International Rugby

Scotland will look to build on their opening round win over Ireland in the 2017 Six Nations on Sunday, but they face a sizeable obstacle in the form of France, whom they'll play in Paris.

The Scots kicked off this year's competition in style as they beat the Irish 27-22 at Murrayfield to launch their campaign with a win.

France, meanwhile, slipped to a narrow 19-16 defeat at the hands of England, who came from behind to win late on.

The pair will go head-to-head at the Stade de France. Read on for a preview of the clash, but first here is the viewing information you need to catch the action:

Date: Sunday, February 12

Time: 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

TV: BBC One

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer 

Scotland were excellent on Saturday as they stunned Ireland with an early brace of tries from Stuart Hogg and another from Alex Dunbar to give them a commanding 21-8 half-time lead.

After the break, their defensive qualities shone through as they successfully held off a spirited fightback to claim the victory.

Here's a look at the highlights:

Rugby journalist Murray Kinsella praised their impressive display:

Their work rate was indeed exceptional—according to the Six Nations' official website, Scotland made 242 tackles against Ireland, 27 of which were won by the outstanding Jonny Gray, who also made the most carries in the team with 14.

Captain Greig Laidlaw as reliable as ever from the tee, scoring 12 points from a possible 12 with three conversions and two penalties.

Scotland beat France at Murrayfield in the Six Nations last year but have not won in Paris since 1999. Per BBC Sport, Laidlaw is well aware of the effort it will take to win this time around:

It is a long time ago since we won there but we understand there is a reason for that.

France are a good team and it is a hard place to win. We are under no illusions this week—we need to be on top form to get something out of the game.

We'll need accuracy and we need to be physical and aggressive because the French are big men. But we need to be subtle and clever in our attack.

Indeed, if Scotland aren't able to replicate the kind of performance they demonstrated against Ireland, France will almost certainly punish them.

Rugby World's Paul Williams hailed France's ability to compete with England last weekend, while journalist Simon Thomas believes they were good enough to have won:

France have now lost their last four Six Nations matches stretching back to last year—including their defeat to Scotland—but they've notably improved under Guy Noves in recent months.

Prior to their strong display against England, they also thrashed Samoa 52-8 in the Autumn Internationals last year and only narrowly lost 25-23 to Australia and 24-19 to New Zealand. 

Despite their setback last weekend, Les Bleus could be set to make their first serious challenge for the Six Nations in years.

Scotland will need to produce the same herculean effort that beat Ireland to get something out of the match—if they can, it's set to be a truly thrilling encounter.

Wales and England will meet in Round 2 of the 2017 Six Nations tournament in a match that already has major title implications after the two teams won their opening fixtures.

The defending champions struggled against France but got the job done in the end, while Wales overcame a slow start to cruise past Italy. With Ireland suffering an upset in Scotland, England and Wales suddenly look like title favourites.

Scotland should not be overlooked and will have the chance to convince some of their doubters in Paris, while Ireland travel to Italy and will have the chance to grab some much-needed momentum.

Here's the schedule for Round 2:

To access the BBC iPlayer, click here. For the ITV hub, click here.

Preview

England enter Round 2 with a 15-match win streak in Test matches under their belt, and with Ireland losing at Murrayfield, coach Eddie Jones and his troops already appear to be on pace for a second straight Six Nations title.

The win over France wasn't particularly impressive―Les Bleus were the better team in the first half and nothing appeared to work for England early on―but once again, the team showed its resilience and stepped up when they had to.

As reported by the Press Association (for ESPN), Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones believes the England team can rightly be compared with New Zealand: "I don't see why not. They are three games away from equalling their (New Zealand's) record (for successive wins), and when you get that close it's fair to make that link, but they have probably been keeping it at arm's length, for obvious reasons."

Jones and his troops have some injuries to contend with―most notably the absence of Billy and Mako Vunipola―but the team's depth is impressive. Wales haven't beaten England in the Six Nations since Jones took control of the team, but he has yet to travel to the Principality Stadium.

The Welsh started slow against Italy but exploded in the second half and lead the standings entering Round 2. The side is mostly healthy, although there's one crucial player who could miss out―George North.

