Italy's Jake Polledri will undergo shoulder surgery that is set to rule him out of the rest of the Six Nations, a week after his return against England.

The 27-year-old only made his first appearance for the Azzurri since November 2020 during his side's 31-14 defeat at Twickenham last Saturday.

A long-term lay-off with a knee ligament injury sustained against Scotland kept the forward out for over a year and a half, before his Gloucester form earned a recall this term.

Now, the Italian Rugby Federation has confirmed he will undergo surgery for a shoulder problem that was discovered after he was forced off for a HIA in the closing stages against England.

"Jake Polledri [had a] pain in his right shoulder which led to the discovery of an injury," read a federation statement.

"The examination he underwent revealed the involvement of the rotator cuff tendons. The specialist consultation carried out at his club recommended surgery.

"The prognosis of the injury sustained and the consequent duration of recovery will be evaluated based on the outcome of the scheduled surgery."

Italy have lost both of their opening Six Nations fixtures under coach Kieran Crowley this year, but came close to scoring a major upset in their opener against championship holders France.

Kieran Crowley's side will next face frontrunners Ireland at Rome's Stadio Olimpico next Saturday before another home clash with Wales as they continue to step up preparations ahead of this year's Rugby World Cup.

The Azzurri will compete in Pool A, alongside France, New Zealand, Uruguay and Namibia.

France have recalled Jonathan Danty ahead of their Six Nations clash with Scotland.

Les Bleus' hopes of a second straight Grand Slam faded last week as they went down 32-19 in Dublin.

In-form Scotland head to Paris next week with a third straight win in their sights, but France will have centre Danty to call on.

Danty has won 18 caps for France and seemed set to be a key player for Fabien Galthie until he sustained a posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in late December.

He was expected to miss the entirety of the tournament, but in a boost to Galthie has recovered ahead of schedule.

Uini Atonio's suspension, meanwhile, means a call-up to the 42-man squad for Thomas Laclayat.

Wales coach Warren Gatland is "confident" strike action will be averted and his team's Six Nations game against England will go ahead next week.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the Welsh regions have insisted there is "no room for manoeuvre" on player contract renewals, with internationals in Gatland's squad reportedly considering whether they should refuse to play.

Under a six-year agreement that has, according to the WRU, been verbally agreed, players in Wales are set to receive lower wages, with bonuses introduced to contracts.

WRU interim chief executive Nigel Walker met with senior members of Wales' squad to "further clarify" the governing body's position on Wednesday, and there is a February 28 deadline in place.

That falls three days after Wales take on England at the Principality Stadium.

Sitting alongside former captain Alun Wyn Jones at a press conference, Gatland was asked about the potential for a strike and said: "You have to talk to Alun Wyn about that. As far as I'm concerned, it's just preparing for the game, and I'm confident the game will go ahead."

Asked whether players had suggested they might be unavailable, Gatland said: "No."

Gatland, back at the helm for a second spell as Wales coach, said those in the national set-up "understand the frustrations by the players".

He added: "I'm sure the players, like us, would like things resolved hopefully as quick as possible. These things have been going on for a long time, but all I can focus on is concentrating and preparing on the game.

"That stuff is out of my remit, and I'm just planning for England next week."

Gatland responded "No", when asked if he would support his players refusing to play England, adding: "I completely support the stance [the players are] taking in terms of wanting to get some resolution about the issues that they have, but I think there's a lot more involved in terms of ensuring that that fixture does take place."

He said the Wales players have been "fantastic" on the training pitch, and remarked that players could not be blamed for seeking what they consider market value contracts, despite the WRU's comments.

"It's a little disingenuous to say the players are being paid too much money, from the union's point of view," said Gatland. "No way is it their fault that those contracts have been negotiated by the regions or the agents through the players."

Long-serving ex-skipper Jones said: "This was supposed to be sorted a long time ago. Even players that might have had the opportunity to go somewhere else might not get that now because other teams are filling their rosters.

"The disappointing thing is that the basic treatment of players and the continued unprofessional nature of dealing with things is massively disappointing, and unfortunately it's been highlighted."

Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2023 Six Nations with an ankle injury.

The Munster player, who has started his country's last 14 Tests, was forced off early in the second half of Saturday's 32-19 win over France in Dublin.

Beirne left the Aviva Stadium on crutches, and it was confirmed by Ireland on Thursday he is facing around three months out of action as the injury requires surgery.

