Paul O’Connell led from the front for Ireland in what was likely to be his Six Nations swansong, his first try in the championship for 10 years setting his team on their way to a 40-10 victory over Scotland and putting them ahead of Wales in the dramatic last day of title race.

England, Ireland, Wales and France go into the final day of the Six Nations with a chance to win the title.

Leicester lock Geoff Parling was recalled to the line-up by England head coach Stuart Lancaster for Saturday's decisive Six Nations showdown with France at Twickenham.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre praised his side’s resilience after they bounced back from two successive defeats in the Six Nations to overcome Italy in a scrappy match in Rome on Sunday.

“More clinical”, “tidy ourselves up a bit”, “just a little more accuracy” – England’s players and coaches found a variety of ways to stress the urgent need for improvement as they reflected on the confused performance that just about secured victory over Scotland on Saturday.

History is on the line on Saturday for Ireland in Cardiff where victory over Wales in the Six Nations could pave the way for far greater celebrations.

Ireland took a major step towards retaining their Six Nations title with a pulsating 19-9 victory over England on Sunday to become the only side to win their opening three games.

Warren Gatland believes Wales must avoid getting dragged into a dogfight if they are to beat Ireland in the Six Nations in two weeks.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre admitted that Les Bleus were “not a great team” after their 20-13 home defeat by Wales in the Six Nations on Saturday.

Italy earned a last-minute penalty try to beat Scotland 22-19 at Murrayfield for their first Six Nations win in two years on Saturday.

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt believes if Six Nations champions Ireland defeat England at Lansdowne Road on Sunday it will be the team's biggest win since he took over in 2013.

Wales and British & Irish Lions winger George North will reach his half-century of international appearances in record time when he runs out against France in the Six Nations on Saturday, when he will be looking to continue his purple patch of form against Les Bleus.

A Six Nations disciplinary committee has banned French lock Pascal Pape for 10 weeks for a knee-in-the-back foul that left Ireland's Jamie Heaslip with three fractured vertebrae.

Stuart Lancaster insists his England side "must improve again" if they are to continue their fine assault on the Six Nations Championship and beat the Irish in their own backyard in two weeks.

Ireland's hopes of avenging last year's defeat by England hinges on the defending Six Nations champions putting their scoring chances away when they meet in two weeks, said Irish coach Joe Schmidt.

The overriding Welsh emotion was relief after a bruising 26-23 victory over Scotland on Sunday revitalised their Six Nations campaign following last week’s painful home loss to England.

Centre Jonathan Joseph grabbed a brace of tries as England gained their second win in the Six Nations Championship and swept aside a brave Italian side 47-17 with a dominant second-half display at Twickenham on Saturday.

France limped to an unspectacular 15-8 victory over a spirited Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday.

Wales captain Sam Warburton’s 50th international appearance did not end as he had envisaged but the flanker gave credit to England for spoiling his milestone with a 21-16 Six Nations victory on Friday.

England bagged early World Cup bragging rights by clawing back a 10-point deficit to claim a thrilling 21-16 victory over Wales in the opening match of the Six Nations on Friday.

Scotland have beaten France only once in their last 15 clashes and last won in Paris in 1999, but under New Zealander Vern Cotter, their hosts to Saturday's match are expecting a much improved challenge.

Wales versus England remains a rugby test match that never fails to whet the appetite and stir emotions, and this year there is the added spice of a World Cup largely on English soil in which the two long-time rivals have been drawn in the same tough pool.

This season’s edition of the Six Nations Championship will see fifty percent of the coaches come from New Zealand and when the tournament begins in Cardiff on Friday, it’s possible, if unlikely due to form and fitness, that both the Wales fly-half and the England hooker could be native Kiwis.

Sam Burgess endured an underwhelming debut for England Saxons as he failed to showcase his credentials for a Six Nations call-up in his team's 18-9 victory over the Ireland Wolfhounds on Friday.

Rugby League convert Sam Burgess could see his bid to gain a place in England’s World Cup squad given a boost by the injury crisis engulfing Stuart Lancaster’s back division just weeks before the Six Nations starts.

There was already a strong Kiwi feel to this season's Six Nations, with 50 per cent of the competing coaches hailing from New Zealand – namely Warren Gatland (Wales), Joe Schmidt (Ireland) and Vern Cotter (Scotland).

Northampton captain Dylan Hartley could be suspended for the start of England's Six Nations campaign after he was sent off for elbowing an opponent in his side's 23-19 win over Leicester on Saturday.