Pep Guardiola admitted it took him a while to work out Joao Cancelo as the Manchester City boss spoke of the "sensitive" full-back who has become a key component of his side.
Cancelo joined from Juventus in 2019, with the Portugal international initially struggling to establish himself in City's side.
Guardiola said there had been "mistakes" on his own part, and a lack of understanding from Cancelo about how City were looking for him to perform.
Both bridges were crossed long ago, and this week saw Cancelo and City agree to extend the player's contract by two years until 2027, with Guardiola saying such deals were "so important" for the team's future.
Cancelo has developed into one of the world's leading full-backs under Guardiola, currently deployed on the left but equally comfortable on the right, yet disagreements between player and coach stymied his start to life at the club.
"Everybody knows how important Joao is with us and what he has done in the last two seasons, especially this season," Guardiola said.
"We have struggled together in the first part when he arrived. We were not agreeing on many things, in part [because] of my mistakes. Now I'm so delighted he's fully happy here and can play in this club for the next years.
"He can play in many positions, and he can play every day. His physicality is impressive and of course the skillset he has, and he's beloved in the locker room because he's so funny.
"The club has to especially work for tomorrow, for the next months and the next years, and the decisions the club has made [regarding contracts] is because the club is working for the future and has to do this."
Where manager Guardiola and Cancelo once struggled to understand each other, now they are singing from the same hymn sheet.
"We know each other much better, and every player must be treated in a different way," said Guardiola, speaking in a news conference ahead of Saturday's FA Cup clash with Fulham.
"I needed more time to know him, how sensitive he is. He's an incredible person, has a big heart, so sensitive.
"Finally, I think now I understand him a little bit more. Especially because he's an important player for us. When he arrived, we have an instructor to understand the way we want to play, and he struggled a little bit to understand what we want to do.
"That was the reason why. There were not arguments. Every player's a world, and you have to understand them as much as possible. Sometimes you need time to understand each other."
Guardiola described Cancelo's enthusiasm as that of "an amateur player", pointing to his desire to play all the time.
"Like Phil Foden, it's the most important thing in his life," Guardiola said.
Cancelo directly contributed to eight goals for City last season (five assists, three goals), but he is stepping up his contribution this term.
He already has eight assists and three goals in 2021-22, also helping City keep 12 clean sheets across the 30 matches he has featured in.
Cancelo has created 87 chances in the Premier League since making his debut, which ranks him eighth in terms of defenders, with Trent Alexander-Arnold (211) leading the way.
Midfield prospect James McAtee, 19, was another City player to sign a new contract this week, and Guardiola thinks the youngster could have a role to play in the closing months of the season.
"Maybe we will need him. In the future we will see," Guardiola said. "It is important he's fully committed to the club. He arrived when he was a little, little boy, and he's a Man City supporter, and he loves to be here.
"We're more than delighted with the confidence he and his family have in the club and [that] he could extend his contract to stay here with us."
The 2022 Six Nations campaign begins with a mouth-watering contest between defending champions Wales and a well fancied Ireland side at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday.
Wales won the championship for a sixth time last March, narrowly missing out on a Grand Slam with defeat to France in their final game, but they enter this year's tournament as outsiders in the eyes of many.
Much like Ireland, France will be eyeing top spot after going 12 years since their most recent triumph – Les Bleus' longest-such run since joining the Five Nations in 1947 – with their campaign beginning at home to an Italy side without a win in 32 games in the competition.
A relatively inexperienced England side do battle with perennial dark horses Scotland at Murrayfield for the Calcutta Cup, meanwhile, with the hosts looking to record back-to-back wins in this fixture for the first time since 1984.
Ahead of the opening round, Stats Perform previews the upcoming matches with help from Opta.
IRELAND v WALES
FORM
Ireland have won four of their last five meetings with Wales, though their solitary defeat in that run came in the most recent match between the sides in last year's Six Nations when going down 21-16.
Wales have lost their last four away games against Ireland, their worst-such run since losing four in a row between 2002 and 2006, but never before have they lost five in a row away to Ireland.
Ireland have won 27 of their last 29 Tests at the Aviva Stadium, including their last six in a row, with their only defeats coming against England in 2019 and France in 2021 – both in the Six Nations.
