Six Nations captains select their players to watch

Sky Sports News HQ's Jamie Weir attended last week's Six Nations launch in London and asked all six captains for their player to watch in this year's championship.

Rory Best: Robbie Henshaw

Henshaw started all of Ireland's matches in last year's victorious Six Nations, scoring a try against England along the way. He's a firm favourite of Joe Schmidt's; dynamic in attack but robust defensively.

Although used exclusively by Schmidt as a centre, Henshaw has played much of his club rugby at Connacht at full-back. Having come back from almost six weeks out with a fractured hand, his captain believes he's ready to make the Ireland No 12 jersey his own.

"He's come back from that injury and he's looked really sharp in training," said Best. "He's still so young even though it seems he's been around for a while, and he's just getting better and better."

Dylan Hartley: Paul Hill

Hartley's plumped for his Northampton team-mate, who looks almost certain to make his England debut from the bench at Murrayfield.

Only 20-years-old, a remarkably tender age for a tighthead prop, Hill has come through the England age group teams, winning a Junior World Championship in 2014.

He's already made a name for himself as a powerful, technically-sound player in the scrum and appears to have nailed down the No 3 jersey at Saints.

"Paul Hill - simple, honest hard-working guy," said Hartley. "Young for a tighthead, but potential. Could be huge."

Sam Warburton: George North

Sam hasn't exactly gone for a 'bolter'; North is a player rugby fans the world over know well.

Still, incredibly, only 23 years of age, he's already amassed 55 caps for his country and a further three for the British and Irish Lions. A man-mountain for a winger, with speed and power in equal measure, North has been beating defences since making his Wales debut as a teenager.

North scored a hat-trick against Italy amid the final-day pandemonium last year and has already won two Six Nations titles.

"I'd always say George North because he's got that X-Factor, he's got that amazing ability with ball in hand," said Warburton.

"Regardless of how he's been playing recently, George North on the big stage can always turn it on"

Guilhem Guirado: Camille Chat

France's new captain has taken the curious step of putting forward his understudy at hooker as his one to watch!

Like Paul Hill, Chat is uncapped and just 20-years-old, but his performances for Racing 92 this season have clearly caught the eye of France's new head coach Guy Noves. Playing a key role for a side who have waltzed through their Champions Cup pool and sit top of the Top 14 will no doubt have helped his cause.

Guirado says Chat's performances in training are keeping him honest and that he's just one of a number of young players coming through the French system.

"He showed what he's capable of in the championship at the start of the season," said Guirado. "It's good that there are young players like that who push us. It allows us to question ourselves and to work hard to show what we can do."

Sergio Parisse: Jonathan Danty

Parisse nominates a Frenchman rather than an Italian as his one to watch. Hardly surprising perhaps, given the Italy skipper has been plying his trade at Stade Francais for more than a decade and Danty is one of his team-mates there.

A stocky, human wrecking-ball of a centre, Danty was the Top 14's Young Player of the Year last season, but he's far from one-dimensional. His power and ability to make yards are matched by his skills with ball in hand.

Danty's peak so far has been representing France at U20 level, but under the new Noves era, it's surely a matter of time before he wins his first cap at senior level.

"I think he's really progressed a lot in the last three or four years," said Parisse "He's really young, really strong, really solid in defence but he's progressed a lot in attack.

"Hopefully not in the first match against us in Paris - but hopefully for the rest of the Six Nations he puts in a good performance."

Greig Laidlaw: Jonny Gray

Together with his older brother Richie, the pair form Scotland's towering second row, dynamic in the loose and supreme at the lineout.

Jonny Gray has already blossomed into a world-class player and, if he continues his relentless progress, many are tipping him to challenge for a starting Test place when the Lions tour New Zealand next summer.

And he's a leader too; Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend has already seen fit to bestow the captaincy on his 21-year-old lock.

"Jonny Gray is somebody that I'm a big fan of," said Scotland skipper Laidlaw.

"He goes about his work very smartly and for a big forward he's comfortable on the ball. I'm pretty sure he's going to come to the party."