. We said before the start that Wales would be the team to watch, and if they continue as they did against England this has the potential to be their best ever Six Nations. This should be another Welsh win, and quite probably they can target a clean sheet. With the likes of Catrin Edwards steering the scrum and Sioned Harries in great form behind, this will be a tough side for the Scots against a fired up Welsh side.

Scotland:15 Chloe Rollie  (Melrose), 14 Hannah Sloan (Stewartry), 13 Hannah Smith  (Hillhead Jordanhill), 12 Nuala Deans  (Wasps), 11 Abi Evans 
(Northumbria University), 10 Lisa Martin
(Murrayfield Wanderers), 9   Mhairi Grieve (RHC Cougars),  , 1 Heather Lockhart
(Hillhead Jordanhill), 2 Lana Skeldon
(Melrose), 3 Tracy Balmer (captain) (Worcester), 4 Deborah McCormack (Richmond), 5 Emma Wassell
(Murrayfield Wanderers), 6 Karen Dunbar
(RHC Cougars), 7 Lyndsay O'Donnell
(Worcester), 8 Jade Konkel (Hillhead Jordanhill)

Replacements16 Sarah Quick (Murrayfield Wanderers), 17 Lindsey Smith
(Hillhead Jordanhill), 18 Lisa Robertson (Murrayfield Wanderers), 19 Christianne Fahey (Murrayfield Wanderers), 20 Rachael Cook
(Murrayfield Wanderers), 21 Sarah Law (Murrayfield Wanderers), 22 Claire Bain
(RHC Cougars), 23 Eilidh Sinclair (Murrayfield Wanderers),

Wales:15 Dyddgu Hywel (Pontyclun / Scarlets), 14 Elen Evans (Waterloo / Scarlets), 13 Adi Taviner (Skewen / Ospreys), 12 Gemma Rowland (London Wasps / Dragons), 11 Laurie Harries (Llandaff North/ Blues), 10 Elinor Snowsill (Dragons), 9 Amy Day (Llandaff North / Dragons):,, 1 Caryl Thomas (Bath Ladies / Scarlets), 2 Carys Phillips (Skewen / Ospreys), 3 Catrin Edwards (Llandaff North / Scarlets), 4 Rebecca Rowe (London Welsh / Dragons), 5 Jenny Hawkins (Llandaff North / Blues), 6 Sian Williams (Worcester / Dragons), 7 Sioned Harries (Whitland / Scarlets), 8 Rachel Taylor (Bristol Ladies / Dragons - Capt)

Replacements:, 16 Amy Lawrence (Skewen / Ospreys), 17 Jenny Davies (Caernarfon / Blues), 18 Amy Evans (Skewen / Ospreys), 19 Melissa Clay (Pencoed / Ospreys), 20 Hannah Jones (Penybanc / Scarlets), 21 Keira Bevan (Skewen / Ospreys), 22 Robyn Wilkins (Llandaff North / Blues), 23 Kerin Lake (Skewen / Ospreys)

England v ItalyNicky Ponsford probably had some difficult selection decisions this week as in theory England could have welcomed back a raft of top players following their fifth place finish in Brazil on the World Sevens Series last weekend. In practice it is unsurprising she has opted to give her young charges a chance to put things right and although there are seven changes, this remains a youthful side. That said a key area of concern must be kicking - Megan Goddard's penalty misses were costly on Sundayand there is no surprise that the big returnee is Katy Mclean at flyhalf.

And, for all their recent improvements,Italy should be the ideal opposition to find their feet against. The Azzurri have never travelled well to England and in the past have tended to save up their worst performances for this fixture. That said, last year the Italians showed that they may have at last lost their awe of the white shirt (to use Gary Street's phrase they "turned up") and provided a real problem for an England team the core of which lifted the World Cup just months later. Ireland certainly experienced problems breaking them down last week, taking 20 minutes of constant pressure to make their first score. However Italy noticably tired in the final third of the game, when England's legendary stamina should come into its own.

All in all this is a very different looking game now compared to how it looked a week ago. Yet despite everything it is almost impossible to see anything other than a confidence-building England win, which they will need in advance of the big test in Ireland in round three.

England team:Kay Wilson (Thurrock), Ruth Laybourn (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Abigail Brown (Bristol), Ceri Large (Worcester), Sydney Gregson (Bristol), Katy Mclean (VC) (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Bianca Blackburn (Worcester), Rochelle Clark (Worcester), Victoria Fleetwood (Saracens), Laura Keates (Worcester), Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks) (C), Abbie Scott (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Aexandra Matthews (Richmond), Hannah Gallagher (Saracens), Harriet Millar-Mills(Waterloo).Replacements:Amy Cokayne (Lichfield), Victoria Cornborough (Richmond), Justine Lucas (Lichfield), Rowena Burnfield (Richmond), Hannah Field (Richmond), Fiona Davidson (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Megan Goddard (Worcester), Sarah McKenna (Saracens)

Italy:15Manuela FURLAN (Benetton Treviso, 42 caps), 14 Maria Diletta VERONESE (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 36 caps), 13 Sofia STEFAN (Rennes, 18 caps), 12 Paola ZANGIROLAMI (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 58 caps) 11 Michela SILLARI (HBS Colorno, 21 caps), 10 Beatrice RIGONI (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 7 caps), 9 Sara BARATTIN (Rugby Casale, 58 caps), 8 Silvia GAUDINO (ASR Monza 1949, 62 caps) – capitano, 7 Elisa GIORDANO (Valsugana Padova, 7 caps), 6 Michela ESTE (Benetton Treviso, 40 caps), 5 Alice TREVISAN (Sitam Riviera del Brenta, 25 caps), 4 Flavia SEVERIN (Benetton Treviso, 43 caps), 3  Awa Coulibaly (Rennes, 14 caps), 2 Melissa BETTONI (Rennes, 21 caps), 1 Elisa CUCCHIELLA (Belve NeroVerdi, 48 caps),

Replacements: 16 Licia Cammarano (Moza 3 caps), 17 Irene Campanini (Colorno 1 cap), 18Ilaria ARRIGHETTI (ASR Monza 1949, 12 caps), 19 Alessia PANTAROTTO (Sitam Riviera del Brenta, 9 caps),  20 Valentina RUZZA (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 7 caps), 21 Veronica SCHIAVON (Sitam Riviera del Brenta, 71 caps), 22 Maria Grazia CIOFFI (Rugby Benevento, 35 caps), 23 Veronese MARIA DILETTA (Padova, 35 caps)