International Rugby

The death of Jerry Collins and his partner Alana Madill last year sent shockwaves around the rugby world.

Collins, a veteran of 48 All Blacks appearances and a one-time captain of the New Zealand national side, was playing for Racing Club Narbonne and was killed in a car accident near the town of Beziers in the south of France in June 2015.

New Zealand prop Neemia Tialata led a powerful Haka at the sight of the crash that claimed the lives of both Collins and his partner.

The global reaction to the death of the 1002nd All Black ensured he would always be remembered, but Collins has now received a more concrete posthumous remembrance. 

Porirua Park, the home ground of Collins' amateur club Northern United, will be renamed in his honour, according to AllBlacks.com. 

The rededication will officially take place on Friday, March 25 in a ceremony at the ground where Collins first learned the skills that took him to the summit of world rugby.

Wales cemented a runners-up finish in the 2016 RBS Six Nations on Saturday after their backs ran rampant to demolish Wooden Spoon winners Italy 67-14 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

Head coach Warren Gatland watched as Wales recorded a strong finish to this year's tournament and dispatched the Azzurri with a nine-try performance. Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North, Liam Williams, Ross Moriarty and Gareth Davies all got on the board for Wales, while Guglielmo Palazzani and Gonzalo Garcia grabbed consolation tries for the guests.

Injured captain Sam Warburton was absent on Saturday, and the hosts were rocked when stand-in openside Justin Tipuric was forced off with a head injury, but Wales ultimately had too much depth in quality for Italy. 

Balls.ie highlighted what a poor note this was for coach Jacques Brunel to finish his Italy tenure upon:

The visitors were fairly unfortunate to concede as early as four minutes in, considering Wales had two players three or so yards offside as Biggar chipped ahead to apply pressure leading up to Webb's opener.

The fit-again scrum-half, starting in place of Gareth Davies, was most alert as he bundled over for a sharp finish, and ESPN's Martyn Thomas noted the joy Gatland's No. 9 undoubtedly felt on making his comeback: 

What followed was a far less inspiring period for the hosts, however, and two Biggar penalties were all they had to show for their work over the next 20 minutes, despite threatening the Italy line on a regular basis.

The Azzurri's hopes of mounting a revival were deeply hurt, too when scrum-half Palazzani was shown a yellow card for obstructing Wales counterpart Webb after the playmaker had taken a quick penalty five metres from the visitors' line.

Italy almost made it back to 15 men having failed to concede a try during Palazzani's spell in the bin, but Biggar timed a 28th-minute break to perfection, exchanging a one-two with Roberts before soaring over for Wales' second score.

That try cranked open the floodgates, as George North breezed down the right flank just minutes later before the backs looped the ball back infield for centre Davies to finish under the posts for a length-of-the-field score:

Any hopes of an Italian comeback appeared slim to none after going in at the interval 27-0 down, and after playing such a fundamental role in some of his side's earlier buildup, Roberts got on the scoresheet just five minutes after the restart.

Wales' backs were proving particularly effective in pulling their Italian opponents to and fro from flank to flank, with the hosts able to express their attacking potential in a way that hasn't always been evident in the competition.

Roberts in particular has perhaps been their star of the tournament, and rugby writer Brendan Gallagher was in awe of the Harlequins midfielder:

Full-back David Odiete weaved a dazzling run deep into Welsh territory with just over half-an-hour remaining, but his wayward pass meant the passage of play eventually fell down with the guests still scoreless.

North was next to expose the gaping holes in the Italian defence, and a simply orchestrated manoeuvre opened up the space he needed to sprint in for a 40-metre try, much to the pleasure of the Welsh Rugby Union:

Italy were making breaks of their own, but a failure to cope with pressure in the enemy 22 saw any attempt on Wales' line fall apart by their own doing. That was until they took a more direct route in the 53rd minute, and Palazzani got on the end of a mauling move to finally break the Italians' drought in Cardiff.

Williams was next to exploit the opponent's back-line shortcomings, and he left the Azzurri speedsters scarpering to get back in time to stop his sprint down the left side, but it was a futile effort as the Scarlets star piled on the points wagon:

Zebre centre Garcia followed up Palazzani's try with a fine finish of his own following a terrific Tommaso Allan offload, but substitute Moriarty returned just three minutes later to once again put the hosts on the front foot.

An error-ridden final quarter saw Italy's handling errors rocket, and Brunel's tired-looking underdogs struggled to put up much of a fight against a Welsh lineup full of players with points to prove.

As if Warburton, Tipuric and Dan Lydiate didn't offer enough elite back-row options for Wales, Moriarty put his hand up for further inclusion by taking a quick tap to seal Italy's misery with a second score in the final minute.

Substitute Gareth Davies, on in the place of Webb, completed a record win in added time as Wales chose to play to the final whistle and further demonstrate their superiority over minnow opposition. It was Wales' biggest points total in a championship game in Cardiff, according to the BBC. 