ONES TO WATCH
Johnny Sexton will win his 102nd international cap for Ireland this weekend and remains a key player for his country. The 36-year-old recorded the best goal kicking success rate of any player (minimum of three kicks) in last year's Six Nations, finding the target from 25 out of 26 (96 per cent).
Wales are without a long list of players due to injury, most notably skipper Alun Wyn Jones. It's set to be the first Six Nations the Dragons have played without Jones since 2006, with fly-half Dan Biggar being left with big shoes to fill in his first game as captain.
SCOTLAND v ENGLAND
FORM
Scotland have won five of their last six Test matches, with their solitary defeat in that run coming against the world champions South Africa in November.
England have won 15 of their last 18 Tests, including their last five in a row, although their three defeats in that spell all came in last year's Six Nations – just the fourth time they had lost more than twice in an edition of the tournament since 2000 (also lost three in 2005, 2006 and 2018).
This will be the 140th Test between the rival nations in a fixture that dates back to the first ever rugby international back in 1871. Scotland have won on 44 occasions, compared to 76 victories for England, with the other 19 ending all square.
ONES TO WATCH
Scotland have named a near-identical XV to the one that ended last year's Six Nations, Duhan van der Merwe among them. The British and Irish Lions wing beat 31 defenders in the 2021 edition, surpassing Brian O'Driscoll's record for the most in a single Six Nations (30 in 2000).
In the absence of Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry will captain England at the age of just 23, making him the youngest player to do so since Will Carling in 1988.
FRANCE v ITALY
FORM
France and Italy have met on 45 occasions, with Les Bleus winning 42 of those matches. That 93 per cent win rate is their highest against any nation they have faced more than five times.
Italy have lost 23 of their last 24 away games with France in Test rugby, including their last 14 in a row. The Azzurri's only victory in France came in Grenoble in 1997.
France have won 12 of their last 13 Test matches at home, although their solitary defeat in that run came in their most recent Six Nations game against Scotland. They have not trailed at half-time in a home game since February 2018, going into the break ahead (17 times) or level (twice) in each of their last 19 such games.
ONES TO WATCH
Captain and recently crowned World Rugby Player of the Year Antoine Dupont will be looking to pick up from where he left off in 2021. He was directly involved in eight tries during the last Six Nations, more than any other player, scoring three and assisting a Championship-high five.
Sebastian Negri made 64 carries and 68 tackles during the 2021 tournament, his combined tally of 132 carries and tackles being the second most of any player in the Championship, behind only Taulupe Faletau (140). Italy could do with more of the same here to help avoid another loss.
China ended a 24-year wait for a women's ice hockey group game win at the Winter Olympics as the hosts earned a 3-1 victory over Denmark.
On the official first day of the Games in Beijing, it was a timely win for the home team at the Wukesong Sports Centre.
There has of course been action ahead of Friday's formal start, and China were beaten 3-1 by Czech Republic in their opening game on Thursday.
But on the day the world began to focus on the snow and ice show in Beijing, the home team raised their game to battle back from going behind to Malene Frandsen's early strike.
Lin Qiqi drew China level when she deflected home Yu Baiwei's shot in the 37th minute, and the teams remained level heading into the final minute. China went ahead with 51 seconds remaining in the third period as Lin Ni rattled in from close range, before Lin Qiqi struck a long-range shot into an empty net moments later to make sure.
Yu said: "It was a big win, also a special day. I think both teams played good. We did not give up until the last minute, last second. I just kept shooting and hoped I could help the team."
Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) beat Switzerland 5-2, and next for the Russians is a Saturday showdown with reigning Olympic champions the United States.
There was American success on Friday in figure skating as the three-day team event got under way, with the USA leading the way after the first three disciplines.
US star Nathan Chen edged out Japan's Shoma Uno in the men's short programme, while Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue led the way in rhythm dance, lifting the Americans to 28 points overall, two clear of ROC and seven ahead of China in third.
USA co-captain Evan Bates said: "Our team has great potential, and that was demonstrated in the great performances. I don't necessarily think we feel surprised to be leading. Looking at the roster, we know we have the potential to bring home the gold medal."
Italy remain the only team with a 100 per cent winning record in curling's mixed doubles after Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini fended off Norway 11-8 and scored a 10-2 trouncing of the Czech Republic team on Friday, making it four wins from four. Canada, Sweden and Great Britain each have three wins so far.
France head coach Fabien Galthie will miss the Six Nations favourites' opening game against Italy after a positive COVID-19 test.
