by RivalsDM

Continuing our commitment to bringing you the best in everything related to rugby, we have teamed up with Sporting Index, world leaders in sports spread betting and the company behind BetHiLo, to see what they think will happen over the next few weeks and which team will be taking the Six Nations title this year. They are all big rugby fans over there, and so have come up with some very generous free bet and cashback offers for both new and existing clients - there is definitely a few quid to be made …

go in to this year's campaign as slight favourites with the bookies to retain the title and add another Grand Slam to their run of good form. However, the team will be significantly different from that which conquered Australia last year. Indeed, the following 13 of Woodward's World Cup squad will not be travelling to this weekend, through injury, retirement or being dropped: Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Neil Back, Kyran Bracken, Mike Catt, Dan Luger, Lewis Moody, Mike Tindall, Martin Corry, Stuart Abbott, Julian White and Dorian West.

, on the other hand, are able to field most of their key players. Of their squad, 16 out of 22 play for the three French teams still in the Heineken Cup quarter finals. If the promise and kicking ability shown by stand-off Freddie Michalak is fulfilled (second-highest RWC points-scorer, behind 'Sir' Jonny), then have a real chance of snatching the crown back from …

will miss their captain Brian O'Driscoll in their tough opener against Les Bleus in the Stade de ; the camp have however said that he should return for the rest of the series.

And what about the surprise Six Nations form team, ?!? If you had backed 's points supremacy in all of their matches at the last Six Nations, you would have cleared up with Sporting Index! They are an underrated side who regularly beat their spread betting handicap (supremacy) i.e. how many points the winning team beat their opposition by.

Trader's Tips:

The senior rugby trader at Sporting Index said: "I wouldn't like to pick a definite winner at the moment- it will all come down to the final match between and . It'll be worth keeping an eye on 's Joe Worsley, a dynamic flanker who adds pace to the game, and 's Serge Betsen who just manages to get everywhere! Looking elsewhere, Welsh winger Shane Williams will be looking to build on his run of 13 tries in 13 internationals- his magic feet take him through gaps that aren't there!"

Sporting Index have a huge range of markets on the Six Nations, many of which will be updated live in-running (i.e. during the game), and to tempt you in they have come up with some new free bet offers.

Free Bet Offers:

They are offering a FREE £100 total tries spread bet, on any Six Nations match, to anyone who opens an account and places 10 bets before March 27 i.e. a free £100 per try bet in a match (both teams count!). Alternatively, you could just take the FREE £100 cashback!

And that's not all. All users (new and existing) can claim three free bets on:- SUPREMACY (how many points one team will beat the other by)- TOTAL POINTS (the total points in a game) and/or- TRY-SCORERS' SHIRT NUMBERS (sum total of the shirt numbers of everyone who scores a try in the match)

All you have to do is place nine or more bets on a particular market during the first 12 matches of the Six Nations and they'll give you a free bet on the same market for v .

So what are you waiting for? A couple of spread bets will make your viewing a lot more enjoyable, and you could win a few quid in the process. To find out more and open your account, click here: http://ict.sportingindex.com/scripts/ict.dll?click?6295_sp3.