"Tadhg Beirne will undergo surgery today on the ankle injury he sustained in Saturday's win over France," a statement from the Irish Rugby Football Union read.

"Unfortunately, Tadhg will be ruled out for up to 12 weeks."

Ulster skipper Iain Henderson replaced Beirne against France and is expected to start Ireland's next game away at Italy a week on Saturday.

Andy Farrell's side are level with Scotland on 10 points after two rounds of fixtures after claiming bonus-point victories against Wales and France.

After facing Italy at Stadio Olimpico, the world's top-ranked nation travel to Scotland and then host England in their final fixture.

Wales' Six Nations clash with England next week remains in doubt after the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the Welsh regions insisted there is "no room for manoeuvre" on player contracts.

Reports this week have claimed Wales players are considering going on strike over contract renewals.

Under a six-year agreement that has, according to the WRU, been verbally agreed, players in Wales are set to receive lower wages, with bonuses introduced to contracts.

Professional players in the nation accepted cuts of 20 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, WRU interim chief executive Nigel Walker met with senior members of Wales' squad to "further clarify" the governing body's position.

The new, proposed contract deal has to be agreed by February 28, three days after Wales take on England at the Principality Stadium.

The Professional Rugby Board (PRB), which represents the WRU and the four Welsh regions, stated: "Discussions are complex and nuanced and that terms offered may not meet the immediate expectations of all individuals involved, but as has been evidenced in other countries, rugby finances are stretched and the professional game in Wales is determined to live within its means."

Malcolm Wall, the chair of the PRB, said: "The new agreement offers a complete funding package to the professional game in Wales, but it does come with financial limitations that will directly affect salary negotiations.

"The cold facts are that the WRU and clubs have been paying salaries that their businesses cannot afford, so the new agreement establishes a new framework for contract negotiations. There is a stipulation that all current contracts will be honoured, but these businesses must return to a sustainable footing in order for the success we all crave to follow.

"The average salary of a Welsh professional rugby player under the new framework will be around £100,000 per year.

"We are confident that our salary packages are in line with the UK market. The PRB accepts that some better-funded English and French clubs are paying more, but this is where we must set the mark of sustainability in Wales."

The WRU's statement added: "The new six-year agreement reached includes provision for a new approach to international player release, a salary cap and a formal framework for contract negotiations across all four professional sides and the national squad.

"There is no room for manoeuvre when it comes to the overall budget available for player contracts."

Walker said: "We have absolute empathy with the professional players in Wales and are hugely grateful for all that they do for our national game, just as our regional sides are for the commitment of their players.

"We know we are not in an ideal situation, but it is incredibly important for the whole game in Wales for us to get this next step right. We must get this right and if that means taking time to do so then that is the way it must be.

"The next step is to confirm the deal and confirm these contracts, and we will be moving as swiftly as we possibly can to that point."

France prop Uini Atonio has received a three-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Ireland hooker Rob Herring in Saturday's Six Nations showdown in Dublin.

Atonio was issued only a yellow card by referee Wayne Barnes during the first half of France's 32-19 defeat to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.

The 32-year-old's high challenge forced Herring off the field for a head injury assessment and he did not rejoin the game.

A Six Nations statement on Wednesday confirmed Atonio has been suspended for France's remaining games against Scotland, England and Wales.

He may return to face Wales, though, as an independent judicial committee granted an application by La Rochelle player Atonio to take part in a coaching intervention programme.

"The player admitted that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card," a Six Nations statement read.

"Having reviewed all the evidence, the committee accepted the player's admission that the tackle on Ireland number two was foul play.

"His shoulder made contact with Ireland number two's neck/face as described in the citing commissioner's report, and therefore reached the red-card threshold."

Ireland's victory over last year's Grand Slam winners France leaves them level with Scotland on 10 points at the top of the table.

Andy Farrell's side return to action a week on Saturday with a trip to Italy, before concluding their campaign against Scotland and England.

England boss Steve Borthwick believes his team took "a couple of steps forward" with their hard-fought win over Italy at Twickenham on Sunday.

After losing at home to Scotland in the first round of the Six Nations, England began to make amends by grinding out a 31-14 victory over the Azzurri.

It means England preserved their 100 per cent record against Italy in the championship, with this a 24th successive win in the one-sided rivalry, and it allowed England to reflect on a positive week on the training pitch.