The 52-year-old said he was experiencing only mild symptoms of the coronavirus, and the French Rugby Federation (FFR) stated Galthie would stay involved with the team from afar.
The FFR said: "Fabien Galthie tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, February 3, via an antigen test according to the established protocol. The result has been confirmed by a PCR test this Friday, February 4."
Galthie will be able to rejoin the squad from February 8, if he tests negative by then, or February 10.
France team manager Raphael Ibanez is set to stand in for Galthie when Italy visit the Stade de France on Sunday.
There were no more COVID-19 cases detected when the France squad were tested on Friday morning, the FFR said, with another round of testing planned for Saturday.
Galthie said: "This morning, I have tested positive for COVID-19. I'm feeling fine with mild symptoms. As a consequence, I'm isolating and will work remotely this week. Raphael Ibanez and all of my staff, in whom I have full confidence, will be my go-betweens on the pitch."
France cancelled their scheduled Friday news conference as a result of Galthie's test result.
Les Bleus, who finished second in last year's championship but have not won the Six Nations since 2010, are rated as favourites with the bookmakers for the title this time around.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has been named the Premier League's Player of the Month for January after a string of fine performances.
Spain international De Gea has been United's most consistent player this season by a considerable distance, returning to the heights he hit earlier in his Old Trafford career.
De Gea's form over the previous few years had been patchy at best, with Dean Henderson dislodging him as first-choice for a period last season.
He also lost his starting berth at international level with Spain. Since the start of 2019, he has started just seven games for La Roja and been on the bench 28 times.
But everything points to the De Gea of old being back, and January was as good an example as any month this season, as he became the first goalkeeper to win the prize since February 2016.
Although he only kept one clean sheet in four Premier League matches, no goalkeeper tallied more.
Had it not been for De Gea's heroics, United may not have come through January with just one defeat, as the 31-year-old made 22 saves – over the month, Alvaro Fernandez (17) was the only other goalkeeper to register more than 11.
According to Opta, De Gea's stops contributed to a league-leading 'goals prevented' (excluding own goals) record of 2.6 in January, highlighting not only the crucial nature of his work but also the high standard of his saves.
Similarly, he boasted an 84 per cent save percentage – the only goalkeepers to play at last 180 minutes with better records were Jose Sa (84.6) and Martin Dubravka (88.9).
De Gea beat Jarrod Bowen, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Harrison, Joao Moutinho and James Ward-Prowse to claim the gong and is the second United player to win it this season after Cristiano Ronaldo in September.
Robert Lewandowski insists Erling Haaland's impressive form at Borussia Dortmund does not necessarily mean the striker will be a world-class talent in years to come.
Haaland is one of the most sought-after talents in world football after scoring 80 goals in 79 appearances for Dortmund since joining the club in January 2020.
That is a goals tally only Lewandowski can match over that period among players from Europe's top five leagues, the Bayern Munich star having notched 107 goals in 90 games.
Haaland's 80 strikes have come from an expected goals (xG) return of 64, meaning he has scored 16 goals more than expected given the likelihood of the shot going in.
No player from the Bundesliga, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A or Ligue 1 boasts such a large xG differential, with Lewandowski (12.3) behind Luis Muriel (12.4) in third.
While there is no disputing Haaland's quality in front of goal, however, Lewandowski has questioned whether the Norway international will remain as prolific in seasons to come.
"Haaland is a great player who is fun to watch," Lewandowski told Polish magazine PilkaNozna.
"But just because someone has great potential, it doesn't mean they will be a real star for many years."
Breaking down Haaland's goals with Dortmund further, he has scored 96 per cent of them from inside the box, compared to 84 per cent for Lewandowski over that period.
However, Haaland has scored far more goals with his left foot (80 per cent), whereas Lewandowski is predominantly right footed, netting 67 per cent of his from within 18 yards.
The duo are far from identical in terms of playing style, too, as pointed out by Lewandowski.
"I don't like comparing a 33-year-old player with a 21-year-old player because everyone has their own development," he said.
"But he's strong, fast, physical. His game is based on that. I have different qualities. And we don't know how he will develop..."
This season alone, Lewandowski has scored 10 goals more than Europe's next most prolific marksman in Karim Benzema (24 goals), with Haaland third on 23 goals.
