Six Nations 2016: Start Times, TV Schedule and Live Stream Info for Round 4
Not only do England have the chance to put themselves in a commanding position to win this year’s Six Nations on Saturday, but they can exact some revenge against longstanding rivals Wales.
Warren Gatland's men are also in with a shout of winning this year’s tournament, although only two points will do for the visitors at Twickenham if they’re to preserve their chances of glory. Wales have fine recent memories of this fixture, too, beating England on home soil in the World Cup; it was a result from which wounds are still raw for many in the Three Lions’ setup.
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Aside from that titanic occasion, Scotland will host France on Sunday, with the latter seeking to set up what could be a pulsating finale in Paris next week. Only pride is at stake in the third game of the weekend, when Ireland welcome Italy to the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday.
Here are the key details for the penultimate weekend, viewing details for each match and a more detailed look at how things are set to pan out in this critical round of fixtures.
| Saturday, March 12 | 1:30 p.m. | Ireland vs. Italy |
| Saturday, March 12 | 4 p.m. | England vs. Wales |
| Sunday, March 13 | 3 p.m. | Scotland vs. France |
Critical Showdown Looms at Twickenham
After the embarrassing loss to Wales at the World Cup, England supporters will want to see this side, who are emboldened under the tutelage of Eddie Jones, turn in a much better performance in the first meeting between the sides since.
So far in this Six Nations, England have looked much more resolute, securing professional triumphs against Scotland, Italy and Ireland. But this clash, against a battle-hardened and effective outfit, will be the biggest test of the new coach’s tenure to date.
As the London Evening Standard’s Chris Jones reported, both camps have already been trading barbs in the buildup to this one:
England will be the favourites for the game, and there are signs Jones is seeking to add a measure of gloss to the robust setup he has instilled so far; vibrant centre Manu Tuilagi, who hasn’t played for the national team since June 2014, will be on the bench. But it’ll be intriguing to see whether the mental strain of the World Cup loss has lifted.
It certainly should boost Warren Gatland’s Wales team, who can take control of the table with victory. Skipper Sam Warburton revealed ahead of the game that he loves playing at the home of their biggest rivals:
Here are the highlights from the memorable night at the World Cup for his team:
Hoping to capitalise on the top two going head-to-head will be France, who trail England and Wales by two points and one point, respectively.
Les Bleus were poor in defeat to Wales in their last outing, failing to showcase the kind of ingenuity on the ball that you would come to expect from a France side. It’s something they’ll have to improve against Scotland who, especially on home soil at Murrayfield, are dogged and determined enough to hamper the top sides.
As we can see here, former England international Matt Dawson was unimpressed by Guy Noves’ team in Cardiff:
In the first match of the weekend, Ireland will be seeking to salvage some pride following a disappointing defence of their crown.
The men in green are still without a win in this year’s tournament, having played the three sides challenging for the title. For this clash against bottom side Italy, it was anticipated that head coach Joe Schmidt would ring the changes. However, as noted by Paul Williams of Rugby World, the strong lineup selected shows how important two points is this weekend:
The marquee tussle of the round should be a fascinating one. Expect the breakdown to be key, too; if England can prevent their ball carriers getting isolated through the likes of Chris Robshaw and James Haskell, they’ll get a lot of joy, but if the Welsh are sharp in this area, they will pick up a lot of penalties. That would allow Dan Biggar, as he did at the World Cup, to kick them to a win.
Both coaches will have to be savvy in their substitutions, too. With Tuilagi on the bench for England and Rhys Webb in reserve for Wales, there is some serious firepower to call upon, meaning we may see an attritional opening hour pave the way for a much more frantic finish to the contest.
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