The winger will have the chance to prove his fitness, but if he can't start, head coach Rob Howley will have some shifting to do, per Walesonline.co.uk's Simon Thomas:

Italy did well to slow Wales down during the first half of their clash in Rome, but the Azzurri still came up short by some margin. Ireland will be hoping to take advantage of their shortcomings, as they desperately need a boost.

The loss against Scotland was unexpected, but coach Joe Schmidt is unlikely to make major changes. Italy aren't exactly a powerhouse team, and they tend to wear out in the second half against physical, rugged sides―playing right into Ireland's main strengths.

Johnny Sexton is working hard to get back to 100 per cent, and once he does, Ireland will be a far better team.

Scotland showed some trickery in their win over Ireland, and their set-piece surprises likely won't work a second time around against France. Les Bleus are always a difficult team to beat in Paris, and a win on Sunday would cement the Scots as legitimate title contenders.

Former South Africa rugby union captain Joost van der Westhuizen has died aged 45.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup winner's J9 Foundation announced the news on Monday after he had been in a critical condition over the weekend:

Van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2011.

Reaction poured in on social media following the announcement:

South Africa is poorer without Joost van der Westhiuzen, a giant & warrior of SA rugby. I send my sincere condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/f8ko2SPWpI

— RSA Min of Sport (@MbalulaFikile) February 6, 2017

According to Jack de Menezes of the Independent, Van der Westhuizen was given just two-and-a-half years to live upon his diagnosis.

Per BBC Sport, South Africa rugby president Mark Alexander said: "Joost will be remembered as one of the greatest Springboks—not only of his generation, but of all time. He also became an inspiration and hero to many fellow sufferers of this terrible disease as well as to those unaffected. We all marvelled at his bravery, his fortitude and his uncomplaining acceptance of this terrible burden."

The scrum-half made 89 caps for the Springboks over the course of a successful 10-year international career between 1993 and 2003—serving four years as captain—the pinnacle of which was winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Van der Westhuizen also scored 38 tries in that time for South Africa and was inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame in 2007.

Domestically, he played for the Blue Bulls for his entire career, where he won the Currie Cup on two occasions, as well as the Bankfin and Vodacom Cups once apiece.

Wales grabbed their first win of the 2017 Six Nations on Sunday, beating Italy 33-7 in Rome.

The Azzurri were the better team during the first half but crumbled after the break, while Wales improved dramatically and made the most of their chances.

Wales will host defending champions England in Round 2, while Italy host Ireland, who suffered an upset at the hands of Scotland on Saturday.

Here's a look at the Six Nations standings:

The schedule for Round 2:

Recap, Preview

Wales were far from their best on Sunday and trailed the hosts 7-3 entering half-time, but stand-in head coach Rob Howley's troops got the job done.

Edoardo Gori opened the scoring after 29 minutes, and per Rugby World, it was his first try in a Six Nations match:

Carlo Canna added the conversion to make the score 7-0, and while Leigh Halfpenny reduced the deficit minutes later with a penalty goal, Italy navigated the first half rather easily.

The Welsh fans were anything but happy, and Welsh Girl Problems summed things up like this:

The visitors improved after the break, however, and Halfpenny reduced the deficit to a single point after just six minutes. Wales patiently prodded away in the Italy half and dominated the set pieces, forcing the hosts into making mistakes.

Halfpenny kept up his strong form with two more penalties in quick succession, and per the Six Nations' official Twitter account, his accuracy was on point:

Andrea Lovotti was sin-binned after an hour of play, all but dooming the hosts' chances of grabbing a win. Jonathan Davies scored Wales' first try just a minute later, and Halfpenny's conversion stretched the lead to 12 points.

Liam Williams added a try of his own, and George North's try put the final score on the board. The Welsh came close to adding a bonus point in the final minutes, but TMO Rowan Kitt disagreed.

The victory should give Wales the confidence they need when they host rivals England in Week 2. The defending champions were far from convincing in their win against France but remain the favourites for this year's title.

Per the team's official Twitter account, head coach Eddie Jones was blunt in his assessment of the first half against Les Bleus:

England have the uncanny ability to stay alive in matches after slow starts, something that was once again evident at Twickenham Stadium. Wales did a superb job in the second half on Sunday, but England will present a whole different challenge than Italy did.

The Azzurri will face Ireland in Round 2 in what should be a similar match. France are set to take on Scotland, who started the Six Nations with a surprise win over the Irish.

