Six Nations 2017: Dates, Times, TV and Live-Stream Info for Round 4 Fixtures
England will hope to continue their march towards another Six Nations championship win on Saturday, as they get set to welcome Scotland to Twickenham.
Eddie Jones’ side have won all three of their matches in the competition so far, picking up one bonus point along the way. In their last outing, they overcame some inventive tactics from bottom side Italy to eventually secure a 36-15 win.
On Friday, Ireland will face a big test of their championship credentials when they visit face Wales at the Principality Stadium. Italy will host France in a battle of the bottom two on Saturday.
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Here’s the schedule in full for the penultimate round of fixtures, the key viewing details and a look ahead to the two huge games this weekend.
| Friday, March 10 | 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Wales vs. Ireland |
| Saturday, March 11 | 1:30 p.m. GMT/8:30 a.m. ET | Italy vs. France |
| Saturday, March 11 | 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET | England vs. Scotland |
| 1 | England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 47 | 1 | 13 |
| 2 | Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 104 | 46 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | Scotland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 57 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | Wales | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 57 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | France | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 54 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 132 | 0 | 0 |
Matches will be broadcast on BBC (UK) and ITV (UK)
Respective matches can be streamed via BBC iPlayer (UK) and the ITV Hub (UK)
Wales vs. Ireland
Wales can give rivals England a big hand in Cardiff on Friday night, as they look to derail Ireland’s charge for top spot.
Wales head coach Rob Howley has watched his side struggle for consistency in this year’s competition, something that was apparent as they were well beaten 29-13 at Murrayfield in their last outing by the Scots. A late loss to England earlier in the tournament seems to have knocked the confidence of this talented crop.
As noted by BBC Wales Sport, the loss to Scotland sees the Welsh tumble down the official world rankings:
Per Tom Dutton of the Evening Standard, things would get even worse for the Welsh if Ireland overturned them on Friday evening, as Wales would drop out of the top eight. However, Howley has opted to keep faith with the same XV who failed to get the better of the Scots.
"There is a lot of experience in our group," Howley said, per BBC Sport. "You don't become a bad team overnight." Needless to say, rugby journalist Peter Jackson disagrees with the decision:
Ireland, meanwhile, will be out to hunt down England and if they were to win with a bonus point, Joe Schmidt’s side would move level with the leaders on 13 points and apply the pressure ahead of Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash.
Based on the standards set by the two sides in the competition so far, Ireland will likely have too much for the Welsh. However, a strong reaction from the hosts will make for an even encounter.
Prediction: Wales 15-22 Ireland
England vs. Scotland
Regardless of whether or not Ireland beat Wales on Saturday, you can bet there’ll be no slacking off from Jones’ England.
While the holders sit top of the pile at the moment with three wins from three, they’ve not been at their fluid best in their trio of outings so far. That was something Italy were able to capitalise on in the early stages of their clash with England, opting not to contest the ball on the ground and subsequently disrupt their opponents’ passing rhythm.
Here’s a look at the controversial tactic the champions came up against at Twickenham in Round 3, per BBC Sport’s Richard Conway:
In a boost for England, Billy Vunipola is set to return to the XV for this match. The No. 8 has been out of action for three months with a knee problem, although he was included in the final 24-man squad selected by Jones.
Vunipola played for Saracens on Sunday in a 35-27 win over Newcastle and revealed he’s feeling good again. "I talked to Eddie this week and said that if I come through the game then we can talk," he said after that outing, per BBC Sport.
England will need their star men to perform on Saturday against a Scotland outfit who have been in brilliant form at this tournament. Having already beaten Ireland and Wales, Vern Cotter’s men will be confident of toppling their rivals for the first time in nine years too.
As noted by BBC Scotland’s John Beattie, it’s been even longer since the Scots last won at Twickenham:
Expect a gallant effort from a Scotland team that have been in a great groove this year, rising to fifth in the world rankings. However, England have developed a penchant for winning big games since Jones took charge, and they’ll do enough to get over the line here, setting up a fascinating finale in Dublin in a week’s time.
Prediction: England 28-15 Scotland
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