FOR all the talk about the scrap on the breakdown between Sam Warburton and Chris Robshaw, the ability of George Ford to cling onto Jamie Roberts, how referee Jerome Garces will scrutinise the scrum or even the affect of the Millennium Stadium roof being open, tonight's Six Nations opener is likely to come down to the battle of the boot.

Kicking is key in modern rugby. With teams organised and defensively sound there isn't a great deal of space to attack, therefore it's prudent to put boot to ball, getting out of your own half and tempting the opposition to make an error in attempting to run out of their territory.

That's been a noticeable trend, whether when New Zealand were in Europe last autumn or when watching Newport Gwent Dragons this season.

When Warren Gatland named his squad for the Six Nations he said that he expect the English to follow the All Blacks' blueprint.

"Teams are probably going to come and kick the leather off against us," he said. "We expect England to kick everything and we have got to be prepared for that."

This week his opinion had changed.

"I think (fly-half) Ford will attack us," he said. "But I don't think England have got anything to lose by going out and trying to play rugby because they've got the ability to take any team in the world on up front, so that's a challenge and I think we'll see a great game."

Gatland being mischievous? Perhaps.

England do not boast the experience of their Welsh counterparts and are particularly green at 10-12-13 with Ford having the new midfield partnership of Luther Burrell and Jonathan Joseph on his outside.

Tonight's visitors boast plenty of dangerous running talent in their ranks but Wales would love them to play with a little bit too much exuberance, tempting them to run from deep and getting into trouble.

Expect the right boots of Biggar and Halfpenny plus the left peg of centre Jonathan Davies to be used plenty of times, with the English countering through Ben Youngs, Ford and Mike Brown.

What is for sure is that Wales will want a game where they can unleash centre Roberts and wing George North from first phase, attempting to exploit the untested combination of Ford, Burrell and Joseph.

That will put the pressure on Richard Hibbard to hit his men and there he is aided by the injury of England lock Geoff Parling, a man that might not possess the bulk of many Test locks but a shrewd operator at the lineout.

And then the scrum, a facet of the game that has the potential to bamboozle a bumper television audience.

In 2013 it was England forwards coach Graham Rowntree who was fuming at referee Steve Walsh and last year it was his Wales counterpart Robin McBryde who was angered at the decisions of Romain Poite.

Welsh hopes rest on tighthead Samson Lee getting on the right side of Monsieur Garces because his back-up Aaron Jarvis isn't much of a scrummager.

England are without a raft of players and it is credit to the strength of the Aviva Premiership that they can still name a formidable side. Nonetheless, if I had to pick Welsh or English from the respective XVs it would be largely red.

Predictions are always dangerous and in 2013 I went for a narrow Welsh win with England denied the Grand Slam but taking the Six Nations title.

Warburton & Co left me with egg on my face that evening but I will go for the same again. Wales by under a score.

Wales: L Halfpenny, A Cuthbert, J Davies, J Roberts, G North, D Biggar, R Webb, G Jenkins, R Hibbard, S Lee, J Ball, A W Jones, D Lydiate, S Warburton (captain), T Faletau. Replacements: S Baldwin, P James, A Jarvis, L Charteris, J Tipuric, M Phillips, R Priestland, L Williams.

England: M Brown, A Watson, J Joseph, L Burrell, J May, G Ford, B Youngs, J Marler, D Hartley, D Cole, D Attwood, G Kruis, J Haskell, C Robshaw (captain), B Vunipola. Replacements: T Youngs, M Vunipola, K Brookes, N Easter, T Croft, R Wigglesworth, D Cipriani, B Twelvetrees.

Referee: Jerome Garces