England overcame a disappointing performance to defeat France 19-16 at Twickenham as they began the defence of their Six Nations championship on Saturday.

The French dominated for spells as the hosts began slowly, and the scores were level at half-time as Eddie Jones' men laboured.

England stayed in touch through the expert kicking of Owen Farrell, but the holders' strength from the bench paid dividends as Ben Te'o scored the winning try.

Scotland held off a fightback from Ireland at Murrayfield in the day's other match, winning 27-22 in a fierce battle.

The hosts punished Irish errors throughout the encounter, but the visitors fought back from 21-5 down to almost overturn the result.

Here are Saturday's results and standings:

Saturday Recap

England secured a national record of 15 victories in a row, but they were mightily relived to defeat a valiant France team in London.

The visitors were on top for large parts of the contest, and Jones had to call for reinforcements from the bench as he attempted to win the game.

A fine try from Rabah Slimani gave France the advantage early in the game, and the English struggled to work their way into proceedings in the first half.

Four penalties from the reliable boot of Farrell kept his side's head above water before the hosts turned the screw in the final 15 minutes.

The forwards suddenly found their rhythm as France suffered, and Te'o was the hero after he crossed the try line in the final phases of the drama.

ITV Rugby shared the moment as the sub scored the vital points:

Jones admitted his team had been below par and made too many errors against France, but he was delighted how England had grabbed the points as they began the defence of their crown, per ITV Rugby:

Ireland appeared dead and buried against Scotland during an error-prone performance in Edinburgh, but the visitors showed the true depth of their qualities as they almost completed a comeback to win.

Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg crossed the try line twice, despite Ireland's dominance in the scrum. Keith Earls hit back for the visitors, but Alex Dunbar's try gave the Scots a 16-point lead.

Tries from Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson put Ireland 22-21 ahead before Greig Laidlaw's two late penalties denied Joe Schmidt's men.

Ireland had the majority of the ball throughout the match, but Scotland were ruthless when opportunity presented itself.

England undoubtedly believe they evaded embarrasment against France, and they were second-best in many positions against a rejuvenated opponent.

The champions were off the pace during vital periods of the contest, and the Red Rose could not have complained if they had collapsed to a shock defeat.

England will need to play better than this to retain their crown, and the other top sides in the competition will feel they can hurt the champions in their current form.

England kicked off their 2017 Six Nations championship with a hard-fought 19-16 victory over a spirited France side at Twickenham, where a late Ben Te'o try salvaged four points for the home outfit.

France fly-half Camille Lopez exchanged penalties with England counterpart Owen Farrell before a Rabah Slimani try put France into a second-half lead, but the Red Rose rumbled on to clinch a valuable win.

Gloucester winger Jonny May was shown a yellow card early in the first half after tip tackling France centre Gael Fickou, but despite scoring six points during his absence, Les Bleus failed to make the most of their advantage. 

The victory sealed a record-breaking 15th successive win for England and got their Six Nations title defence off to a winning start, although The Times' Steve James admitted there's still plenty of work to do:

Despite entering their opening clash as firm favourites for the win, coach Eddie Jones' side started Saturday's duel off in a slump, struggling to come out of the blocks while their opponents had no such concerns.

French fly-half Lopez opened his account with a penalty in the seventh minute before England counterpart Farrell responded to level at 3-3 minutes later, but both teams were struggling to unearth much space in attack.

Scott Spedding dazzled as one of France's most effective running weapons throughout the opening 40 minutes, but it spoke volumes of the tight parameters that his darting run after 10 minutes was one of the highlights:

Les Bleus endeavoured in the ascendancy for long bouts and received an advantage after May was adjudged to have tipped France centre Fickou and was shown a yellow card for his offence.

Some England fans may have called the sin bin call incorrect as RTE Rugby provided an image of the tackle in question, after which May arguably had to be shown a yellow if referee Angus Gardner operated by the rule book: 

Lopez slotted another two penalties before May made his return to the field with England trailing 9-6 thanks to Farrell also adding another three points to their tally.

A long-range boot from winger Elliot Daly pulled the hosts level at 9-9 just before the break, and Gracenote Sports statistician Simon Gleave noted there was cause for England to feel upbeat:

Farrell was unlucky not to add to his penalty count early after the restart and bounced an effort off the posts, with England attempting to take a lead for the first time in the meeting.

