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For once the Contrarian is supporting a favourite, albeit with a twist. Here's why he thinks England will win the Grand Slam this year in the Six Nations at 6.4...

England head into the tournament with momentum

For the first time since 2006, England beat one of the Southern Hemisphere's big three in an autumn international with an emphatic 35-18 victory over Australia in November at Twickenham. Australia then humiliated Six Nations holders France 59-16 a fortnight later. Outsiders Scotland were the only other European side to enjoy a win over a top-three ranked country (21-17 over South Africa) a success that owed more to an inspired display by fly-half Dan Parks, who scored all the points with his feet, than a heroic team effort.

Johnson has finally assembled a competitive squad

The consecutive victories over Australia (England also won 21-20 in Sydney in June), the first England have strung together against the Wallabies since lifting the World Cup in 2003 and all the more impressive for coming after a run of five defeats in six in the grudge clash, have not only galvanised a previously struggling side, they've vindicated coach Martin Johnson. The 40-year-old had largely struggled since succeeding Brian Ashton in 2008 but performances in the second half of 2010 won round many doubters, as it appears that the World Cup winner's vision is starting to come into fruition, with the youngsters he has entrusted such as Ben Foden and Chris Ashton flourishing as they gain more experience.

The Grand Slam isn't an incredible achievement

In seven of the last nine years, including each of the last three, the Six Nations champions have signed off with a perfect record, suggesting that if you win your first two, it's surprisingly easy to maintain a winning streak. Those statistics indicate that odds of 1.7 on nobody delivering a Slam are there to be laid and England, both as 2.92 competition frontrunners and the pacesetters when it comes to most Grand Slams, have to be fancied to maintain the recent trend by getting to March with a 100 per cent win rate for the 13th time.

It's a World Cup year

England regularly raise their game at the World Cup, reaching the last two finals and getting to at least the semi-finals in four of the last five. They also tend to prepare for the big occasion with strong displays in the Six Nations. They've won the Grand Slam in three of the last five World Cup years - with their 2003 triumph undeniably setting the stage for their World Cup assault - a vast improvement on their showings in the other 18 years of that period, winning four Six Nations with only one Grand Slam.

Ashton is going to have a huge impact

Twenty-three-year-old Northampton Saints star Ashton is arguably the most dangerous winger in the northern hemisphere right now having scored 78 tries in 81 games at club level, a record that saw him named Aviva Premiership player of the season last term, while he has already provided three in seven outings for England. He is also a fresh threat at this level, first appearing in the Six Nations in the final fixture last year against France. A prolific winger can make all the difference, as Shane Williams and Tommy Bowe proved in Wales and Ireland's respective 2008 and 2009 Grand Slam wins.

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