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Guinness Men’s Six Nations: England v Italy

Date: Sunday, 9 March Kick-off: 15: 00 GMT Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

For England, Sunday is mission mundane.

Some would say they have already accomplished it several times over.

So far in the Six Nations, when on the turf, rather than in front of a microphone, their promises of moving the ball have turned out to mean in one direction: upwards, via the boot.

In three games, England have kicked 120 times in open play. No other team comes close to that total.

Italy, the next most kick-happy, have done so 100 times. Scotland are down at just 71.

While there is a logic and pedigree to the tactic, the Allianz Stadium crowd are not enamoured.

Several times against Scotland and France, they grumbled as Alex Mitchell or Fin Smith lined up a skywards hoof.

Yet, when both games came to the boil, the atmosphere was bubbling.

A pair of one-point, cliff-hanger victories kept 80-odd thousand in their seats and off their feet and England in the title hunt.

It has become England’s way.

Incredibly their last 15 matches against Six Nations or Rugby Championship opposition have all been decided by a single-digit margin. The average winning margin across those games is a skinny 3.5 points.

Victory in comfort and a bonus point in some style should be the aim.

Against an opponent they have beaten in all 31 of their previous meetings, England are strong enough to take the possibility of an upset out of the visitors ‘ hands.

An awkward bounce, a refereeing call, a moment of Azzurri genius – the hosts should have amassed enough points to insulate themselves against all such eventualities by the business end of the match.

The outcome certain, the bonus point secure, boring, but in a better way.

England have benched their most exciting player in pursuit of this goal.

Marcus Smith’s name registers the highest decibels when England’s team is announced before kick-off. If you ask any young fan who they are looking forward to seeing, invariably it is the Harlequins playmaker.

His nose for a gap, jagging step and instinctive unpredictability were England’s surest sources of tries throughout the autumn.

His faked drop-goal and blind-side dart produced the first against South Africa. His poked kick in behind Australia’s defence set up the opening score against the Wallabies. His interception and canter upfield put them ahead in the second half against New Zealand.

Each time though, they were pyrotechnics in losing efforts.

In search of more sustainable scoring, England have brought in some pre-heated cohesion, installing Fin Smith at fly-half and, after a year out the side, Fraser Dingwall at inside centre.

They are two of five Northampton players in the backline.

Had George Furbank been fit, Saints would surely be only one slot away from a full house.

“I watched the relationship between 9, 10 and 12 in training this week and have an understanding with each other that doesn’t take any communication”, said head coach Steve Borthwick this week.

Marcus Smith, who was told last week that he could be world class in his new full-back role, has been replaced at 15 by 32-year-old Elliot Daly.

It is just the latest shuffle that Borthwick, who has enviously highlighted the settled systems and experience of Ireland, France and Scotland, has made over the campaign.

A rookie 10 has come in, the Henry Slade-Ollie Lawrence centre partnership into which he has sunk considerable game time has come out, and three different full-backs have started across four matches.

The latest mix needs to work, not just for the nerves of the Twickenham regulars, but for the standings spreadsheet.

Whatever the result between Ireland and France in Dublin on Saturday, England will head into the final day as distinct outsiders for the title.

Once hooker Jamie George has been presented with a ceremonial cap denoting his 100th England appearance before kick-off, England will be concerned about racking up a big number of their own.

Italy were compliant last time out, fading fast in the second half as France ran in 11 tries in a 73-24 win in Rome.

They might not be this week.

Last year, they outscored England three tries to two, running them closer than ever in the Six Nations before succumbing 27-24.

Second row Federico Ruzza said that he and his team-mates have “looked each other in the face” after the France loss.

With runners like Ange Capuozzo, Monty Ioane and Tomasso Menoncello, they have flair, if they can reignite their physicality.

But for their title hopes and their fans ‘ belief in their progress and promises, England need to finish the fight standing among Roman wreckage.

Guinness Men’s Six Nations: England v Italy

Date: Sunday, 9 March Kick-off: 15: 00 GMT Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

For England, Sunday is mission mundane.

