Is turning Six Nations into Seven the solution to dilemma over Italy?

Late on Saturday night in Edinburgh’s Old Town as we walked back to our hotel, the strains of a familiar tune floated past on the chill, gusty breeze. In the pub around the corner they were still having a grand old time and a loud rendition of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” was in full swing. Travelling revellers, fellowship, simple pleasures: if you were to bottle the essence of the Six Nations it was right there.

The opening weekend of rugby was enjoyable, too, give or take the inclement weather. The grounds were sold out and the singing of the anthems was as heartfelt as ever. There were record viewing figures on French television, with seven million apparently tuning in to watch the end of Sunday’s game against Italy. The Monday papers were full of lively follow-up and round two cannot come around quickly enough.

So the obvious question is this: how would you improve the men’s championship from here? Not in the parochial I-hope-our-lot-win sense but for the greater good. More teams? Fewer teams? Teams from the southern hemisphere? More John Denver? Or make no changes at all? Right now is the ideal moment to revisit the debate, with sodden clothes still drying and memories of a classic weekend still fresh.

Let us start with the annual conversation about Italy, currently on 33 successive Six Nations defeats and counting. The former British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton, speaking on the BBC’s revamped Rugby Special, reiterated his view that the “glass ceiling” protecting the Azzurri from dropping out of the championship and being replaced by, say, Georgia would not be permitted in any other forward-thinking business or industry.

Then again, maybe Warburton should have checked out the weekend results from the Rugby