Borthwick, who celebrated on the pitch with his young son Chase after the game, is still getting to grips with his new task, having been appointed in December to replace Eddie Jones. The players are also still learning what the former Leicester Tigers head coach wants from them.

"I think we took some steps forward and that's an important thing to recognise," Borthwick said.

"But there's plenty of areas to improve upon. I think we left some chances out there we should have taken. Our ball speed could have been a bit quicker, and we conceded a couple [of tries] that we wouldn't want to do.

"So there's always things to work upon, but ultimately it was a couple of steps forward."

Borthwick said England's ruck speed could have been quicker but spoke positively in general, as England move on to preparations for a trip to face bottom side Wales on February 25.

England had tries from Jack Willis, Ollie Chessum, Jamie George and Henry Arundell, plus a penalty try.

Rugby World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward, now working in the media, said the performance against Italy was "really workmanlike" in the first half, contending the team lost their shape after going to the interval with a 19-0 lead.

Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England captain who is also now a pundit, told ITV the performance was "miles off" what was seen on Saturday, when Ireland beat France in Dublin.

Dallaglio spoke of it being "a messy game", but he agreed there were "small steps forward" to offer cheer for England.

The current captain, Owen Farrell, took the same view, saying: "In terms of the performance, it felt better. I thought it was a step forward, as it would be a week on into our new journey.

"There's a lot to get better at, and we feel like there's loads more to go, but it's a step in the right direction.

"We're trying to look after each other, trying to build a togetherness on the pitch, fighting for each other for 80 minutes, and I think you've seen that for the past two games, and we were hopefully more on top of that this week."

Player of the match Ollie Lawrence spoke of both small steps and greater gains.

"We took a massive stride forward after last week," Lawrence said. "We're rebuilding as a team, and we're taking those small steps each week.

"The progression's getting there. We're nowhere near the finished product yet, but we're all believing in where we're going as a team. It just needs to get better and better, and we're pushing together."

England secured their first win of the Steve Borthwick era as Italy succumbed 31-14 to a performance of potent power at Twickenham.

After losing at home to Scotland in round one of the Six Nations, Borthwick's first game as head coach since replacing Eddie Jones, this time the men in white got it right.

It rarely set the pulses racing, but England produced an efficient display, giving themselves a foothold in the championship.

Flanker Jack Willis made a swift impact in his first Six Nations game for two years, scurrying through to score from a rolling maul in the 13th minute, with captain Owen Farrell adding the extras.

Italy lost narrowly at home against France last week, and victory over Australia in November showed they are an improving team.

England's superior strength served the hosts well though, and another opportunity arrived when Lorenzo Cannone was sin-binned. Two yards short of the Italy line, lock Ollie Chessum was fed a short pass by Ellis Genge and dived over for his first international try. Farrell slotted a simple conversion.

Scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet had a try disallowed in the 35th minute after a trip by Ollie Lawrence in the build-up. Yet England did not have to wait long before scoring again, another rolling maul allowing hooker Jamie George to drive over.

Italy, subdued before the break, began the second half more purposefully and Marco Riccioni reached out to dot down and get the Azzurri moving.

A touch of nastiness from Sebastian Negri, pressing his hand across the face of Farrell, showed Italy were ready to make the rest of the game uncomfortable for England.

Yet Italy replacement Simone Ferrari collapsed another threatening England rolling maul and conceded a penalty try, ostensibly ending prospects of a full-scale comeback from the visitors.

Alessandro Fusco danced through a static defence to cut the deficit to 26-14, but Alex Mitchell then fed Henry Arundell to score his first Six Nations try in the left corner and England were home and hosed.

Warren Gatland suggested he might need to get tough on his Wales players following their dismal Six Nations defeat to Scotland.

Wales suffered a second straight loss to start this year's Six Nations campaign as they went down 35-7 at Murrayfield.

It was Gatland's first defeat to Scotland in the tournament since 2001, when his Ireland team lost 32-10, having won all 10 of his previous matches against them as Wales head coach.

Gatland omitted experienced trio Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau and Justin Tipuric out of his starting line-up for Saturday's meeting, yet despite some promising play either side of half-time, Wales lost for a 10th time in the space of 12 Tests, suffering their heaviest away defeat to Scotland in the process.

With the defeat following a 34-10 reverse on home soil to Ireland, Gatland hinted there will be no holding back as he and his coaches search for a turnaround ahead of hosting England on February 25.