Some would say they have already accomplished it several times over.

So far in the Six Nations, when on the turf, rather than in front of a microphone, their promises of moving the ball have turned out to mean in one direction: upwards, via the boot.

In three games, England have kicked 120 times in open play. No other team comes close to that total.

Italy, the next most kick-happy, have done so 100 times. Scotland are down at just 71.

While there is a logic and pedigree to the tactic, the Allianz Stadium crowd are not enamoured.

Several times against Scotland and France, they grumbled as Alex Mitchell or Fin Smith lined up a skywards hoof.

Yet, when both games came to the boil, the atmosphere was bubbling.

A pair of one-point, cliff-hanger victories kept 80-odd thousand in their seats and off their feet and England in the title hunt.

It has become England’s way.

Incredibly their last 15 matches against Six Nations or Rugby Championship opposition have all been decided by a single-digit margin. The average winning margin across those games is a skinny 3.5 points.

Victory in comfort and a bonus point in some style should be the aim.

Against an opponent they have beaten in all 31 of their previous meetings, England are strong enough to take the possibility of an upset out of the visitors ‘ hands.

An awkward bounce, a refereeing call, a moment of Azzurri genius – the hosts should have amassed enough points to insulate themselves against all such eventualities by the business end of the match.

The outcome certain, the bonus point secure, boring, but in a better way.

England have benched their most exciting player in pursuit of this goal.

Marcus Smith’s name registers the highest decibels when England’s team is announced before kick-off. If you ask any young fan who they are looking forward to seeing, invariably it is the Harlequins playmaker.

His nose for a gap, jagging step and instinctive unpredictability were England’s surest sources of tries throughout the autumn.

His faked drop-goal and blind-side dart produced the first against South Africa. His poked kick in behind Australia’s defence set up the opening score against the Wallabies. His interception and canter upfield put them ahead in the second half against New Zealand.

Each time though, they were pyrotechnics in losing efforts.

In search of more sustainable scoring, England have brought in some pre-heated cohesion, installing Fin Smith at fly-half and, after a year out the side, Fraser Dingwall at inside centre.

They are two of five Northampton players in the backline.

Had George Furbank been fit, Saints would surely be only one slot away from a full house.

“I watched the relationship between 9, 10 and 12 in training this week and have an understanding with each other that doesn’t take any communication”, said head coach Steve Borthwick this week.

Marcus Smith, who was told last week that he could be world class in his new full-back role, has been replaced at 15 by 32-year-old Elliot Daly.

It is just the latest shuffle that Borthwick, who has enviously highlighted the settled systems and experience of Ireland, France and Scotland, has made over the campaign.

A rookie 10 has come in, the Henry Slade-Ollie Lawrence centre partnership into which he has sunk considerable game time has come out, and three different full-backs have started across four matches.

The latest mix needs to work, not just for the nerves of the Twickenham regulars, but for the standings spreadsheet.

Whatever the result between Ireland and France in Dublin on Saturday, England will head into the final day as distinct outsiders for the title.

But, given their current negative points difference, a failure to take five points from their meeting with Italy, would stretch their odds even longer.

Once hooker Jamie George has been presented with a ceremonial cap denoting his 100th England appearance before kick-off, England will be concerned about racking up a big number of their own.

Italy were compliant last time out, fading fast in the second half as France ran in 11 tries in a 73-24 win in Rome.

They might not be this week.

Last year, they outscored England three tries to two, running them closer than ever in the Six Nations before succumbing 27-24.

Second row Federico Ruzza said that he and his team-mates have “looked each other in the face” after the France loss.

With runners like Ange Capuozzo, Monty Ioane and Tomasso Menoncello, they have flair, if they can reignite their physicality.

But for their title hopes and their fans ‘ belief in their progress and promises, England need to finish the fight standing among Roman wreckage.

Men’s Six Nations: Ireland v France

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday, 8 March Kick-off: 14: 15 GMT

Hype, high stakes and history. Saturday’s Six Nations showdown between Ireland and France has it all.