For Italy, this was yet another display that might support some who question their participation in the Six Nations after falling painfully short in Cardiff. Wales, on the other hand, will accept a second-placed finish and look forward to this summer's tour of New Zealand with plenty of promise afoot.  

France will look to prevent 2016 RBS Six Nations champions England from claiming their first Grand Slam in 13 years this Saturday when the two teams collide in Paris at the Stade de France.

Head coach Eddie Jones knows his England side must only beat Les Bleus in order to clinch the nation's first Grand Slam since 2003, with the Australian tactician still undefeated as team chief.

The title may be decided already, but there are more surprises left to play out as Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France vie for the best possible finish in the standings and much still to contend for.

Read on as we run down the biggest headline surrounding the fifth and final week of this year's Six Nations, complete with all the essential live stream information, start times and the latest table standings.

Matches can be streamed live via the BBC Sport website and ITV Player.

Eddie Jones' Grand Slam Dream in the Balance

Few might have imagined former Japan coach Jones would make such a triumphant start to life at the England helm, making his team the first ever to win the Six Nations crown with a week to spare.

One more victory is all that's needed for England to seal the Grand Slam and end their 13-year hoodoo, and BBC Sport analyst Jeremy Guscott has said they'll stand up to the pressure:

Since the Five Nations became Six in 2000, England have gone into the final game of the championship on five occasions knowing that victory would give them a Grand Slam.

Only once have they won it and converted that position into a clean sweep of all five games.

However, against France on Saturday, I fully expect England to deliver coach Eddie Jones a Grand Slam in his first campaign.

It hasn't been such the fairytale story for France coach Guy Noves, also in his first year at the national team helm after departing Toulouse last year, winning two and losing two of his first four games in charge.

Simon Thomas of Wales Online has hailed the Red Rose as deserving victors in this year's competition, a consensus many would agree with, but a new pressure falls on England's players to see out the task in Week 5:

England were highlighted by Betting Expert as pre-tournament favourites to win the Triple Crown, but while they've already lived up to that hype, there's a weight of expectancy on the team to deliver the bigger prize in Week 5.

The emerging generation consisting of the likes of Maro Itoje, 21, Billy Vunipola, 23, Jack Nowell, 22, and Anthony Watson, 22, may have great promise ahead, but their experience in dealing with such pressures as this remains slim.

Rags-to-Riches Opportunities Afoot

It's not often the Six Nations table heads into the final week of action with such drastic changes on the line, but this year has painted a different landscape as second place through to fifth lie undecided with just three games remaining.

Second-placed Wales are on for a runners-up finish, but a shock defeat to Italy could see them end up as low as fourth, while fifth-placed Ireland can hope to turn their tournament around and clinch second spot before the end.

Coach Joe Schmidt's men will have to defend their borders from a Scottish assault in order to do so, though, and with the Scots seeking their third consecutive win, the travelling side have their tails up.

It was a win over Scotland that put the finishing touches on Ireland's 2015 Six Nations championship, but Edinburgh hooker Ross Ford has said Vern Cotter's side have revenge on their mind, per Sky Sports:

We will use last season's game a little bit for motivation. It has been mentioned. It would be silly if you didn't look back at it. It was a poor performance from us. But this time we are a far better team than we were then.

We just want to do ourselves justice by putting in a good performance. I think they're going through a bit of a transition. They have lost a few key members of the squad. But they are still a dangerous team who don't make too many mistakes.

France have lost twice on the trot since starting their tournament with back-to-back wins, but a surprise victory against the English could also yield a runners-up place for them should Wales slip against the Azzurri.

Some have labelled this a weak time for European rugby following the success of the southern hemisphere nations at last year's World Cup, but an open and even Six Nations nevertheless makes for superb entertainment.

England will look to complete a historic Grand Slam in the final round of the 2016 RBS Six Nations on Saturday when they travel to Paris to take on France.

Eddie Jones' side wrapped up the title in Week 4 after dispatching Wales 25-21 at Twickenham and France, in need of a win to keep their hopes alive, slipped to defeat against Scotland.

Wales will take on Italy hoping to wrap up second place, while only pride will be at stake for Ireland and Scotland in Dublin.

Here is the full schedule for the final round of fixtures, complete with odds for each:

Matches can be streamed live via BBC iPlayer and ITV Player.

Preview

England have bounced back from their disappointment at last year's Rugby World Cup in some style by winning the their first Six Nations title since 2011, and as rugby journalist Simon Thomas noted, they're not only deserved victors but also did what no other team have done:

To do so they had to overcome Wales in the penultimate round, and as OptaJonny revealed they achieved another first at half-time in the match:

Despite a late scare as the Welsh rallied in the closing stages at Twickenham, the hosts held on for a vital victory.

