Three-in-a-row? Not according to this lot.

22 pundits from the BBC, The Guardian, and The Telegraph were asked who would win the 2016 Six Nations. None of them picked the champions. Joe Schmidt has chosen his team for the opening clash with Wales on Sunday but, according to the British media, he might as well not bother putting so much craft and thought into it because Ireland's chances are doomed apparently. In fact, of the 22 experts that gave their views on the tournament, only three of them saw fit to put Ireland finishing in the top two - and one of them was Irish legend, Keith Wood. Five of them had Schmidt's men hovering just above Italy in the wooden spoon stakes. That's right, the disrespect and the disregard is real.

Who will win the Six Nations?

BBC Jonathan Davies: Wales Jeremy Guscott: Wales Keith Wood: Wales Andy Nicol: Wales The Telegraph Mick Cleary: Wales Steve James: Wales Ian McGeechan: Wales Daniel Schofield: England Gavin Mairs: Wales Brian Moore: Wales Tom Cary: Wales James Corrigan: Wales Giles Mole: Wales Charlie Morgan: Wales Oliver Brown: England Richard Bath: Wales Paul Hayward: Wales The Guardian Robert Kitson: Wales Dean Ryan: Wales Michael Aylwin: Wales Andy Bull: Wales Paul Rees: Wales

Where will Ireland finish?

BBC The Telegraph Mick Cleary: 3rd Steve James: 3rd Ian McGeechan: 4th Daniel Schofield: 3rd Gavin Mairs: 2nd Brian Moore: Joint 3rd - 5th Tom Cary: 3rd James Corrigan: 5th Giles Mole: 3rd Charlie Morgan: 5th Oliver Brown: 3rd Richard Bath: 3rd Paul Hayward: 4th The Guardian Robert Kitson: 3rd Dean Ryan: 3rd Michael Aylwin: 5th Andy Bull: 2nd Paul Rees: 4th