The Six Nations returns this weekend as Wales host Ireland in a Cardiff curtain-raiser.
England then entertain Scotland in a Calcutta Cup showdown at Twickenham, before round one finishes with defending Grand Slam champions France battling Italy in Rome.
Here, Standard Sport correspondent Nick Purewal looks at the major talking points ahead of the Six Nations as rugby welcomes a timely distraction...
A sport in the dock
From Bernard Laporte being unseated as French Federation chief, to Premiership clubs Worcester and Wasps going to the wall, rugby continues to eat itself. A sexism and misogyny scandal has forced the removal of Wales Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips, while similar allegations have now surfaced in Scotland.
English chief Bill Sweeney continues to fight for his own future, amid the RFU’s tackle-height fiasco. The English Union lowered tackle-height limits to the waist for the community game from next season onwards.
The immediate uproar has forced a review, while more than 300 clubs are pushing for changes to the RFU board. How rugby needs the Six Nations to act as the archetypal sporting advert.
Players to watch
Grand Slam champions France will again have petit general Antoine Dupont directing proceedings from scrum-half, while full-back Ange Capuozzo is as much of a fixture at full-back for Toulouse as he is for Italy.
Ken Owens is captain now for Wales, but head coach Warren Gatland — back again — will still lean on Alun Wyn Jones to fire up his side in Cardiff. Finn Russell is the livewire conductor for Scotland, with Owen Farrell ultimately the key in terms of backline attack for England.
Josh van der Flier holds the current world player of the year honours, with Ireland intent on pushing ahead once more.
Italy shake off usual line of questioning
Italy head coach Kieran Crowley joked recently that this year no one had grilled him about promotion and relegation in the Six Nations build-up. The Azzurri have a crop of young, upwardly mobile stars, with Capuozzo as the clear standout.
Any improvements will, as always, be tested by the strength of the tournament cohort, however. A daunting start against France sums up their challenge, but Italy now boast a plan to suit their lively players and intend to roll it out.
Borthwick needs fast start
England sacking Eddie Jones in December has left new head coach Steve Borthwick with just nine Tests before the World Cup. No pressure, then.
England know they have to pull off a huge amount of transformation with no time to build. Luckily, Borthwick’s attention to detail ought to boost England.
Whether they can return to the top end of the pile here remains a tall order, but Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield will restore a fun-factor and install new levels of candour.
Gatland back for more
Warren Gatland did everything with Wales bar winning the World Cup in his 12-year first stint as head coach. The 59-year-old has returned to Cardiff to replace Wayne Pivac with eyes firmly on improvements ahead of the autumn’s global battle.
Wales have struggled for authority in both performances and results. Both are Gatland’s forte, but he could have his work cut out, with the jury very much out on the quality of Wales’s squad.
France and Ireland to top pile
A Grand Slam appears too tall an order for anyone to pull off this term, so tight are the margins involved at the sharp end of the competition. Fabien Galthie’s reigning champions France have a fine chance to retain their title, however, and Andy Farrell’s Ireland are well-placed, too.
Les Bleus ought to have the edge, just, with Ireland then slotting into second place. Third would prove creditable enough for new England boss Borthwick, leaving Scotland, Wales and Italy to battle out the remaining positions.
