The final round of Six Nations fixtures is upon us; Ireland have the title in the bag already – but what are the burning questions as we prepare to round off a largely one-sided competition?
Can England get back on the chariot?
While Ireland roll into Twickenham with a Grand Slam on their mind, the bulk of the attention will still fall on England. Cut apart by Scotland, and humbled by France, the wheels have well and truly fallen off for Eddie Jones in the space of a fortnight.
With question marks hanging over a number of his high-profile charges including Dylan Hartley, Chris Robshaw, Danny Care and George Ford, can Jones re-ignite the side to the levels of the last 18 months when they were considered potential 2019 World Cup winners?
A change of personnel is needed, but the Australian coach is known for his stubbornness and insistence on doing things his way.
If they don’t change, both the starting line-up and their style of play, the Irish will have a field day – particularly at the breakdown leaving the Red Rose at their lowest ebb during Jones’ tenure.
Will Scotland find a performance? Can Italy prove their worth?
It’s been a tournament of highs and lows for Gregor Townsend’s Scotland.
Gregor Townsend’s men go from the sublime to the ridiculous. Woeful in Cardiff, battling against France, destructive against England, toothless against Ireland.
What they would give for a little consistency.
They are in a no-win situation heading to Rome but a comfortable win would at least end things on a high for them.
Italy have been in reverse for two years and the calls for their future in the Six Nations to be considered get louder and louder.
With Georgia knocking on the door, Conor O’Shea’s men need a performance. Not necessarily a win, but an 80-minute performance that shows the rugby world they can compete and are not out of sight long before the end.
Will we see into the future in Cardiff?
Warren Gatland has seen a number of young players emerge for Wales this Six Nations.
Despite a mixed bag of results, you could still argue Wales have been something of a surprise package in this Six Nations.
A new style of play, and the revelation of a greater strength in depth than the Welsh public thought has Warren Gatland’s men looking in a good place.
With the injection of new-blood has come a greater sense of optimism, not only for the immediate future, but for the World Cup which is quickly creeping upon us.
End the Six Nations on a high, and a likely second-place finish and there are more than solid foundations to build on for the coming years.
As for the French, who knows what the future could hold? They need to get out of Cardiff with their pride intact and back to the drawing board.