He told BBC Sport: "We were okay in the first half and could have gone in ahead at half-time. Some of the things that affected us last week, our discipline, giving penalties away, and not being accurate, that was the most disappointing factor [again].

"We had six minutes in their 22, and have come away with bugger all, so we need to have a good hard look at ourselves – we need to get better, and probably be a bit tougher on the players.

"We were beaten by the better team today, congratulations to Scotland – I thought they played exceptionally well. Finn Russell was outstanding.

"Some of the young boys really stepped up and we were pleased with their performances."

Scotland, meanwhile, have started a Six Nations campaign with back-to-back victories for the first time.

The last time they won their opening two matches was back in 1996, when only five teams competed in the tournament, though Gregor Townsend sees plenty of scope for improvement if his side are to continue their run against reigning champions France.

"We'll be confident, winning really helps. We had a really good week where we weren't easy on the players as coaches, but the players weren't easy on themselves," he told BBC Sport.

"We had two tough physical sessions and there were areas we had to improve from Twickenham. The challenge only gets stronger.

"This display, while encouraging, will have to go up another level if we want to win in Paris."

George Turner went over in the first half for Scotland before he was sent to the sin-bin, with Ken Owens crossing for Wales while the hooker was off the pitch.

Wales should have scored a second try on the cusp of half-time, only for Rio Dyer to fumble an easy chance, and Scotland made them pay with four tries in the second half to secure an emphatic bonus-point win.

"It was [a complete performance] in the second half. The first half, we didn't get our game going," Townsend said.

"We didn't get through first two phases on enough occasions. Wales were competing hard at the breakdown, slowing our ball down or winning the ball back, but we did build a score which was pleasing.

"On the flip side, the second half we were getting the opportunities and they led to tries. That's an outstanding win for the group because Wales have been a top team for a number of years. To come away with any win is pleasing, one with a bonus point sets us up well."

Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie said "we have got a lot more in us" after Gregor Townsend's team routed Wales 35-7 at Murrayfield.

Wales were no match for their hosts in Edinburgh on Saturday, as Scotland cruised to a bonus-point win that sees them join Ireland at the top of the Six Nations standings.

George Turner went over in the first half but Ken Owens crossed for Wales, who should have gone into the interval on the back of a second try, only for Rio Dyer to squander a golden opportunity.

Scotland made Wales pay – Finn Russell combining twice with Kyle Steyn before Blair Kinghorn and Matt Fagerson drove through late on.

Their winning margin of 28 points marks Scotland's biggest victory over Wales in Test rugby, with the only other time they have beaten them by more than 20 points coming back in 1924.

Next up is a trip to reigning champions France on February 26, and Ritchie is hoping for more from his side at the Stade de France.

"It wasn't perfect but we did enough to get the job done," he told BBC Sport.

"We have belief that if we play to our best we can beat any team. It wasn't perfect today, we've got a lot more in us. We're looking to improve when we go to Paris, definitely."

Saturday's match marked the first Test at Murrayfield since the death of Doddie Weir, who passed away in November.

Scotland were presented the Doddie Weir Cup for their victory, and Ritchie said: "We're delighted and I'm glad to be holding Doddie's trophy.

"The first game here without him, we miss him so much, I'm just glad we have our hands on this. We're so delighted, I'm a bit all over the place at the moment – a bit emotional. I'm glad I could do this for [Weir's widow] Kathy and the boys."

Russell was the star of the show for Scotland, teeing up three of their tries and kicking 10 points.

He has now provided 10 try assists in nine Test matches for Scotland since the start of 2022, more than any other player from a Tier One nation in that period.

"I was just doing my job – making other boys look good," Russell joked after becoming the first Scotland player to register a hat-trick of assists in a Six Nations game.

"It showed the continuity in the squad. The boys were all on the same page and it allowed us to attack how we did today."

Scotland have won back-to-back games to start a Six Nations campaign for the first time, with the last time they had managed to triumph in their opening two games of the Championship coming in 1996, when it was the Five Nations.

Russell added: "Great game, great result for us. We knew we'd struggled before after the first games to back it up, and I think the boys put in a good performance today, which was great to have back here at Murrayfield."

Wales have lost their opening two games, conceding at least four tries in each match. It is the first time they have done so in back-to-back Six Nations Tests in the same year.

"When you're winning and you have that momentum, it's hard to lose. The flip side to that is the same," said captain Owens, with Wales having won just twice in their last 10 Tests.

