Saturday 21 March 2015 16:35, UK
The 2015 Six Nations enters the final round on Saturday with four sides still in with a chance of lifting the trophy.
Reigning champions Ireland and England are in pole position, with Wales requiring a sizeable margin of victory and France needing an incredible sequence of results.
The action begins in Rome (12.30pm GMT) as Italy host a Wales side chasing a third Six Nations title in four years.
Warren Gatland’s team ended Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes with a superb victory in Cardiff last weekend, and they should extend their winning streak to four games against the Italians, who have scored just three points in their last two home games.
Wales have a points difference of +12, which is 25 points behind first-placed England, so they will have tries on their mind at the Stadio Olimpico.
Italy’s last home victory came on the final day of the 2013 championship against Ireland, and they suffered a humiliating 29-0 reverse against France last Sunday. Wales will look to profit from the Azzurri’s six-day turnaround and the absence of their influential captain Sergio Parisse due to injury.
Attention then turns to Ireland’s visit to Murrayfield (2.30pm) as they look to rediscover their scoring touch against winless Scotland.
Joe Schmidt’s side have a points difference of +33 - four behind England - and a big victory would put them on course for back-to-back titles, but they have relied on the boot of Johnny Sexton during this year’s championship and have scored just four tries in as many games.
Ireland were 22-point victors when the teams met in Dublin on the opening weekend of last year’s championship, and a similar margin of victory at Murrayfield will put them in pole position.
The tournament concludes at Twickenham (5pm), where both sides will know what is required for them to carry off the silverware.
France must win by eight points to overhaul England but that will not be enough if Wales or Ireland have already won.
Stuart Lancaster’s men butchered a plethora of scoring chances during their comeback win against Scotland in round four, and they need to be more clinical in attack if they are to unlock a French defence that has conceded just two tries in this year’s championship.
