Ben Te’o has been instructed to go “fox-hunting” when England launch their NatWest 6 Nations title defence on Sunday.

Saracens full-back Alex Goode says the club’s Champions Cup quarter-final with Leinster will be bigger than a Test match for him.

England coach Simon Middleton insists a prime-time TV slot will not ramp up the pressure on his players as they face off against New Zealand in the World Cup final today.

England and Wales. Two countries steeped in rugby history with a rivalry to match.

At the last official count two years ago, England had 2,057,797 rugby players, almost 50 percent more than the rest of Europe combined.

England 19 France 16: England will embrace the hostility awaiting in Cardiff once Eddie Jones has examined the psychology behind Wales’ control of a fixture he claims has left previous Red Rose teams “petrified”.

England are set to spring a selection surprise for Saturday’s autumn opener against South Africa by naming Elliot Daly at outside centre in place of Jonathan Joseph.

France 21 England 31: George Ford insists England’s Grand Slam triumph is merely the beginning for a team blessed with “endless potential”.

England 25 Wales 21: Eddie Jones has calmed England’s Six Nations title celebrations because an even greater prize is within reach as he targets a precious Grand Slam.

France are playing catch-up on Europe’s best sides, according to second row Yoann Maestri.

Nick Easter believes England lost their identity during the World Cup and welcomes the intent of new head coach Eddie Jones to devise a game-plan founded on traditional Red Rose strengths.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster is convinced Sam Burgess will remain a rugby union player, despite speculation he will return to league rugby after the World Cup. Odds have been shortened on Burgess ending his cross-code adventure after only a year and one bookmaker has stopped taking bets, amid reports he is set to join Leeds Rhinos.

England will enter their decisive showdown with Australia inspired by a call-to-arms from Stuart Lancaster urging them to look inwards in pursuit of rescuing their World Cup from disaster.

Ben Morgan insists England must summon Australia’s demons by using their pack to reopen old wounds at Twickenham.

Sam Burgess’ time in Australian rugby league has given him an insight into the mentality the Wallabies will bring to Saturday’s decisive World Cup clash at Twickenham.

Stuart Lancaster insists Owen Farrell must excel during the World Cup warm-up matches if he is displace George Ford as England’s fly-half.

Clermont Auvergne 27 Northampton Saints 5: Nick Abendanon hopes his stellar evening against Northampton has offered England additional reason to soften their stance on selecting overseas-based players.

Stuart Lancaster is convinced England can win the World Cup despite presiding over a fourth successive runners-up finish in the RBS 6 Nations.

England 25 Scotland 13

RBS Six Nations

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has all but confirmed Chris Robshaw will be his captain at the 2015 World Cup with the intervention of injury the only threat to his position.

Six things to keep an eye on in this year’s Six Nations

Forwards Tom Croft and Christian Day have been called up to England’s RBS 6 Nations training squad as injury cover, the Rugby Football Union has announced.

Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea has backed Nick Easter to continue playing for some time after the veteran number eight inspired a 24-18 Champions Cup victory over Leinster.

Chris Robshaw admits England’s autumn outlook hinges on one final assault at Twickenham and failure against Australia would leave two months to stew over a dismal series.

England 28 South Africa 31

Their defeat of New Zealand last week has propelled Ireland into the limelight at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, but coach Philip Doyle insists the pressure lies with England ahead of tonight’s semi-final at Stade Jean Bouin in Paris.

Jonny Wilkinson says he has gone with his "gut feeling" in deciding to call time on one of the most celebrated careers in rugby union history.

Manu Tuilagi will make his first England appearance in a year after being named in the matchday squad for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy in Rome.

RBE 6 NATIONS:

France 26 England 24

France head coach Philippe Saint-Andre insists the post-2011 World Cup rebuilding phase is over as he targets a critical RBS 6 Nations victory over England today.

He’s had a plethora of moments to cherish on English soil, from that 2006 pressure conversion for Munster at Welford Road to the standout victories over the Red Rose at Twickenham.

Hooker Richard Hibbard has rejected suggestions the Wales front-row conned referee Steve Walsh during their RBS 6 Nations victory over England.

Brian O’Driscoll may have suggested last week the 2013 RBS 6 Nations is likely to be his last, but the Ireland centre insisted today his physical condition will make the ultimate decision.

The bodies may be bruised as Ireland continue to recover from their extremely intense encounter with Wales at the weekend but Donnacha Ryan believes the national team got exactly the workout needed to ready themselves for this Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with England.

The last decade in English rugby can perhaps be summed up by one question: ’How do you follow Martin Johnson?’

Flinging mud across the equator at each other has long been a favoured pastime of the rugby media in Britain and New Zealand — but this week you can’t help but wonder if they’re simply looking for a distraction.

Tom Hayes is 32 now and, on the law of averages, the chance of following his brother John into the family’s ranks of capped international rugby players is probably beyond him.

Ireland U20s were denied a semi-final berth at the IRB Junior World Championship as hosts South Africa scored a bonus-point win over England to top their pool last night.