The Poland international turns 34 in August, but in a warning to his rivals for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award, he does not believe he is yet at his peak.
"My performance tests are now giving better results than last year," he said. "As for the numbers, it seems my best time is yet to come. I feel better now than I did two years ago."
Egypt assistant coach Diaa al-Sayed has called for Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final with Senegal to be delayed by a day to give his side more rest.
Record seven-time winners Egypt beat tournament hosts Cameroon 3-1 on penalties on Thursday after neither side could find a way through in 120 goalless minutes.
Carlos Queiroz's men have been taken to a shoot-out in two of their three knockout games, with the other going into extra-time. Senegal, on the other hand, have got the job done inside regulation time on each occasion.
And with Senegal having an extra 24 hours' rest between their semi-final win against Burkina Faso and Sunday's final in Yaounde, Al-Sayed wants the game moved to Monday.
"I ask CAF that the final be played on Monday," said Al-Sayed, who was speaking to reporters after Queiroz was sent off during the Cameroon clash.
"There is one more day of recovery for Senegal."
The third-place play-off between Cameroon and Burkina Faso was due to be played on Sunday, but it has been brought forward to Saturday following talks with local government, though no explanation has been given.
Al-Sayed added: "I hope that, as we have changed the date for the third game, we will now play [the final on] Monday."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is excited for either Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah to "achieve something really big" after reaching the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal and Egypt will face each other for the right to be crowned champions of Africa on Sunday at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde.
Mane scored the third goal in Senegal's 3-1 semi-final defeat of Burkina Faso to take his personal tally for the tournament to three, while Salah helped Egypt to a 3-1 penalties win over hosts Cameroon after a 0-0 draw on Thursday.
Klopp has previously been accused of disrespecting the AFCON on several occasions. In 2020, he called the tournament's move from June to January a "catastrophe", then, in November last year, he referred to it as a "little tournament" before claiming he meant the comment in an "ironic" manner.
Now, with two of his best players set to grace the final, Klopp is thrilled to see both with the chance to create history for their nations.
Asked if he had arranged something of a viewing party with the squad, Klopp said: "I have nothing planned yet.
"I didn't think about it, but we've followed it pretty closely. It's a great achievement for both. Naby [Keita] played exceptional in the tournament, too.
"So far it's been a really successful tournament for our boys. It's exciting, but not so easy because one will be really happy after, one much less so.
"Both have a good chance to achieve something really big."
Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round clash with Cardiff City, attention soon turned to when Salah and Mane will be available for the Reds again.
Klopp thinks there is a chance both could be available for Thursday's Premier League visit of Leicester City, though he accepts whoever loses in Sunday's final has a better chance of that.
"I think they will be available but we will see," Klopp added. "If one wins they'll probably fly back to home country for a celebration, that's how it is.
"I think Tuesday or Wednesday [is the] latest the winner will be back, the other one slightly earlier.
"Then I have to talk to them. One thing is they have rhythm, played quite a few games, but I have to speak to them."
Paul Pogba has been urged to "show up" for Manchester United and prove what he is capable of as he nears the end of his Old Trafford contract.
The 28-year-old is set to return to United's squad for Friday's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Middlesbrough after three months out with a thigh injury.
France international Pogba has just four months remaining on his deal with the Red Devils and is now widely expected to seek a new challenge at the end of the campaign.
Regardless of where Pogba intends to play his football beyond this season, Rangnick simply wants the central midfielder to be fully motivated in order to find his best form.
"It's up to him now. His contract is expiring in the summer and if in the end he would like to stay or go somewhere else he has to show up," Rangnick said.
"It's not only in the interest for us as a club but it's in his personal interest that he plays and performs at the highest possible level in the next couple of weeks."
Pogba remains United's record signing, having rejoined from Juventus in 2016 for an initial fee of £89.3million (€105m), but the Red Devils now stand to lose him for nothing.
He has made 212 appearances in his second spell at Old Trafford, during which time he has scored 38 goals and assisted 45 more in all competitions.
While a new deal has not entirely been ruled out for the Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Juve target, Rangnick is only focused on the remainder of 2021-22.
"We haven't spoken about it so far, not only about Paul's situation but also with other contracts expiring we also didn't speak about new players so far," Rangnick said.
"My focus now is to play the best possible season we can and to be as successful as we can be.
"For me he is now a new player and he can show me and the team and the fans and everyone in England how good and what high level he can play."
