As we’ve seen during this year’s competition, the RBS 6 Nations has a habit of serving up great drama. Theatre is one thing but good old-fashioned rivalry is another – when England lock horns with Scotland this weekend, two of rugby’s oldest adversaries will be determined to restore some pride to their wounded nations.

Both teams have had to endure two difficult weeks of reflection in the wake of defeats during their last outings. Whilst England were given a lesson in ruthlessness by a clinical Irish performance at Twickenham, Scotland were humbled by a determined Italian side, who secured only their ninth RBS 6 Nations victory since they first took part in the competition back in 2000.

It’s often a bad idea to underestimate a wounded animal. England and Scotland will be hurting but both will want to leave their stamp on Murrayfield, biting back at the first available opportunity.

Winning on Saturday is vital for both teams however Martin Johnson and Andy Robinson have very different agendas in the context of the championship. Whilst England are still capable of topping the overall standings, Scotland are facing the very real prospect of taking home the wooden spoon. The Scots have two games to save themselves but it doesn’t look good.

If Scotland need any extra motivation to topple England in front of their home fans, they need look no further than head coach Andy Robinson.

Andy had a tricky time of things when he was in charge of England and the media didn’t help matters, heaping pressure on the team week after week. If anyone in Murrayfield has a point to prove come Saturday it is Andy. What better way to silence the critics than to put one over your fiercest rivals.

Delon Armitage has shaken off the rib injury sustained during the defeat to Ireland which means England’s backline remains unchanged. Ben Foden, who was widely tipped to get his chance to impress from the start, will have to settle for a place on the bench.

Various members of England’s pack have been involved in off-field issues since the last game and it will be interesting to see how they react against Scotland. The first was James Haskell who found himself, somewhat unfortunately, right in the middle of a club versus country row and has been quick to admit that it has been an awkward time for himself. He’ll be happy to concentrate on playing once again.

Another player making headlines recently is Lewis Moody. Arguably England’s best player over the last twelve months, Lewis announced that he is to move on from Leicester, after fourteen years at Welford Road, to join Bath at the end of the season. A surprising move made even more so by the fact that it seems to have cost him his place in the starting lineup. The ever reliable Joe Worsley comes in for his 73^rd cap but the decision to drop Moody is a strange one.

For Scotland to be in with a chance of winning, much will rest on the broad shoulders of their British & Irish Lion Euan Murray.  Murray, who made his international debut against England at Twickenham in 2007, is one of the form players in the premiership and the Scots will need him to bring his big game experience to the fray.

In the backs, Sean Lamont has proven his quality in both attack and defence. Whether he can produce the level of rugby required on a consistent basis remains to be seen but he had decent games against both France and Wales and will be looking to put in another mature performance against England on Saturday.

By the time the game gets underway the Dallaglio Cycle Slam will have reached its conclusion. In total I’ve cycled 2,800km, with the help of some dedicated friends, from Rome to Murrayfield, taking in Paris, Twickenham, Cardiff and Dublin along the way. It was a crazy idea at the outset I know, however it’s all been in aid of Sport Relief and the Dallaglio Foundation making the physical challenge well worth it. To relive parts of the ride or to make a donation please visit www.dallagliocycleslam.com

If England are to keep alive their aspirations of being crowned champions in Paris on 20 March they cannot afford to slip up.  Scotland are in a fight all of their own and the fact that both teams are desperate to win, albeit for entirely different reasons, could make for an explosive encounter.

Lawrence Dallaglio is rugby ambassador for Greene King IPA, the Official Beer of England Rugby. To find your nearest Official England Rugby Supporter Pub visit www.greenekingipa.co.uk

After a two week break, the RBS 6 Nations 2010 returns to the fore and this weekend looks set to be a pivotal stage in the competition.

England have worked their way into a good position but their 100 per cent record will face its toughest test yet when reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland arrive at Twickenham on Saturday.

Victories against an under-strength Welsh side, followed by a lacklustre win against Italy in Rome were expected, however the game with Ireland will give a better indication of just how far England have come since the autumn.

Ireland go into the game at Twickenham having been beaten, and bullied at times, by a flamboyant French performance in their last outing. France played well but Ireland certainly didn’t help their own cause. Sloppy handling errors in the first half afforded Les Bleus the advantage and this was soon reflected on the scoreboard. England would do well to take a page out of France’s textbook when it comes to being ruthless.

If England are to address any part of the team dynamic in the build up to Saturday’s game it must be their attacking intent. I don’t have much of an issue with the personnel in the backs however there needs to be some direction in their play.

