Warren Gatland has urged the pundits to keep writing Wales off as his players prepare for battle with fellow World Cup heavyweights England and Australia.

The man who guided South Africa to World Cup glory believes Ireland are ready to lift the Webb Ellis Cup this time round.

Jonathan Davies believes mental toughness must be prominent in Wales’ armoury if they are to emerge from the so-called World Cup pool of death.

Three of Welsh rugby’s biggest names — James Hook, Mike Phillips and Richard Hibbard — face uncertain international futures after seeing their World Cup hopes extinguished.

Edinburgh 13  Gloucester 19

Wales will not receive the RBS 6 Nations trophy in Rome next Saturday if they win this season’s title.

Wales have the attributes to turn an Irish strength into a potential weakness. Here are the three key areas of combat. 

George North has hailed Wales’ “brilliant” medical staff as he prepares for a world record-breaking Test match return three weeks after dominating images that shocked the sport.

France v Wales

Wales hooker Scott Baldwin will make his first RBS 6 Nations start tomorrow after edging out "top player" Richard Hibbard for the number two shirt against France.

Pascal Pape will be formally charged today over an incident which threatens to bring his Six Nations’ campaign to an abrupt end.

After Round 2 of the Six Nations it looks increasingly likely that the Championship will all come to down to Ireland V England on March 1st.

Wales star and qualified doctor Jamie Roberts believes the fallout from the George North concussion controversy will contribute towards making rugby union a safer sport. 

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.

Taulupe Faletau insists there is “still a chance” that Wales can be crowned RBS 6 Nations champions this season.

Wales 16 - England 21: Despite injuries England came from 10 points down to record a famous victory in Cardiff. The Millennium Stadium was enthralled as the 2015 RBS 6 Nations began with a blood and thunder collision.

Wales boss Warren Gatland has sprung the first surprise of this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship – by naming his team to face England 48 hours early.

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.

The new rugby season could hardly have begun in a more contrasting fashion for Anthony Foley and Steve Tandy, the respective head coaches of Munster and Ospreys who renew their rivalry in the Guinness Pro 12 at Thomond Park this evening, kick-off 6.30pm.

Gloucester 45 Munster 8

New Munster head coach Anthony Foley could be forgiven for enduring a few shivers of apprehension after seeing the Gloucester team chosen by his old mate Laurie Fisher for this afternoon’s pre-season friendly at Kingsholm.

Former Ulster Director of Rugby David Humphreys yesterday broke his silence about his move away from Ravenhill to Aviva Premiership side Gloucester.

Australian Laurie Fisher, who worked with Munster between 2008 and 2011, is the new head coach at Gloucester.

Bath centre Gavin Henson has been named in the Probables squad to prepare for Wales’ senior trial match on May 30.

The ineptitude of the Edinburgh challenge in front of their home support on Saturday evening highlights one of the biggest challenges facing the Irish provinces in the future.

OSPREYS 25 LEINSTER 19

ENGLAND 29 WALES 18

Ospreys 11 Munster 25

Three battles Ireland must shade to beat Wales

How the two teams square off

Three games, 12 tries. And none conceded by Ireland.

Ryan Jones will miss the chance to win a fifth RBS 6 Nations title after a hamstring injury saw him withdraw from Wales’ squad for the 2014 campaign.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL 1:

Leinster 36 Ospreys 3

While it’s customary to reflect on rugby events at this time of year, I no more than you have an appetite for that.

When Johnny Sexton reported for autumn international duty with Ireland last month, new head coach Joe Schmidt was on tenterhooks.

Ospreys 21 Castres 12

John Afoa has rejected more lucrative offers from France and a crack at the Rugby World Cup in 2015 to reunite his family in Gloucester, according to Nigel Davies.

Wales’ long wait to claim the major southern hemisphere scalp they crave continues – but only after an heroic display in a ferocious Test match of brutal intensity at the Millennium Stadium.

When Jonny Wilkinson won the World Cup for England 10 years ago, Gareth Davies was trying to find his way out of the darker recesses of the Welsh League at Ystrad Mynach.

Northampton 27 Ospreys 16

Ospreys 9 Leinster 19

Leinster got their quest for a fourth Heineken Cup crown off to a winning start as Sean O’Brien’s try helped them battle past the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium.

What we'll learn from the Heineken Cup.