The highlight of the campaign—aside from winning it and potentially remaining unbeaten throughout—has undoubtedly been the emergence of 21-year-old lock Maro Itoje, who has produced a number of scintillating performances in the previous rounds.

Sportswriter Murray Kinsella lauded the youngster's athleticism and intelligence:

According to the competition's official website, the Saracens star has stolen three lineouts at the Six Nations—more than any other player aside from team-mate George Kruis, who also has three.

Itoje will start at the Stade de France on Saturday, with Mako Vunipola and Danny Care the only changes to the starting XV that beat Wales, the pair replacing Joe Marler and Ben Youngs respectively, per England Rugby:

Head coach Jones explained his team selection and reiterated that England are targeting the first Grand Slam win since Wales accomplished it in 2012 and their first since 2003, per England Rugby:

France will be eager to regain their pride after they lost 29-18 to the Scots, though. The players were subsequently criticised after the Murrayfield loss by French outlet L'Equipe, per rugby writer Gavin Mortimer:

Here is @lequipe's player ratings from the France v Scotland match pic.twitter.com/fkGcslD3h8

— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) March 14, 2016

Guy Noves has made just two changes to his side, though, with Loann Goujon and Bernard Le Roux replacing Yacouba Camara and Wenceslas Lauret, per FF Rugby:

Former England captain Will Carling believes Les Bleus will come back strong after their poor showing last time out:

It's clear Jones will not allow his players to adopt a "job-done" attitude until they have secured the Grand Slam, so they won't underestimate France.

Noves' side are likely to raise their game in response to Sunday's disappointment, particularly on home turf, but with the likes of Itoje, Anthony Watson, Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell all playing well, England can make history on Saturday.

Wales may not be able to win the 2016 RBS Six Nations, but they'll be determined to end their campaign on a high against an Italy side who will pick up the wooden spoon for the 11th time since becoming the sixth nation in 2000.

The Italians will be looking to salvage what pride they can by beating Wales in order to avoid finishing the Six Nations without picking up a single victory along the way. They face an unenviable task, though, having beaten the Welsh just twice in 16 attempts.

Here are all the details you need to catch the action, and read on for a closer look at the upcoming match:

Date: Saturday, March 19

Time: 2:30 p.m. GMT

TV: BBC One

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer

Preview

Wales will need to pick themselves up after the 25-21 defeat to England ended their hopes of winning the championship, which Eddie Jones' side then sealed after Scotland surprised France on Sunday.

Despite the Twickenham match presenting a winner-takes-all scenario, the Welsh were unusually subdued for much of the contest and only a late rally in the final quarter of the game caused England any real worry.

Rugby journalist Simon Thomas was not impressed with what he saw, particularly in the first half:

A repeat performance on Saturday would give Italy an excellent chance of claiming their only points of the championship.

Wales will have to show a marked improvement without captain Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones and Alex Cuthbert, with all three missing out due to injury, per BBC Sport. Rhys Webb will return to the starting lineup for the first time since September, with Gareth Davies dropped to the bench.

Here is the full lineup, with Dan Lydiate captaining the side in Warburton's absence, per Welsh Rugby Union:

Wales head coach Warren Gatland is eagerly anticipating Lydiate's stint with the armband and is hoping for a big response from his players following their disappointing defeat, per BBC Sport:

This weekend it is all about finishing off the tournament well and putting in a big performance. It's good to see [Webb] back and starting, it's a good opportunity for him. 

Saturday is a good chance for some of the players to redeem themselves and we are looking for a big performance.

I've been involved in a couple of times when [Lydiate] has captained the midweek sides and he jumped at the opportunity this weekend and it will be good to see how he goes.

Italy will also be looking for an improved showing after they shipped a staggering nine tries against Ireland last time out—a side that had not tasted victory in their previous three Six Nations matches.

Key to their fortunes—as always—will be Sergio Parisse.

Per French rugby writer Gavin Mortimer, Italy received a boost midweek with the 32-year-old reportedly opting to stay on for three more years with the national side:

According to @midi_olympique Sergio Parisse & incoming Italy coach Conor O'Shea have been having fruitful discussions of late. As a result..

— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) March 14, 2016

...the great Italian No8 has aborted plans to retire from Test rugby & will lead Italy to the 2019 RWC. But he won't go on June tours

— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) March 14, 2016

Sports writer Murray Kinsella believes he is vital to their success:

Indeed, Parisse has again stood out as one of the side's better performers even in a difficult campaign such as this one.

The No. 8 has been the driving force behind Italy's attack, making 43 carries and gaining 237 metres—more than any other player in the team, per the tournament's official website.

Expect a big performance from him at the Principality Stadium on Saturday. It may not be enough to guide his team to victory in Cardiff, but if Wales get off to another slow start, Italy could really give them something to think about.