2:55 PM GMT Ireland have made four changes but have stuck with a strong side for Sunday’s Six Nations clash with Italy. Sean Cronin has earned his first Six Nations start at hooker in place of Rory Best who is rested, while Dave Kilcoyne also starts in the front row. Jordi Murphy is included in

10:00 PM GMT The ongoing uncertainty over Manu Tuilagi’s future will not distract England from Saturday’s Six Nations clash against Wales, but it has not saved him from jokes being made at his expense. Tuilagi is understood to be weighing up a switch to Racing 92 ahead of next season. Leicester Tigers are keen to

11:02 AM GMT Pete Horne will replace the injured Finn Rusell at fly-half for Scotland’s Six Nations match with France in Paris. Horne is one of four players called in to a starting XV hampered by injuries, with Russell the latest confirmed absentee after he suffered concussion playing for club side Racing 92. Blair Kinghorn,

1:26 PM GMT England have made two changes for Saturday’s pivotal Six Nations clash against Wales in Cardiff with Jack Nowell and Ben Moon coming into the starting XV. Nowell replaces the injured Chris Ashton on the wing while Moon steps in for the sidelined Mako Vunipola at loose-head prop. Wales have also made two

12:02 AM GMT Cheetahs centre Nico Lee will sit out 13-weeks of Pro 14 action after he was suspended for clearing “the contents of his nose” on Connacht’s Colby Fainga’a during their clash last weekend. Lee was cited following the incident in Galway under Law 9.27 – a player must not do anything that is

2:53 PM GMT Both England and Wales have turned to unlikely sources for inspiration ahead of their crucial Six Nations clash at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Former England football captain John Terry was brought into his country’s training camp to give a talk on leadership in a bid to motivate Eddie Jones’s 25-man squad. Meanwhile Wales

6:18 AM GMT Melbourne Rebels captain and Wallaby Dane Haylett-Petty has signed a new deal which will see him remain with the Super Rugby club until the end of 2021. Haylett-Petty joins his coach David Wessels in re-committing this year to the club beyond the current season. The 29-year-old, who has 31 Test caps, said

3:42 AM GMT Beauden Barrett says the savaging of former All Blacks teammate Julian Savea by Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal would make him think twice about joining the French club. The unrepentant French millionaire doubled-down on his criticism of Savea on Tuesday after sparking player backlash over the weekend with his criticism of the winger.

4:07 PM GMT Bill Sweeney has been appointed the new chief executive officer of the England Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body confirmed on Tuesday. Sweeney, who has been the head of the British Olympic Association (BOA) since 2013, will replace Steve Brown, who resigned from his position last November. During his tenure at

9:44 AM GMT Maro Itoje could return to England’s squad for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Wales despite being initially ruled out of the game in Cardiff, defence coach John Mitchell has said. Wales flyhalf Dan Biggar and fullback Leigh Halfpenny have returned to training in a boost to the country’s preparations ahead of the