"We've got to work hard next week. There's plenty of experience but plenty of youngsters coming through. There's new coaching staff, new players coming in, we just need to work hard.

"Turn the corner hopefully, against England, we've got to grind out a win, find a win and build that momentum. There are positives there. People are going to say there isn't but we believe in what we're trying to achieve, we work hard and try to deliver."

Scotland's winning start to the Six Nations continued as they swatted aside Wales 35-7 at Murrayfield.

Having lost to Wales in the second round in 2021 and 2022, Gregor Townsend's side had little trouble in ending that run on Saturday, despite the early loss of Stuart Hogg to a head injury.

Warren Gatland had won his previous 10 Six Nations matches against Scotland while in charge of Wales, and matters might have been different for the visitors had Rio Dyer finished a routine chance.

Scotland made their luck count, Kyle Steyn twice combining with Finn Russell, who claimed another assist as Matt Fagerson rounded off the scoring after Blair Kinghorn's superb try had sealed the bonus point.

A pair of Russell penalties put Scotland 6-0 up inside 15 minutes before George Turner bundled his way through – the game's first try awarded after a TMO check.

Turner made a costly error three minutes later, with the hooker sin-binned for a high lunge on George North, and Wales captain Ken Owens swiftly made his side's numerical advantage count, with Dan Biggar adding the extras.

Dyer looked sure to claim Wales' second try on the stroke of half-time, only to fumble with the line at his mercy.

Wales sustained the pressure after the restart, but Hogg's replacement Kinghorn relieved the stress on Scotland's line with a superb break, and the hosts soon restored their cushion – Russell brilliantly picking a gap before flicking a backhand to Steyn two yards out.

The Russell-Steyn combination was on song again before the hour, with the winger latching onto a pinpoint cross-field kick to dive over in the corner as Scotland capitalised on Liam Williams' booking.

Kinghorn capped off a sublime team move to ensure Scotland joined Ireland at the top of the standings, with Fagerson adding further gloss in the final minutes.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell hailed the "astonishing" attitude of his players after they halted France's winning run and stretched their own streak to a record 13 consecutive home victories.

France had won 14 on the bounce before arriving in Dublin, but they went down 32-19 at the Aviva Stadium, with the hosts bagging a bonus point after tries from Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Andrew Porter and Garry Ringrose.

It was a performance that showed why many made Ireland favourites for the title from the get-go, as they followed up victory over Wales last weekend with another impressive display.

They head the world rankings and showed that standing is merited, with Farrell delighted, albeit saying he felt Ireland should perhaps have won by a heavier margin. All the same, the 13-point cushion was the most Ireland have beaten France by in the championship since a 25-6 success in March 1975.

Farrell told ITV: "It was a huge game and rightly so it was billed that way, because it was two great teams going at it, with the French unbeaten record and us going for our home record.

"It all gets thrown into the pot, but at the end of the day it's a victory in the competition we want to do well at, and we'll look at that performance and be unbelievably proud of it.

"The fight and the spirit that we had was astonishing at times, especially in that last 10 minutes.

"Garry Ringrose's try, he was dead on his feet, and then Bundee Aki coming back and dropping on loose balls and James Ryan kept getting up off the floor and taking the ball in for us. I could keep going on."

Farrell added: "The fighting spirit was great, but at the same time I thought we played some good stuff in the first half and should have come away with a few more points, and maybe again in the second half we should have come away with a few more points.

"That's not being greedy, because we got a bonus point, so we've got to be very happy with that, but at the same time we left a few things out there.

"So we're onto the next one, and it's Italy away and the same points are up for grabs."

Farrell was delighted Ireland got to 13 wins in a row at home for the first time, and doing so against a France side he rates so highly was doubly pleasing.

It was his first win over France, who had beaten Ireland in their most recent three encounters, and Farrell said: "I'm sure there'll be many battles down the line as well."

Keenan got Ireland's opening try, bursting through a hole in the French defence, but it was Lowe's score that particularly caught the eye.

He dived over in the corner, with most of his body in touch, and replays appeared to indicate it was a legitimate score after TMO checks.

It was a moment of acrobatic brilliance at high speed. Subsequent angles appeared to hint Lowe may have grazed the grass outside the playing area with a boot, but the try stood.

"He's useful out on that wing, the big lump," said Keenan. "It's brilliant for him and a great team performance."

