The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Review
WHAT TO WATCH SIX NATIONS LIVE
ITV, from 1.30pm
It was only in October that England took last year’s title on points following the most drawn out Six Nations tournament in history. Even so, the thrill of having live international rugby back on our TV screens again (coronavirus permitting) is just as keen. Little short of a miracle could see
Italy overwhelm the implacable France in Rome in today’s tournament opener (kick-off 2.15pm). But England’s encounter at Twickenham with the resurgent Scotland (kick-off 4.45pm) is sure to be an altogether more enthralling affair.
Eddie Jones’s England side, under the leadership of captain Owen Farrell, are well-deserved favourites to retain the title. But memories of a surprise opening defeat last year and some key absences could give nerves the chance to play a role in their Calcutta
Cup clash against an unpredictable Scottish team that racked up a five-match unbeaten Test run in the autumn, including victories over France and Wales. Still, the fact that Scotland have not won at Twickenham since 1983 speaks volumes. Welsh and Irish fans, meanwhile, must wait for what promises to be a tight encounter when Wales take on Ireland at 3pm tomorrow (BBC One, from 2pm) in Cardiff. Gerard O’Donovan residents, William and Mary, employed Sir Christopher Wren, then building St Paul’s Cathedral, to convert their new home into a palace. But there’s also time to revisit the 1992 Windsor Castle fire, Norman Hartnell’s design for the Queen’s Coronation dress, and Elizabeth I’s toxic make-up.