Bill McLaren on the Six Nations

With the Six Nations just around the corner, BBC Sport's legendary rugby commentator Bill McLaren answers your e-mails.

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Bill McLaren enters his 51st year of rugby commentary with England preparing to defend their Six Nations title.

The tournament kicks off on 2 February, with France entertaining Italy and England hosting Scotland.

And Bill was on hand to answer your Six Nations e-mails ahead of the big event.

real 14k Click here to listen to Bill

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Michael Buckley, Ireland

In your opinion, who was the greatest ever Irish rugby player? Mike Gibson? Fergus Slattery? Willie John McBride? Brian O'Driscoll?

You've certainly picked some beauties there, young fellow! I have a tremendous admiration for all of those fellows, but I always regarded Mike Gibson as probably the best-equipped player I've ever seen. Although he was a slim fellow, he tackled like the crack of doom - he had a sniff for tries, he was strong and he was tactically very astute.

I think he is the very best Irish player I've ever seen. With Fergus Slattery, you just wound him up and set him running - he never stopped, and Willie John was one of the all-time greats.

I'll never forget the applause he got when he scored the try against France - I think it was his first for Ireland, and the applause just told you what the Irish people think of the great man.

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Dai Wright, Wales

Who in your view is the greatest Welsh British Lion? I realise that the Welsh '70's greats may be the first choice but I'd like Bill to also consider some of the players who have long been forgotten.

Gareth Edwards was the great one. He would always be at the top of list at scrum-half, and would always be in the World XV. At the same time, you have to give credit to the likes of Mervyn Davis, who really came on the scene as a long kind of 'stringy bean' out of London Welsh, and developed into one of the greatest number eight forwards the game has ever seen.

When it comes to backs, you've got the likes of Barry John, who was a ghost-like figure - he never seemed to be running fast, but he always seemed to be travelling on top of the ground, and he could send people the wrong way.

I think the greatest wing I have ever seen, along with David Campese, would be Gerald Davies. I've often said that Davies was one player I would have hated to have to mark, because he would leave you sitting on your backside wondering what had happened.

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Alistair Brumage, England

Congratulations on your induction to the Rugby Hall of Fame. A thoroughly well deserved honor as you are the voice of rugby and I have enjoyed your commentary over the years.

My question is this: You have Rob Andrew listed in your World XV and I will always remember his drop goal versus the Aussies in the 1995 World Cup. Do you think that others are too quick to voice their concerns and opinions to the media about matters on and off the field or should they be able to do so more freely without the threat of vilification and censure?

I think players like to be protected from the media, as it can very quickly put players in difficulty. Young players aren't used to dealing with the media, and I think it's important that rugby as a whole protects them from it.

On the other hand, you don't want to stifle comment, so it's a tricky little balance you have there. Certainly guys have got to be careful, because you can get yourself into trouble if you're quoted saying something that perhaps you wish you hadn't.

We saw a lot of that during the Lions' tour, didn't we? There's been a lot of discussion as to whether comments should be published whilst teams are playing, and the press themselves play a large part with regular columns and features.

Of course. The press have got to get their articles, and you can understand that as well - I've been a newspaper man locally, and you want to get your stories right. On the other hand it's important to protect the players and the game, and that has to be part and parcel of it.

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John Williams, Wales

Who is the most exciting player to participate in the Six Nations this year?

Scotland have a young player called Chris Patterson, who can play in several positions, although stand-off would be his favourite. He's a very complete young player - quick, come off either foot, and with a good tactical brain.

There's a host of others. Johnny Wilkinson for England is not only a great goal kicker, but a very astute tactician as well. Those two, and a number of others will decorate the Six Nations, and I'm hoping we get a tournament in which there is a lot of fluency and we get a pile of tries and not that many penalty goals.

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James Dale, Canada

Have penalty goals become much too important, and should they be reduced to two points?

That's a good argument; because there's no doubt that some of the big scores we've had haven't unfortunately featured eight or nine tries, but eight or nine penalty goals. A lot of players, quite naturally, try to get away with things, and the referee has got to deal with what he sees.

On the other hand I think that referees have got to try and play the advantage law as much as they can. I think probably the southern Hemisphere refs tend to do this better, in order to keep the game flowing.

Maybe some of our refs will have to copy that a bit, although on the other hand you want to make it clear to the players that there are laws, and it's up to them to know them.

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David Chalmers, Australia

What more should Scotland do, in your opinion, to try and remain competitive in the years ahead?

Scotland will always be competitive. They're a small country, and their success will always come between little dribs and drabs - and often between long hungers. But that makes the whole country lift its arms in exultation when they do win a Grand Slam.

There is some concern in Scotland about Southern hemisphere players coming over, with quite acceptable qualifications - grandparents, etc. But I think there is some resentment that there are a number of those now playing in the Scottish team, and knocking on the door of the Scottish team, to the detriment of young Scottish players.

There is a concern that encouragement of the youngsters has got to be strong and secure, and that there shouldn't be too many of the Southern hemisphere players coming over.

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Jonathan Young, Scot living in England

As an eternal optimist I hope one day to witness Scotland winning the World Cup- do you think this is possible?

It's possible, but it will be hard. As I've mentioned, rugby isn't the number one game in Scotland, whereas it is in New Zealand, South Africa and so on. I think the up coming six Nations, Scotland's main concern should be to try to turn possession into points.

I think there's a lack of a cutting edge in the Scottish back division, and it's going to be very important that when they do win quality ball they make the best of it.

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Phil Brough, Australia

The finest game of rugby I have ever seen was the first Lions Test in Brisbane 2001 as an Englishman down under I didn't think the Lions where possible of such quality rugby. How does it rate with all the games you've seen?

I love matches in which there is fluency, and the ball is handled a lot. I remember Scotland v Wales at Murrrayfield in 1963, in which there were 111 line-outs. The game was dying then, but it certainly isn't now.

There's no doubt that forward flowing rugby is the king of stuff that helps commentary. Commentary depends on what happens on the field, and if you get a game like that it sweeps the commentary along. I can remember one game between Scotland and Ireland about six years ago, when the final score was 37-21.

I think there were about six tries, and that was an absolute delight to commentate on because the ball flowed and there was action all the time.

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Tony Fagan, Wales

It says a lot that you can always find something great to say about everyone - unlike most of your critical colleagues. It really warms the heart to listen to you.

That's very kind - I'm at risk of getting conceited, and it'll take my wife to cut me down to size! That's a lovely thought and I'm so grateful for it.

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Mike Chambers, Canada

I am always impressed by your commentary in International matches, especially your masterful adroitness in regards to statistics. Where do you access such facts?

I've just built them up over the years. I have a spare room here that my wife calls a rubbish dump! All my records are in there, and she's banned from it, because she'd tidy it up and I wouldn't be able find anything.

I've tried to keep statistical stuff over all the years I've been broadcasting, and generally speaking I can more or less find whatever it is I need to know. But nobody else goes into the rubbish dump - that's my area!