Having claimed the past three titles (France in 2022, Ireland in 2023 and 2024), a penultimate-round fixture between the northern hemisphere’s top two loomed large over the opening weeks of the competition.

And while France’s defeat by England in round two ended the possibility of a ‘ Grand Slam shootout’, the big picture is still beautifully poised.

Ireland are two wins from the Grand Slam and a historic hat-trick of titles, but could win the championship with a game to spare on Saturday.

France are best placed to stop them. Victory on Saturday would put Les Bleus in the driving seat with England – who play Italy on Sunday – still very much in the mix.

When green meets blue, it is usually unmissable. On France’s last visit to Dublin two years ago, Ireland won an enthralling slugfest, now regularly mentioned in ‘ greatest Six Nations games ‘ conversations.

Last year in Marseille, Ireland roared to a 38-17 win. Antoine Dupont was absent and Paul Willemse’s first-half red card hampered the French cause, but it was still looked upon as a statement Irish triumph.

First, the fallout from Garry Ringrose’s suspension has stirred tensions. Ringrose was handed a three-game ban following his red card against Wales. It will be reduced to two if he attends World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme.

Given the ban covered Leinster’s game with Cardiff last week, Ringrose should be back to face Italy next week, which former Irish international Donncha O’Callaghan labelled “incredibly lucky”.

France’s Romain Ntamack was not so fortunate. After being red carded against Wales, the fly-half’s ban did not include one of Toulouse’s Top 14 games and he subsequently missed France’s defeat by England and win in Italy.

Their return has, however, been overshadowed by the ‘ Bomb Squad’.

Having trialled it in the crushing win over Italy, head coach Fabien Galthie has stuck with the bold tactic of packing seven forwards and just one back on to his bench.

In Rome, six France forwards were introduced at the same time. It did not backfire then, but using it against a superior pack – albeit one still shorn of Tadhg Furlong – is an audacious move by Galthie, whose future could hinge on how Saturday goes.

Beyond plumping for the 7: 1 bench, Galthie has done his bit to stir the pot in the build-up by calling for “decisive and consistent refereeing” from Australian official Angus Gardner.

Galthie referenced James Lowe’s try in the 2023 fixture, which was awarded to Ireland after a lengthy TMO review to determine whether his foot had been in touch before he spectacularly finished in the corner.

Ireland, of course, faced – and toppled – a ‘ Bomb Squad ‘ before in their World Cup pool-stage win over South Africa in 2023.

Here, Irish interim boss Simon Easterby has reverted to a six-two split for the first time since last year’s loss to England.

In that game, Ireland lost starting wing Calvin Nash and his replacement Ciaran Frawley to failed head injury assessments, leaving influential scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park on the wing for the last 30 minutes.

Against France, Easterby has picked Conor Murray and Jack Crowley as the backline replacements and Jamie Osborne – a left-footed full-back – on the right wing in Mack Hansen’s absence.

Again, it is a gamble: Osborne has never played there, but his versatility – he can also cover 15, 12 and 11 – has convinced Easterby that this is the best path to victory.

Osborne will come up against France’s jet-heeled winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who already has five tries in this year’s tournament. Bielle-Biarrey is faster than Osborne, but the Irish coaches must feel the Leinster player can win the aerial battle.

James Lowe v Penaud on the opposite wing should prove equally fascinating.

Saturday will be a Dublin farewell for the trio – who boast a combined 372 Test outings – before next week’s trip to Italy, while fit-again captain Caelan Doris, Finlay Bealham and Jack Conan will all win their 50th caps.

Harnessing the prospect of a fitting Aviva Stadium send-off for former captain O’Mahony, most-capped player Healy and three-time British and Irish Lion Murray could be an added weapon in the holders ‘ armoury.

“I suppose you don’t want to get overly emotional and make it too big a thing and get sidetracked from the main objective”, Doris said of the legendary trio’s home swansong.