Italy prop Michele Rizzo has warned that the Azzurri must pay less heed to how referees perceive their scrummaging and simply concentrate on the basics for which they have long been renowned when they face Ireland in Pool D at London’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday.

Stuart Lancaster has urged Twickenham to will England to victory tomorrow evening as he prepares to order his RBS 6 Nations title hopefuls to carry the game to France.

Scotland were left facing their fourth wooden spoon in 11 years after a late collapse handed Italy a RBS 6 Nations win at Murrayfield.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has relegated powerful centre Mathieu Bastareaud to the bench for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in Paris.

Warren Gatland has plunged his long-term future as Wales head coach into doubt after admitting Roger Lewis’s departure as Welsh Rugby Union chief later this year "probably does" have a bearing on his own long-term future.

Mike Ross has warned Ireland to be wary of the scrum carnage "monster" France prop Uini Atonio could cause in Dublin on Saturday.

Tommy O’Donnell should have been watching the start of the game from the bench.

Mike Ross has warned Ireland to be wary of the scrum carnage “monster” France prop Uini Atonio could cause in Dublin on Saturday.

Joe Schmidt knows his Ireland side has plenty of work to do if they are to match England's opening-night power show in Wales and make a successful RBS 6 Nations title defence over the next six weeks.

Jack McGrath believes Ireland can turn Italy’s confrontational scrummaging against them in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener in Rome.

Steffon Armitage scored a hat-trick as Toulon secured top spot in Champions Cup Pool 3 with a game to spare thanks to a 60-22 bonus-point win over Ulster.

Toulon’s former Leicester prop Martin Castrogiovanni has received a suspended four-match ban after he admitted a misconduct complaint, European Professional Club Rugby has announced.

Having already lost inspirational captain Peter O’Mahony for the business end of the season, Rob Penney will be mindful of making sure his key personnel are fresh and raring to go when Munster set out to upset the odds once again by toppling Heineken Cup champions Toulon in Marseille on Sunday week.

Jimmy Gopperth, come on down.

The Heineken Cup as we know it has just seven games to run. When it is consigned to history at the end of the season in favour of its successor, the proposed new European Champions Cup, we will look back with fond memories on the last 19 seasons of memorable European action and the joy the tournament brought for rugby supporters across the competing nations.

RBS SIX NATIONS:

The Leinster team filed slowly on its arrival from the gates of the Sportsground along the back of the Clan Terrace and towards the sanctuary of the away dressing room when Brian O’Driscoll’s path was about to be blocked by a local fan.

Ireland can face down history and sweep to RBS 6 Nations title glory in Paris next weekend, according to Brian O’Driscoll.

Three potential areas for Ireland to exploit

Italy 20 Scotland 21

Scotland head coach Scott Johnson admits not even a victory over Italy this afternoon will cure the Dark Blues’ problems.

Scotland forward Johnnie Beattie has rejected the flak aimed at head coach Scott Johnson – insisting the sole responsibility for the Dark Blues’ dismal start to the RBS 6 Nations rests with the players.

Three battles Ireland must shade to beat Wales

The need for improvement is undisputed following an opening victory over Scotland but there will be more to this week’s preparation for Saturday’s Wales game than simply going at training with hammer and tongs.

Warren Gatland has been hailed as “a fantastic coach” as he prepares to re-enter the RBS 6 Nations arena in pursuit of an unprecedented title hat-trick.

Italy’s Sergio Parisse will captain the Barbarians against the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong this Saturday.

Having being omitted from Warren Gatland’s Lions squad, Perpignan fly-half James Hook could line out against the British and Irish outfit, having been named in the provisional Barbarians squad.

Italy will be without prop Martin Castrogiovanni for their RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland after he failed to recover from a thigh injury.

Italy 9 Wales 26

Italy 9 Wales 26

Courtney Lawes is ready to strike fear into the French ‘bully boys’ when he is unleashed from the England back row for the first time.

Italy 23 France 18

Italy 23 France 18

Peter Stringer’s career with Munster looks to be over after he signed a short-term loan deal with Bath that could stretch to the end of the season when his current deal with his province runs out.

The Bull My Story

Fifty-cap England fly-half Toby Flood has been warned that he may have to accept a job-share arrangement with rising star George Ford when Leicester’s Aviva Premiership campaign opens on Sunday.

Italy 13 Scotland 6

Italy coach Jaques Brunel has made six changes to the squad that lost against Wales in Cardiff last weekend for their final RBS Six Nations game against Scotland in Rome on Saturday.

Cast aside the disruption caused by the unscheduled absence of Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal and forget the frozen frustration of Paris, however well-placed the annoyance of the postponement and rescheduling debate surrounding the game with France.

First Brian McLaughlin, now Tony McGahan.

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes to face Ireland in Saturday’s RBS Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium.

It says everything about the fractured nature of this season’s Six Nations championship that Wales could well be celebrating a Triple Crown success before France take to the field in Murrayfield for their second game of the tournament.

If Declan Kidney genuinely believes having to play four games in 22 days will adversely affect Ireland’s chances of getting their RBS 6 Nations challenge back on track, he will rotate his squad for Saturday’s clash with Italy at the Aviva Stadium.

First things first.