Super Saturday is finally here and all six nations have announced their teams for what promises to be a blockbuster finale to the 2021 Guinness Six Nations.
The drama will begin in Edinburgh where Scotland will look to get back to winning ways when they welcome Italy to BT Murrayfield in the opening game of Round 5.
Attention will then turn to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as England attempt to end their defence of the Championship title on a high when they take on Andy Farrell’s Ireland.
Who can still win the 2021 Guinness Six Nations? Super Saturday permutations
Last but not least it’s the Grand Slam decider in Paris where Wales will be bidding to complete the clean sweep against Les Bleus – the only team who can still deny them of the crown.
Find out all of the team news ahead of Super Saturday below.
SCOTLAND V ITALY, BT MURRAYFIELD, KO 2:15PM (GMT) SATURDAY
Scotland
Captain Stuart Hogg will start a Scotland match at fly-half for the first time as part of a new-look side to face Italy in the final round of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations.
There are other major changes to the side that lost 27-24 to Ireland in Round 4, with Gregor Townsend opting for seven alterations to his starting XV.
Sean Maitland moves to full-back and Darcy Graham comes in on the wing while Huw Jones, Scott Steele, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist, David Cherry and Zander Ferguson also start.
Scotland: 15. Sean Maitland, 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Huw Jones,12. Sam Johnson, 11. Duhan van der Merwe, 10. Stuart Hogg, 9. Scott Steele, 1. Rory Sutherland, 2. David Cherry, 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Sam Skinner, 5. Grant Gilchrist, 6. Jamie Ritchie, 7. Hamish Watson, 8. Matt Fagerson
Replacements: 16. George Turner, 17. Jamie Bhatti, 18. Simon Berghan, 19. Alex Craig, 20. Nick Haining, 21. Ali Price, 22. Jaco van der Walt, 23. Chris Harris
Italy
Edoardo Padovani is set for his first start of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations on Saturday, in one of four changes made by Franco Smith for Italy’s trip to Scotland.
Padovani comes in for Jacopo Trulla, who has been released to his club, at full-back, while there is also a change at inside centre where Federico Mori replaces Carlo Canna.
There are also two changes among the forwards, as Marco Riccioni starts ahead of Giosue Zilocchi at tighthead prop and Federico Ruzza replaces David Sisi at second row.
Italy: 15. Edoardo Padovani, 14. Mattia Bellini, 13. Juan Ignacio Brex, 12. Federico Mori, 11. Montanna Ioane, 10. Paolo Garbisi, 9. Stephen Varney, 1. Danilo Fischetti, 2. Luca Bigi, 3 Marco Riccioni, 4. Niccolò Cannone, 5. Federico Ruzza, 6. Sebastian Negri, 7. Johan Meyer, 8. Michele Lamaro
Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Andrea Lovotti, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19. Riccardo Favretto, 20. Maxime Mbanda, 21. Marcello Violi, 22. Carlo Canna, 23. Marco Zanon
IRELAND V ENGLAND, AVIVA STADIUM, KO16:45PM (GMT) SATURDAY
Ireland
Conor Murray returns to the Ireland starting line-up in place of Jamison Gibson-Park to form a familiar half-back pairing with Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton.
Elsewhere, Bundee Aki slot in at inside centre after Garry Ringrose was ruled out of the side through injury while Jacob Stockdale returns to the team for his first Ireland start in 2021.
In the pack, Dave Kilcoyne starts at loosehead alongside Rob Herring at hooker and Tadhg Furlong at tighthead while Josh van der Flier comes in at openside.
Ireland: 15. Hugo Keenan, 14 Keith Earls, 13. Robbie Henshaw, 12. Bundee Aki, 11. Jacob Stockdale, 10. Jonathan Sexton, 9. Conor Murray, 1. Dave Kilcoyne, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Iain Henderson, 5. Tadhg Beirne, 6. CJ Stander, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Jack Conan
Replacements: 16. Ronan Kelleher, 17. Cian Healy, 18. Andrew Porter, 19. Ryan Baird, 20. Peter O’Mahony, 21. Jamison Gibson Park, 22. Billy Burns, 23. Jordan Larmour
England
Elliot Daly has earned an England recall and will start at outside centre for their Guinness Six Nations trip to Dublin to face Ireland on Super Saturday.
Daly started England’s first three Championship matches at full-back but was dropped to the bench for their 23-20 home win against France in Round 4.
The Saracens playmaker returns to the team in the only change made by Eddie Jones but will instead wear the No.13 jersey after Henry Slade was ruled out with a calf injury.
England: 15. Max Malins, 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Elliot Daly, 12. Owen Farrell (C), 11. Jonny May, 10. George Ford, 9. Ben Youngs, 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Charlie Ewels, 6. Mark Wilson, 7. Tom Curry, 8. Billy Vunipola
Replacements: 16. Jamie George, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. Will Stuart, 19. Jonny Hill, 20. Ben Earl, 21. Dan Robson, 22. Ollie Lawrence, 23. Joe Marchant
FRANCE V WALES, STADE DE FRANCE, KO 20:00PM (GMT) SATURDAY
France
Fabien Galthié has named the same France XV that lost to England last weekend to start at the Stade de France against Wales, meaning Matthieu Jalibert continues at No.10.
He links up with reigning Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship Antoine Dupont in the half-backs once more, with Gaël Fickou and Virimi Vakatawa outside them.
Damian Penaud, Teddy Thomas and Brice Dulin form a game-breaking back three while Cyril Baille and Julien Marchand again join Montpellier’s Mohamed Haouas in the front row.
France: 15. Brice Dulin, 14. Teddy Thomas, 13. Virimi Vakatawa, 12. Gaël Fickou, 11. Damian Penaud, 10. Matthieu Jalibert, 9. Antoine Dupont, 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Julien Marchand, 3. Mohamed Haouas, 4. Romain Taofifenua, 5. Paul Willemse, 6. Dylan Cretin, 7. Charles Ollivon, 8. Grégory Alldritt
Replacements: 16. Camille Chat, 17. Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18. Uini Atonio, 19. Swan Rebbadj, 20. Anthony Jelonch, 21. Baptiste Serin, 22. Romain Ntamack, 23. Arthur Vincent
Wales
Adam Beard will return to start in the second row as Wayne Pivac makes just one change for Wales’s tilt at the Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam against France in Paris.
Beard impressed in the opening three games of this year’s Championship but sat out last week’s 48-7 victory over Italy after taking a couple of knocks in the previous round against England.
Wales coach Humphreys: We need to play our best game of the Championship
Cory Hill excelled in his place alongside Alun Wyn Jones but fit-again Beard is restored to start alongside the skipper for the crunch clash at the Stade de France, with Hill on the bench.
Wales: 15. Liam Williams, 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 13. George North, 12. Jonathan Davies, 11. Josh Adams, 10. Dan Biggar, 9. Gareth Davies, 1. Wyn Jones, 2. Ken Owens, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Adam Beard, 5. Alun Wyn Jones, 6. Josh Navidi, 7. Justin Tipuric, 8. Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: 16. Elliot Dee, 17. Nicky Smith, 18. Leon Brown, 19. Cory Hill, 20. James Botham, 21. Tomos Williams, 22. Callum Sheedy, 23. Willis Halaholo