Delighted to see off Les Bleus, Keenan added: "It was a long time coming. We've had a few tough losses and learnt from those. It was the one we were focusing on, so it's brilliant we got there."

Ireland halted France's 14-match winning run with a thrilling 32-19 victory in Dublin as Andy Farrell's remarkable team made a big Six Nations statement.

It had been France's longest ever streak of victories, but last season's Grand Slam champions were outscored four tries to one at the Aviva Stadium, with Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Andrew Porter and Garry Ringrose going over for the hosts.

In a battle between the top two in the world rankings, Ireland showed why they are number one.

Despite conceding an early penalty, the men in green had threatened the try line before cleverly tearing a hole in the French defence to allow Keenan to dash through to score.

Captain Johnny Sexton added the extras, but Thomas Ramos booted his second penalty of the afternoon to trim Ireland's early lead.

France added an exquisite try to power ahead, with Damian Penaud collecting the ball inside his own 22, charging through midfield and feeding Anthony Jelonch, before accepting a return pass and sprinting through to score.

Ireland hit back, Lowe delivering what looked to be an astonishing finish in the left corner.

The diving Lowe dotted down with one hand on the ball and most of his body out of play. A TMO check ruled he was off the ground, with Penaud's attempt to bundle the wing into touch failing to prevent the try. Further replays cast doubt on whether it should have been awarded.

Sexton failed to convert, then France's Uini Atonio was sin-binned after an ugly and high barge into Rob Herring, who departed for a head injury assessment.

Ireland capitalised on their extra man, Porter marking his 50th cap by crashing in from close range, and Sexton gave Ireland a 19-13 lead. Ramos struck a long-range penalty to reduce the deficit, but three more from Sexton made it 22-16 at the break.

Ross Byrne, on for the injured Sexton, slotted a penalty in the 60th minute to extend Ireland's lead, but Ramos hit back with a drop goal.

The game was Ireland's when Ringrose bustled in down the left to score and secure the bonus point. Their championship and Grand Slam prospects are looking up, with two wins from two, while France must dust themselves off and recover from this jolting setback.

Ireland walloped Wales and France edged a tight game with Italy in round one, whetting the appetite for a Six Nations clash in Dublin on Saturday between the title favourites.

With Ireland top of the World Rugby rankings, and France in second place, this is a game that could go a long way to determining who wins the championship.

Others will feel they can have a say too, particularly Scotland after last week's impressive win over England at Twickenham, another Calcutta Cup success for Gregor Townsend.

The onus will be on the Scots, at Murrayfield against Wales this weekend, to show they can build on that victory in London. Wales boss Warren Gatland, meanwhile, will be looking for a response from his team after last week's 34-10 loss to Ireland.

England host Italy, with Steve Borthwick eyeing a first win as head coach, but the Red Rose will be wary of the Azzurri's threat, given they pushed France close last time out and beat Australia in November.

Ahead of the second round of games, Stats Perform looks at the action to come, with the help of Opta data.

IRELAND v FRANCE

FORM

France have won their last 14 matches. They have also won each of their last three meetings with Ireland after tasting victory in just one of their previous nine Test encounters (D2 L6). The recent wins against Ireland have tended to be tight affairs though, each one decided by a single-figure margin.

A 15-13 win for France in Dublin two years ago means Les Bleus have the opportunity to bag back-to-back wins in the Irish capital for only the second time in the Six Nations, after previously doing so in 2005 and 2007.

While France's current streak of wins is the longest in their history, Ireland's form is also similarly foreboding, having won 18 of their last 20 matches (L2), including each of their last six.

The men in green have won 21 of their last 22 home games, including their last 12 – marking their joint-longest winning run on home soil. The last home defeat for Ireland was that France game in the 2021 Six Nations.

ONES TO WATCH

France wing Ethan Dumortier is a man Ireland will want to keep a close eye on. The Lyon player scored a try on his Test debut last week and has totted up 12 tries in his last 13 matches for club and country. He beat five defenders from just four carries against Italy, with Gael Fickou (6) the only France player to beat more, and Dumortier starts again this weekend.

Ireland's James Ryan, Andrew Porter and Dave Kilcoyne are all set to win their 50th caps for Ireland, while scrum-half Conor Murray makes his 50th Six Nations appearance. But expect all eyes to fall on captain Johnny Sexton, with the fly-half 15 points away from beating Ronan O'Gara's record of 557 points in the championship. Veteran fly-half Sexton has managed hauls of 15-plus points on 13 occasions in the Six Nations, including three times against France (2014, 2015, 2018).