Prior to sustaining his injury, Pogba led the way in the Premier League for assists with seven from nine appearances, averaging exactly one assist per 90 minutes on the pitch.
Despite him missing United's last 15 matches, only Bruno Fernandes (10) has assisted more goals than Pogba (seven) for the Red Devils in all competitions this season.
However, Rangnick insisted the World Cup-winning midfielder is not assured of a starting place in the team.
"For Paul it is in his own interest to play on a high level to have a good performance and do everything to get into the first XI – that will not automatically happen," Rangnick said.
United host Middlesbrough aiming to build on a record of 28 wins from their last 31 home FA Cup matches against sides from a lower division.
Anthony Davis rued his last-gasp miss in the Los Angeles Lakers' dramatic loss to rivals the Los Angeles Clippers and acknowledged no one will feel sorry for the team's struggles.
In a dramatic conclusion to Thursday's contest, the lead changed hands five times in the final 63 seconds with Reggie Jackson's driving layup with four seconds on the clock proving decisive for the Clippers.
Davis, who had a team-high 30 points and 17 rebounds, had the chance to snatch it on the buzzer but he missed a running floater as time expired and the Lakers went down 111-110 to suffer a fourth defeat in five – all matches LeBron James has missed with knee soreness.
It was a tough pill to swallow for a Lakers side who had trailed by 17 points with four minutes left in the third quarter.
"I got the ball and the lane was open, I just watched it like seven times," a frustrated Davis said of his late play.
"I saw a lane, I mean the ball touched every part of the rim, can't ask for a better look. Tough play, tough miss, just frustration from the miss then just losing this one, but the guys fought hard, made big plays on both ends of the court.
"The ball was in, then just rolls out. So tough, tough play. It's a rivalry but not a rivalry. We always want to beat these guys and they're ahead of us in the standings so that's a frustration too."
The Lakers have had issues with their roster all season, with Davis and James missing significant parts of the campaign. Indeed since December 17, the Lakers – who are now 25-28 – have had James and Davis together in the line-up only once.
Carmelo Anthony also had to take a seat with a hamstring worry, an injury head coach Frank Vogel said will be further evaluated on Friday.
"We're fighting, dealing with injuries all year, COVID earlier in the year," Davis added.
"It's an uphill batter for us now, missing LB, gotta just keep plugging away, obviously no moral victories, no one will feel sorry for us, we don't want anyone feeling sorry for us.
"But we gotta find a way, keep pushing."
The Clippers are making quite the habit of earning dramatic wins. Since January 11, the team have had three victories in games where they have been behind by at least 24 points and on this occasion were taken to the wire having opened up a significant lead.
"We just want to give the fans their money’s worth," said Jackson, who finished with 25 points.
"We're confident in ourselves, how we play and our approach to the game. We never really got rattled."
The Clippers now sit at 27-27 for the season having won four of their past six matches.
Doug Pederson has been named as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL franchise announced on Thursday.
The Jaguars fired the previous man at the helm Urban Meyer back in December after a tumultuous 13-game spell in charge.
Super Bowl-winning coach Pederson was first interviewed by the Jags on December 30 and had a second one on Tuesday. Having spent the 2021 season out of the game, he has now secured a return to the NFL.
The 54-year-old previously spent five seasons at the Philadelphia Eagles between 2016 and 2020, making three playoff appearances and ending with a 42-37-1 record.
It was the 2017 season that was the jewel in Pederson's crown when, after going 13-3 in the regular season, the Eagles survived the loss of starting quarterback Carson Wentz to get through the playoffs and win Super Bowl LII 41-33 against the New England Patriots with backup QB Nick Foles.
Two more playoff appearances would follow but after going 4-11-1 in 2020, Pederson was fired at the end of that season.
"Doug Pederson four years ago won a Super Bowl as head coach of a franchise in pursuit of its first world championship," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said via a team statement.
"I hope Doug can replicate that magic here in Jacksonville, but what is certain is his proven leadership and experience as a winning head coach in the National Football League. It's exactly what our players deserve. Nothing less.
"Combine this with his acumen on the offensive side of the ball, and you have why I am proud to name Doug Pederson the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"I know our fans will warmly welcome Doug and his family to Duval and I personally look forward to having Doug as part of everything we envision for the team, downtown and community in the years ahead."