The French pair of Spedding and No. 8 Louis Picamoles continued to maul away at England's defence, but it was England who had the first major scoring opportunity of the second half as Daly saw his near miss ruled out after straying into touch.

ITV Rugby provided footage of the Wasps star's missed score, where a left boot just about scraping the touchline meant he was prevented from handing England the boost they so sorely needed:

France recovered, however, and the game started to open up for both teams as stamina came to play more of a factor in proceedings, with Jones' hosts seemingly coping better with the workload.

A 55th-minute penalty from Farrell succeeded in giving England their first lead of the fixture, but it lasted barely five minutes thanks to a barrelling run through the heart of England's defence.

Kevin Gourdon made the indent before spotting Slimani's run and handing off to the Stade Francais prop for the score, taking France into a 16-12 lead:

Te'o replaced George Ford as Owen Farrell moved back to fly-half, while Ben Youngs came off for Danny Care and James Haskell was on in place of Joe Launchbury, a move that saw Maro Itoje shift from blindside flanker to lock.

And Te'o's impact was almost instant, powering his way past French defenders through brute force for a maiden England try, and Farrell's conversion snatched a 19-16 lead as ESPN Scrum's Tom Hamilton praised the initiative shown:

France had just eight minutes to get themselves back in the fixture and trailed by only three points, but England's high press ensured the visiting team could only kick back to the enemy, keeping play in their half.

Both teams appeared far below their best, but Jones will undoubtedly come away the happier of the two coaches as his team displayed the kind of grit upon which championships tend to be built.

The Red Rose have taken some much-needed initiative in dusting off one of the tournament's more prestigious sides in Week 1, but the test of Wales in Week 2 means there's no time for respite.

Meanwhile, Les Bleus will play host to Scotland next Sunday after coach Vern Cotter's men clinched a mighty 27-22 win over Ireland at Murrayfield, leaving the French at risk of suffering successive Six Nations defeats.

Post-Match Reaction

Many coaches might have felt bitter in leaving Twickenham after such a near miss on Saturday, but France boss Guy Noves was anything but in his post-match comments.

Picamoles' man-of-the-match performance combined with Slimani's late try and Lopez's boot put the guests in contention, but Noves ultimately conceded England as deserved winners, per Rugby World:

England counterpart Jones was similarly complimentary of his opponent and suggested there's more to come from his side after a fixture that could have gone either way, per the Telegraph's Mick Cleary and James Stafford:

“We can’t get much uglier than that. For some reason we sat back in the first half. I have to look at the preparation I gave the team. But we did enough good things in the second half to win it.”

Jones added his bench were also essential to the win: “They [the bench] were terrific Te’o was dominate in defence and strong in attack. We got really good value from the bench. That’s the great thing for us, we can slot Daly in at 13 and it presents a different picture. It’s still ugly but the result is beautiful.”

Scotland sealed a historic 27-22 win against Ireland on Saturday to kickstart their 2017 Six Nations championship in promising fashion and stake an early claim on this year's crown.

Full-back Stuart Hogg went over twice in the opening quarter of the match before Alex Dunbar added a third, but Keith Earls' 26th-minute reply just about kept the visitors in the fixture at the break.

Ireland looked like a different team after the restart and scored tries through Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson, who added two conversions and a penalty to his tally, albeit for only a losing bonus point in the end.

Broadcaster Ian Stafford heaped praise on two-try man-of-the-match hero Hogg, although lock Jonny Gray also caught attention for his display in the pack:

Hogg scored the first try of the 2017 championship just nine minutes after kick-off at Murrayfield, where the British and Irish Lion—almost a shoo-in for this year's tour—scythed his way into the far-right corner of the field.

Scotland played their phases with patience and a calm demeanour to unearth an overlap on the right, and the Glasgow Warriors No. 15 capitalised to glide over for a relatively simple finish:

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt might have put that early setback down to nerves in an intimidating setting, but Scotland's backs once again unlocked the opposition's back line a little more than 10 minutes later as their Irish counterparts fell asleep.

Earls' quick rush up on Ireland's right wing was mistimed, and an onrushing Hogg once again took advantage, this time selling his dummy down the left flank before sizzling in for a superb solo try:

Despite the hosts scoring an early brace, Ireland did show some promise at the set piece, and it was after keeping the ball close with a series of rucks that the Boys in Green finally unlocked the opponent's defence.

