Six Nations 2015: Fixture Info, Team News, Form Guide for Round 2 Clashes
After the first round of action in the 2015 Six Nations, England are slim favourites to win the championship having put together the most impressive performance on opening weekend.
Their win over Wales in Cardiff represented the resilience and depth in the current English squad, while the weekend's other two victors—Ireland and France—were largely underwhelming.
However, the second round of action could change all that as it offers another opportunity for all six sides to show their title-winning pedigree.
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Read on for all the relevant fixture information, latest team news and form guides ahead of three more intriguing match-ups in the Six Nations this weekend.
| Date | Time (GMT/ET) | Home (Form) | Away (Form) |
| Feb. 14 | 2:30 p.m./9:30 a.m. | England (LLLWWW) | Italy (LLWLLL) |
| Feb. 14 | 5 p.m./noon | Ireland (WWWWWW) | France (LLWWLW) |
| Feb. 15 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Scotland (WLWLWL) | Wales (LLWLWL) |
England vs. Italy
England will look to take momentum from their excellent 21-16 victory over Wales—which saw Stuart Lancaster's men come back from 10-0 down early on—when they face Italy at Twickenham on Saturday.
A similar result to last year's 52-11 drubbing of the Azzurri would likely see England move to the top of the standings, but they must not be complacent at Twickenham.
Lancaster has named the same 23-man squad that were victorious in Cardiff, per England Rugby, a group full of players hoping to prove themselves ahead of the World Cup later this year:
Italy, on the other hand, have made four changes to the starting team that lost 26-3 to Ireland last time out, per PA Sport:
The Italians were resolute in defence against the Irish last weekend, Joe Schmidt's men only drawing away with two late tries.
However, they will have a tough job containing a buoyant English side at home and may need to take a more aggressive approach.
England are heavy favourites for the win, though, and should dominate in the pack, providing a good base for George Ford and a refreshingly creative England back line—including last week's young try-scorers Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph.
Scotland vs. Wales
After a fast start at the Millennium Stadium, Wales were poor on opening weekend and will be hurting after their loss to England.
Warren Gatland has made just one enforced change to his starting team for this weekend's clash with Scotland at Murrayfield, per BBC Wales Sport, Liam Williams coming in to replace the recovering George North:
There is huge talent in the Welsh side and the centres in particular need to be utilised better then they were against England, the duo of Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies capable of breaking any defensive line in world rugby.
And they will come up against a staunch defence against Scotland, Vern Cotter's men having impressed enormously against France, despite having lost 15-8, per BBC ScrumV:
In front of the Murrayfield crowd, Scotland will likely take the game to Wales and, conversely, should come into Saturday's clash with the greater confidence after the respective sides' opening performances.
The key man in the backs for the Scots will be Stuart Hogg, a massive danger joining the line from full back, per WalesOnline Rugby:
In the last weekend of 2014's tournament, Wales thrashed Scotland 51-3, but a much closer contest is likely this time around.
Ireland vs. France
Current standings leaders and defending champions Ireland were sluggish and unconvincing in beating Italy in the first round of matches, although the same can be said of France's performance against Scotland.
Schmidt's men took 65 minutes to break the Azzurri defence, while France were indebted to five Camille Lopez penalties as they failed to run in a score.
If either side has designs on winning this year's championship, they will need to step it up a notch or two at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
The Irish seem the most likely to show significant improvement—having played dramatically below their best in Rome—with home advantage, and Schmidt set to recall three key men to the starting lineup, per The42.ie:
Meanwhile, only one enforced change has been made to the French squad, per BBC Sport, prop Eddy Ben Arous coming in to replace Alexandre Menini.
Sexton's inclusion could be vital for the Irish, his game-management skills likely to bring a slickness and fluidity in Dublin that were missing last weekend.
The French have a great deal of power in their squad and quality in the backs, but Ireland should prevail in front of the Dublin crowd if they play to their potential.
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