SCOTLAND v WALES

FORM

Wales have won 13 of their last 15 matches against Scotland in the Six Nations (L2), while Gatland, back at the helm for a second stint, has won each of his 10 matches against the Scots while in charge of Wales.

The omens are not great for Scotland, who also beat England in their championship openers in 2021 and 2022, only to come unstuck against Wales in round two both times. The Welsh have won just two of their last 11 matches since getting the better of Scotland 20-17 at the Principality Stadium 12 months ago, however.

Scotland made the most tackles of any side last weekend (214) and recorded the best tackle success rate (91 per cent) as they showed spirit as well as skill in London. Wales made the second-highest number of tackles (184), but it did not spare them a torching at Ireland's hands in Cardiff.

ONES TO WATCH

Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe tormented England at Twickenham with his two-try masterclass. He beat 11 defenders, the most by any player in a Six Nations match since Van der Merwe himself beat 13 against Italy in 2021, so Wales must surely prioritise stopping him if they are to stop Scotland.

Wales' Liam Williams (8) was the only other player to beat more than six defenders during the opening round. Rio Dyer also caught the eye for Wales in last week's losing cause, carrying for 108 metres from his seven carries. Among the 55 players to make more than six carries in round one, Dyer had the best average carry distance of 15.4 metres, followed by Van der Merwe (13m).

ENGLAND v ITALY

FORM

England have never lost three in a row at Twickenham in the Six Nations, but that will be the outcome if they go down to Italy on Sunday. Indeed, the last time they suffered three home defeats in a row in the old Five Nations was in 1971-72.

Erstwhile whipping boys Italy look to have more about them than in past seasons, helped by winning away at Wales in the final round of last year's championship. They have never won consecutive away matches in the Six Nations, but that is their objective this weekend.

Both these teams lost last week, but there were areas where they were high performers. England were the only side to carry for over 1,000 metres in the opening round (1,039), with Italy next on that list (828). These teams also made the most passes of all, with England (207) just ahead of Italy (202) in that metric.

ONES TO WATCH

England's Ellis Genge scored a try and made 18 carries against Scotland, the most carries by a prop in Six Nations history, beating his own record of 17, set in 2019 against Scotland. His carries total was the joint-highest of all players in week one, matching team-mate Lewis Ludlam and Scotland's Finn Russell, and Borthwick will be wanting a similarly all-action effort from the prop.

Italy's Ange Capuozzo would have enjoyed the sight of Van der Merwe rampaging through England's defence last week, knowing he is similarly capable of finding holes and exploiting them. The 23-year-old Toulouse full-back found his way to the try line against France and carried for 114 metres, the most by any player in the opening round. He has scored three tries and assisted one in his three Six Nations appearances, and England will do well to keep him under close observation.

Eddie Jones accepts Steve Borthwick's criticism of his England team, but warned his successor there is "more pain to go" before they turn around their form.

The Australian's former assistant took charge of the national team for the first time in their Six Nations opener, suffering a 29-23 defeat against Scotland at Twickenham.

Afterwards, Borthwick offered an incisive repudiation of his predecessor's tenure, suggesting England "weren't good at anything" under him.

Jones, who is now in charge of Australia, acknowledged the former Leicester man's comments as a fair assessment, and pinned his side's struggles on their transitional phase.

"He is probably right," he said on his self-titled podcast EDDIE. "That was part of the problem.

"We were trying to morph a team that had been a very good set-piece [side] and a very good kicking team.

"The way the game is played at the moment, that will win you games, but it is probably not good enough to be a World Cup champion.

"Expanding the attack sometimes takes away from your strength. They are going through that difficult period now where they are trying to get the balance right in the game.

"There is no doubt Steve will fix it. Keep blaming me, that is alright. I have got a pretty strong back and pretty strong shoulders to absorb that."

Jones further warned there would be tougher times ahead for his former assistant, however, highlighting the natural flaws brought by inexperienced faces to the team. 

"When you are young players, inconsistency is unfortunately a part of your apprenticeship at Test level," he added.

"You get lapses of concentration. As they build their Tests up and build their maturity, they will be really good players.

"There is probably still a bit more pain to go for England, which is hard for the supporters and hard for the coaches, but I am sure they will get through it."