Mayer's brief tenure was riddled with issues, which included two videos going viral showing him dancing close a woman who was not his wife in Ohio in October.
There were reports of tensions between Meyer and the Jaguars players and coaches which included former kicker Josh Lambo alleging the head coach had kicked him in the leg while stretching in warm-ups prior to a practice.
Pederson inherits a team with a miserable record for over a decade. The Jaguars have lost 10 or more games in 10 of the of their previous 11 seasons, and have gone 4-29 over the previous two which included a 20-game losing streak – representing the second longest in the history of the NFL.
They went 3-14 in 2021 and will have the first pick in the NFL Draft.
Eleven months on from playing the roles of party poopers against the same opponents, France will this weekend set out on a journey that Fabien Galthie and his men will hope ends with the Six Nations trophy being held aloft at the Stade de France on March 19.
Les Blues denied Wales Grand Slam glory with an enthralling 32-30 victory in Paris in the Dragons' final match of an otherwise perfect 2021 campaign, snatching the win through an injury-time Brice Dulin try, but they ultimately fell short by finishing four points adrift in second.
Now on their longest run without winning the championship since joining the Five Nations in 1947, with their most recent triumph coming in 2010, France will consider anything other than first place this time around a real disappointment.
But if that is to happen, then Galthie's side have a number of obstacles to navigate, not least beating defending champions Wales – now one shy of England's record of seven Six Nations crowns – in Cardiff in the fourth round of fixtures.
Wales have been Six Nations champions four times in the last 10 years, yet few are giving them much of a chance this time around after failing to push on in the second half of 2021.
Wayne Pivac's side are without inspirational skipper Alun Wyn Jones and do not exactly have history on their side, having won back-to-back championships just once – doing so in 2012 and 2013 – but the Dragons do at least play three of their five matches on home soil.
A fast start is imperative but a first-round trip to in-form Ireland presents the reigning champions with arguably their toughest assignment of the tournament. Champions in 2018, four barren years would feel like a lifetime should Ireland miss out again.
Andy Farrell's charges are certainly not lacking momentum thanks to a strong end to the last campaign. Eight wins in a row, including a famous triumph over New Zealand in November – only their third win in that fixture in 33 meetings – has them riding the crest of a wave.
A lack of playing time at club level for certain players could hamper Ireland in their opener, however, setting up an intriguing game to kick things off on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium.
While it is clear what can be expected from France, Ireland and Wales, fellow heavyweights England enter this latest edition as something of an unknown quantity due to injury absentees, skipper Owen Farrell among them.
Tom Curry will have to step up and lead an inexperienced England side that contains seven players with 10 caps or fewer in their starting XV to face Scotland. It will make for a challenging six weeks from Eddie Jones' perspective, but one he will be relishing in his seventh Six Nations with the Red Rose.
England are one of two sides, along with Ireland, yet to collect the Wooden Spoon. That cannot be said of Italy, who have propped up the table in each of the last six years, that after finishing bottom only once in the previous four campaigns.
Another disappointing 2021 saw Italy lose all five matches as their losing run in the tournament stretched to 32 games, the longest such streak in either Five or Six Nations history.
Italy's place in future competitions continues to be debated, with a possible promotion and relegation system being touted by some, but for now the Azzurri will simply be focused on proving their doubters wrong by ending a long-running losing streak that stretches back to 2015.
While there are some promising signs at age-group level, it is hard to see past Italy claiming an unwanted 17th Wooden Spoon this time around, particularly with trips to Paris, Dublin and Cardiff to prepare for.
Exactly who Italy will battle it out for to avoid bottom spot is a tougher question to answer than predicting an overall winner, with Scotland one of those whose campaign could go either way.
Experienced but too inconsistent, Gregor Townsend's perennial dark horses need to find a way to string together a run of victories to remain in contention right until the end.
The hallmarks of a great team were there 12 months ago when enjoying more possession (58 per cent) and territory (55 per cent) than any other side, as well as managing the best tackle success rate (91 per cent), but there are still a number of issues that need to be ironed out.
That is a running theme throughout, though, and all adds to the unpredictability and excitement.
With fans back inside grounds, scores to be settled and no shortage of subplots, it is easy to see why this year's Six Nations is the most anticipated in several years.
Friday sees the official beginning of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, as the best of the best in cold-weather sports converge on Beijing.