Full-back Simon Zebo's floated miss pass was almost intercepted on its way to Earls, but the winger collected on the left wing before overcoming the TMO's deliberations to get Ireland on the board, as shown by RTE Sport:

That score reduced Ireland's deficit to 14-5 as fly-half Jackson failed to add the conversion—something Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw managed for both their tries—although it wasn't long before the gulf was extended again.

Just as it seemed the Irish were gaining a foothold in the meeting, centre Dunbar floated through for the easiest score he could have hoped for, joining a lineout at short range before barging his way through a lax defence.

Again, Laidlaw was on hand to add the extras and increase Scotland's cushion before a Jackson penalty close to the half-time whistle painted the scoreline at 21-8 going in at the break. 

Misfortune struck early for Scotland after returning to the field as fly-half Finn Russell required a head injury assessment (HIA) in the 45th minute, temporarily replaced by Edinburgh No. 10 Duncan Weir.

It was Scotland who claimed the fast start in the first period at Murrayfield, but Henderson's bulldoze over following a bout of sustained pressure following the restart saw Ireland grab the first score of the second half:

Russell made his way back on to the field with the scoreline poised at 21-15, and a break from scrum-half Conor Murray threatened to put the home side behind before Jamie Heaslip's pass was intercepted at the last gasp.

But with 17 minutes left on the clock, Ireland finally took a lead for the first time in the match after Jackson's angled run notched a try and conversion that pushed his side ahead 22-21.

BBC Scotland's Bryn Palmer detailed Scotland's fall from grace:

An end-to-end meeting went through something of a lull before Laidlaw reclaimed a two-point advantage on Scotland's behalf, converting a routine penalty from out on the right after Ireland failed to roll away at the breakdown.

Scotland showed bravery in going for the corner from a late penalty, and the decision paid dividends as the hosts were awarded another penalty with a minute left, this time kicking to put the finishing touches on a 27-22 victory.

The Scots travel to face France in Paris next Sunday after Ireland take on Italy in Rome on Saturday, perhaps the ideal opportunity for Schmidt's side to continue their recovery and gain what seems like much-needed confidence.

Cotter will step down from the Scotland head coach role this summer, with Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend set to replace him, but Saturday's result holds some promise for the New Zealander exiting the position on a high.

Post-Match Reaction

After several years of unsuccessful attempts against compatriot Schmidt, New Zealand native Cotter notched a long-awaited win over his Ireland counterpart on Saturday in tense circumstance.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the match, Cotter admitted a sense of relief at taking four points from such a difficult clash before admitting his relationship with Schmidt wouldn't be damaged as a result:

"These players are finding ways to win games now - we dominated the first half and they largely dominated second but we held our composure at the end. I might have a quiet beer with with my old friend Joe Schmidt [they coached together at Clermont] having finally gotten one over on him." 

The four points were so close to being Ireland's, too, after it seemed as though they were gathering speed near the game's climax, a shift that Schmidt said made the loss that much harder to take, via RTE:

Ireland's slim lead was eventually cut down as it was Scotland who demonstrated more mental composure for once in such a setting, and Cotter suggested even he thought the momentum might have gone against his men:

"When there was one point in it i think everyone thought it would be the same old story but we managed to claw our way back in. It was a great win and validates the work they have been doing in training."

The 2017 RBS Six Nations tournament will kick off on Saturday, February 4, as champions England renew their rivalry with France at Twickenham Stadium.

Scotland will take on Ireland, while Italy host Wales in Rome on Sunday. Here's a look at the schedule for Round 1, complete with TV and live-stream info.

To access the BBC iPlayer, click here. For ITV Live, click here.

Preview

England will attempt to become only the sixth team to defend the Grand Slam, beginning at home against France. Coach Eddie Jones and his troops are favourites for the title, with Ireland expected to be their toughest competition.

As shared by BBC Sport's Tom Fordyce, Jones expects a fierce challenge from Les Bleus in Round 1, though:

France held their own against New Zealand and Australia in the autumn Tests but ended up losing both matches by a combined seven points. The team appears in better form than last year but are always a bit of a question mark ahead of the Six Nations, and their under-the-radar status this year might help them.

Pundits and fans are already talking about the Ireland-England clash in Dublin on March 18 as a title-decider, but Les Bleus have been looking forward to Saturday's match more than any―the chance to avenge last year's loss in Paris.

