5 – Jonathan Davies
An in form Davies is dangerous for your defensive line. An in form Davies who has been rested for a year after a serious injury who is fresh and raring to go is simply deadly. The two time man of the series for the Lions tour is back and hungry for action as his lengthy spell on the sidelines came to and end in last November’s autumn internationals. And it says an awful lot about a player who is making the team of the year when he’s only been actively playing for two months out of 12. Heroic stuff, expect more in the coming weeks.
6 – Sam Skinner
I know I praise him a lot, but Skinner for me is the one I’ve got my eye on in that second row. There are some colossal names in this tournament who hold that scrum together, Alun Wyn Jones and Maro Itoje to name a few, but my pick goes to Exeter’s number five to steal the show. His scrummaging and line-out abilities will have Scottish mouths watering at the thought of his debut against the Italians 2 February. And the fact he can go to six as well only bolsters Scotland’s back row who could still be without skipper John Barclay as he recovers from a torn achilles. Exeter’s Chiefs will have a big presence in this tournament, so good luck to them as they continue with their Premiership title ambitions, but I’m sure those loyal to Six Nations rugby will be excited to see how the Devonshire lads get on.
