Elliot Daly has held off the challenge of Mike Brown at full-back for England's Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.

Joe Schmidt and Eddie Jones may have spent the Guinness Six Nations launch exchanging one-liners at a distance, but the rival coaches both agreed that Ireland versus England will be brutal.

Joe Schmidt has admitted he relishes Eddie Jones' verbal "grenades" ahead of Ireland launching their Six Nations defence against England.

Eddie Jones has cautioned against expecting too much from Manu Tuilagi after limiting England’s marauding centre to a bench role against South Africa.

Johann van Graan’s bid to get his first full European campaign off to a winning start could not have come in more difficult circumstances, yet the Munster head coach has learned enough in his short time in charge to expect the unexpected on Heineken Champions Cup away days.

Keith Earls is confident Munster’s game is coming together nicely as they prepare to visit English league leaders Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on Saturday.

When the RFU eventually begins their search to find a replacement for Eddie Jones, there is no need for them to scour the globe.

Jonny May ran in both tries as England kept their Grand Slam aspirations alive by edging Wales 12-6 in a brutally competitive NatWest 6 Nations clash at Twickenham.

Josh Adams admits it is “a surreal feeling” to have realised a rugby dream and be picked for Wales.

Eddie Jones has been assessing his dwindling options in the back three due to an escalating injury crisis.

England have now seen 16 players ruled out of the start of their title defence, a number that will climb to 18 if Robshaw and Brown fail to recover.

All games carry a narrative, but the storyline tends to be written in a particularly prominent bold type in the run up to Christmas when the Champions Cup delivers its glut of back-to-back fixtures.

As statements go this was as big as they get.

Time and again, Leo Cullen has teed up a Champions League tie as a meeting of opposites.

The British and Irish Lions play the final midweek game of their New Zealand tour on Tuesday when they face reigning Super Rugby champions the Hurricanes in Wellington.

Warren Gatland will ask the referees to clamp down on the All Blacks' "dangerous" harassment of Conor Murray's kicking game.

From day one of his tenure as the head coach of the 2017 British and Irish Lions, Warren Gatland has preached the importance of a power-packed set of replacements to come into the game and either close out a victory or reel in a deficit.

Rory Best is set to captain the British & Irish Lions against the Chiefs on Tuesday after Warren Gatland named a matchday squad missing tour skipper Sam Warburton in the final game before Saturday’s first Test with the All Blacks.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin.

Two minutes to go, four points to the good and the noise of over 51,000 people ringing in your ears.

Here is the possible make-up of a squad charged with targeting a first Test series triumph against the All Blacks since 1971.

The sight of the battleship England hoving into view, all guns blazing and with plenty of ammunition still left to unleash, might remind Irish supporters of when the All Blacks landed in Chicago last November.

England head coach Eddie Jones said: "We've got to come up with a new name for it, no-ruck rugby."

England survived an almighty scare to finish 36-15 winners at Twickenham as Italy issued a rousing response to scrutiny of their ongoing presence in the Six Nations.

England extended their winning run to 16 Tests as wing Elliot Daly's late try clinched a dramatic RBS 6 Nations victory over Wales in Cardiff.

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”.

Exeter 31 Ulster 19: Ulster boss Les Kiss cut a frustrated figure as his side’s hopes of reaching the European Champions Cup quarter-finals ended in England’s West Country last night.

Ulster’s Director of Rugby Les Kiss is aware that it will take a monumental turnaround in form, attitude and finishing ability to put one over on Exeter in their own back yard on Sunday and proceed through to the Champions Cup play-offs.

Eddie Jones believes England’s stunning series win in Australia could ignite the imaginations of children to become the next Owen Farrell rather than Harry Kane.

The British and French navies renewed centuries-old hostilities dating back to the Napoleonic era during a mass brawl at their annual rugby match.

England edged to the brink of a first RBS 6 Nations title for five years with a 25-21 victory over Wales but were forced to survive a late fightback that evoked memories of the final-quarter collapse against their old rival at last autumn's World Cup.

Rob Kearney has urged Ireland’s supporters to stick with the team as they strive to finally click into top gear for the last two games of this season’s RBS 6 Nations.

To the victor the spoils, naturally, but while a victory for England gave Eddie Jones the last laugh, Johnny Sexton was able to leave Twickenham with head held high and intact after a strong performance made all the more impressive given the circumstances.