Around 90 National Olympic Committees will participate, with approximately 2,900 athletes taking part in the 109 events at 13 different venues.
Some of the world's finest athletes will take to the snow or ice, though you may not necessarily know who in particular to look out for if you aren't a regular follower of winter sports.
Stats Perform has you covered, profiling seven of the most notable figures to keep an eye out for in Beijing…
Eileen Gu – Freestyle skiing
Nicknamed the "Snow Princess" in China, Gu will be one of the most intriguing athletes competing in these Games. The freestyle skier won two gold medals at both the Winter X Games 2021 and the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships.
Aside from being very good at her sport, Gu is also signed to a modelling agency and has appeared in local editions of Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.
The 18-year-old is very much a medal hopeful, which is why it delighted China when the Californian decided to represent the country of her mother's birth instead of the United States.
Francesco Friedrich – Bobsleigh
Germans are good at bobsledding, winning gold in every bobsleigh event at PyeongChang 2018, and driver Friedrich might just be the best of the bunch.
The 31-year-old won a shared gold medal in the two-man bobsled in PyeongChang (with Canada), and an outright gold in the four-man event.
Friedrich also led the squad that comfortably won gold at the 2021 IBSF World Championships in a time almost a full second faster than runners-up Latvia, and recently won the World Cup title despite the German four-man bobsleigh suffering its first defeat of the Olympic season in the final race before Beijing 2022, coming second to Latvia.
Mikaela Shiffrin – Alpine skiing
A two-time Olympic gold medallist, Shiffrin also won four medals at the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, including gold in the Alpine combined.
Other notable achievements include being the youngest slalom champion in Olympic Alpine skiing history, she has won the most world cup slalom races in history (45) and became the first Alpine skier to win the world championship in the same discipline (slalom) at four championships in a row.
Suzanne Schulting – Short track speed skating
The dominant Dutch athlete won gold in every event at the Speed Skating World Championships in March last year, becoming only the second female to do so.
Schulting won gold in 2018 in the 1000-metre race and will be hoping to win multiple short track events in Beijing.
In November, the 24-year-old gave an interview to the official Olympics website, saying: "I'm super motivated to train again and to do my best and become even better than last year. I want to go for gold at Beijing and of course to work for the upcoming World Cups."
Mikael Kingsbury – Freestyle skiing
Kingsbury might be the main one to watch early on in Beijing as he has already qualified for the freestyle skiing final, which takes place on Saturday.
The Canadian has won the most medals at the Freestyle World Championships of any male skier in history and is the reigning Olympic and world champion in the moguls.
Kingsbury started his Olympics on Thursday with a flawless run in qualifying to book an automatic spot in the final, finishing with a score of 81.15 at the Genting Snow Park.
Chloe Kim – Snowboarding
Snowboarding has become one of the most popular events at the Winter Olympics since it was first introduced in 1998.
One of the main snowboarders to keep an eye on in Beijing is Kim, who made history at PyeongChang 2018 when she won gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe at the age of just 17, becoming the youngest female competitor to win an Olympic snowboarding gold.
The American is also the current world, Olympic and X Games champion in the halfpipe and was the first to win all three titles.
Yuzuru Hanyu – Figure skating
The Japanese sensation has broken figure skating world records a staggering 19 times and has seven world championship medals and four Grand Prix titles to his name.
Hanyu is also a two-time Olympic champion and there is a tradition after each skate where his fans throw Winnie the Pooh cuddly toys onto the ice. But given the 2018 film was banned in China following social media comparisons between the cartoon bear and Chinese president Xi Jinping, it is perhaps for the best that only local spectators will be in attendance in Beijing.
The 27-year-old is aiming for a third consecutive title in the men's singles competition, which has not been achieved since 1928.
Bryson DeChambeau has withdrawn from the Saudi International ahead of the second round due to left hand and left hip injuries.
The 28-year-old struggled with an opening round of three-over-par 73 on Thursday, which included a triple-bogey seven at the seventh hole.
DeChambeau, who missed the cut in last week's Farmers Insurance Open, will now play no further part in the competition, with organisers confirming the news on Friday.
Matteo Manassero leads the way at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club after an opening-round 62, placing the Italian two strokes ahead of the chasing pack.
Dustin Johnson, who is a two-time winner in the Asian Tour's showpiece event, hit a five-under 65 to remain in the hunt.
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