By Andrew Baldock MIKE TINDALL believes whichever team "hits the ground running" could sprint towards this season's RBS 6 Nations title.

Tindall, back in Test match contention for England after recovering from injury that wrecked his World Cup hopes, supports the widely-held theory of there being no obvious favourite for the title.

England, having reached the World Cup final just three months ago, are probably in pole position, but there is a huge element of the unknown surrounding the competition.

Tindall said: "I think it will be one of the most open Six Nations.

"There are three new coaches, and you have teams like Ireland and Wales who didn't perform at the World Cup.

"The team that hits the ground running, the team that is the best at the start, could go through and take it."

Gloucester centre Tindall is expected to reclaim England's No.13 jersey for the opening Six Nations appointment with Wales at Twickenham.

That would mean a probable switch to full-back for exciting Newcastle prospect Mathew Tait, and Tindall is relishing the possibility of returning to England's midfield mix.

He has also consigned his World Cup frustration to history.

A broken leg sustained in Guinness Premiership action against Newcastle last April meant he faced a race against time to make England head coach Brian Ashton's selection deadlines.

The clock ultimately ticked on too far, but his form in Gloucester colours this term has shown he's ready to once again take centre-stage at international level.

Tindall added: "Obviously, when it got to the quarter-finals, the semifinals and the final of the World Cup, you wished you were out there.

"But I couldn't have done anything different with my leg, so there was no point in getting too down about it.

"It was just a fact of life that I was never going to be fit in time." Tindall produced some outstanding performances during last season's Six Nations, especially during the Twickenham victory over France, and being part of a high-class Gloucester back division maintains a burning desire to be successful.

Tindall has no doubt Lesley Vainikolo, in his first season of rugby union after joining Gloucester from league heavyweights Bradford Bulls, can make a mark with England.

Tindall added: "Les works really hard in being a team player.

"His mentality is that he would quite happily have a go at running through a brick wall for you.

"But it is not only that, it is his footwork as well. He knows where the try-line is and he knows how to draw five defenders and then off-load around the back of them.

"You talk about wanting to play a free-flowing game, and when he can suck in defenders and keep the ball alive, it provides a great asset to a team that is trying to move the ball.

"At the moment he is still feeling his way, but he is making his mark.

Imagine what he'll be like when he has 30 caps."

11:53am Tuesday 5th February 2008

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