Wesley Fofana won't be active, which is a major blow for France, but England have major absentees of their own. Chris Robshaw won't feature, and Mako and Billy Vunipola have both been sidelined for some time already.

Kicking may prove the key in this one―France always tend to do well from the tee, and Owen Farrell's spotty form could spell trouble.

Ireland flashed their remarkable talent with wins over Australia and New Zealand in November, and after last year's injury-hit campaign, coach Joe Schmidt and his players will be out to reclaim their standing as Europe's top team.

Today FM's Ross Lindsay shared these comments from the coach, who seemed confident in his team's ability to beat Scotland:

On paper, Scotland are one of the weaker teams in this year's Six Nations, but a trip to Murrayfield is never easy. Johnny Sexton's fitness is an issue, and with Jared Payne sidelined, there are some question marks regarding the depth in the centre of the pitch.

Scotland will say goodbye to coach Vern Cotter after the tournament, so expect the team to battle hard for results as well.

Italy enter the Six Nations with high hopes after their shock win over South Africa in November, and their home match against Wales should be one of their best chances of grabbing a win this year.

The Kangaroos have never looked in a better position to re-assert their dominance on world rugby league than in this weekend's Four Nations final at Anfield.

Having progressed through the group stage of the tournament without incident, with big wins over Scotland and England split by a 14-8 success over New Zealand, Australia go into the final as raging $1.25 favorites, according to website AustralianGambling.

While this is not yet a vintage Australian side, the quality of their opposition in the tournament has been questionable.

The Kiwis' best performance of the tournament came against the Kangaroos two weeks ago in Coventry, when they conceded a 10-0 start after 10 minutes but then largely outplayed them for the rest of the match, only to lose by six points.

But despite that gallantry, New Zealand go into this match as $4 outsiders, needing to re-produce the intensity of the second half of that match to be a genuine chance.

Outside of that 40 minutes, they have struggled. They fell over the line 17-16 against England and against Scotland last week went within a whisker of falling victim to one of the great sporting upsets.

The teams split the points 18-18, which was enough to earn the Kiwis a spot in the final, but not before Scotland took the lead with 10 minutes left. Centre Gerard Beale proved the hero with two late tries.

Coach David Kidwell will be pinning his hopes on the Kiwis lifting against their old foe Sunday. They can put their patchy tour behind them with a complete performance in the final.

The bookies are convinced otherwise with the shortest price with the addition of a margin, a 13+ point win for Australia at $2.10. For the Kangaroos to win by under 13 is $2.75 while a NZ win by that small margin is $5. An over 13-point win by the Kiwis is a $15 chance.

Australia have won all three clashes between the two this year, but New Zealand won the previous three.

After two rounds of the 2016 Four Nations competition, it is Australia who are leading the way. Victories over Scotland and New Zealand have put them in the driver's seat to take the title.

This weekend they will face an England team needing not only a win, but a significant points-difference boost if they are to reach the final. New Zealand will face Scotland while looking to deny the English any chance of making the final.

The Kiwis are heavy favorites to beat Scotland priced at $1.01, according to Australian Gambling. A narrow win over England followed by a defeat to the Kangaroos has galvanized this New Zealand side, who are looking to retain the Four Nations title.

The superior quality that they have throughout their squad is likely to prove too much for Scotland.

Although 2016 is shaping up to be the year of the miracle underdog victory, the Scottish must overturn odds of $21. They managed to compete with England for long periods in their last match but will have to produce an incredible performance to beat the Kiwis.

Australia headed into this year's Four Nations with a point to prove after losing out to New Zealand last time around. With a blend of youth and experienced NRL players, the Kangaroos have begun to take strides forward in their development as a side.

They will be looking to return to the summit of the rugby league hierarchy and will be confident of dispatching the English at $1.25. England held so much promise for this tournament but have failed to deliver despite a squad boosted by their own world-class NRL talent.

Failure to reach the final on home soil would be a massive disappointment for them, and their inability to boost their points difference against Scotland may well have denied them that, even if they can beat Australia at a price of $4.

Heading into the last round of play before the final, England and New Zealand will be battling it out for the chance to play Australia at Anfield. By the time England play they will know exactly what they must do to better the Kiwis on the Four Nations ladder.