Too often against Italy, Monye, Flutey or Tait would break through the gain line and the attacking impetus would fizzle out due to the lack of support. Against a team of Italy’s calibre you can just about get away with it but if you start throwing away good attacking positions against Ireland, you might not get another chance. England will have to be clinical and take advantage of attacking opportunities they fashion if they want to emerge from the game with their 100 percent record intact.

Martin Johnson has opted for an unchanged side against Ireland, which I’m sure will prove to be a good decision. Collectively, the fifteen players involved in the jaded performance against Italy will want to prove their critics wrong, and there will be no better way to do that than against the 2009 Grand Slam champions in front of a sell-out Twickenham crowd.

The re-inclusion of Ben Foden on the bench after he was left at home for the game in Rome is a positive move. England need to have players in reserve who are capable of changing a game if called upon and Foden, having waited patiently, will be itching to be given a chance to shine on Saturday.

The next test for England is on a completely different level to the two previous games. The Irish come to Twickenham still smarting from their painful defeat against France and will be determined to bounce back at the first opportunity.

With the immense figure of Paul O’Connell up front and the wise heads of O’Driscoll and O’Gara pulling the strings behind the scrum, I fully expect the Irish to take the game to England. It will be interesting to see how the English defence cope and they need to make sure they keep their discipline. We’ve seen how costly yellow cards have been during this year’s competition and neither team can afford to lose a man in such an important fixture.

On a personal note I’ll be particularly excited to get to Twickenham on Saturday. Having already cycled a bruising 1,840km, the Dallaglio Cycle Slam reaches the end of stage three and a well-deserved rest day is in order for all involved.

On the latest leg, from Paris to Twickenham, I was joined by, amongst others, 21 guys from England Rugby sponsor Greene King. It’s been a tough week with the rain beating down on us and I for one am looking forward to a well earned pint of the good stuff when we arrive at Twickenham this weekend.

In total I’m cycling 2,800km from Rome to Murrayfield, taking in Paris, Twickenham, Cardiff and Dublin along the way. A crazy idea I know, however it’s all in aid of Sport Relief and the Dallaglio Foundation so well worth the physical challenge. Follow my progress on www.dallagliocycleslam.com

The ride takes a backseat for a day and I’m anticipating a great test match on Saturday. Ireland will no doubt come out all guns blazing but I’m confident that if England keep their shape and stay disciplined, they will have enough to secure a vital victory.

Lawrence Dallaglio is rugby ambassador for Greene King IPA, the Official Beer of England Rugby. To find your nearest Official England Rugby Supporter Pub visit www.greenekingipa.co.uk

What a difference a win makes. 30 points and three tries against Wales in front of a patriotic crowd and that patch of red on the England jersey suddenly looks all the more rosier. The perfect way to celebrate 100 years of England Rugby at Twickenham.

The most important match in any Six Nations campaign is always the first and England have come through it successfully. The challenge now is to build on this and if the performance on Saturday is anything to go by, I fully expect Martin Johnson’s men to be in with a shout come the final match against the French in Paris on 20 March.

Injuries will no doubt play a key part in this year’s competition. Whilst England were fortunate to welcome back some pivotal figures, Wales quickly discovered how tricky it can be to replace several of your first choice 15. They dearly missed their Lions front rowers Matthew Rees and Gethin Jenkins.

Yet, while injuries will inevitably play a part, ill discipline is inexcusable and Warren Gatland was spot on when he claimed that Alun Wyn Jones’s yellow card for a stupid trip on Dylan Hartley decided the match.

In the ten minutes that lock Wyn Jones was off the field, England racked up a quick-fire 17 points and took the game away from their Welsh opponents. At 3-3 the teams had traded just a single penalty, but Wyn Jones’ rush of blood to the head allowed England to seize the initiative.

Tries for Haskell and Care, either side of half time, compounded Welsh misery and Wyn Jones returned to the field with his team facing an uphill battle, behind 20 points to three.

With 15 on the field, Wales forced their way back into the game with two tries of their own. The unlikely Adam Jones finished off a sweeping passing move and then, with ten minutes to go, the impressive James Hook, playing out of position at outside centre, burst past four English defenders to touch down. The try moved Wales to within three points of England and all of a sudden Twickenham was feeling a little edgy.

Thankfully the nerves didn’t last long. As Wales threatened again, an Armitage interception followed by some great back play from Matthew Tait set up man-of-the-match Haskell to seal the win – cue relief all around rugby HQ.

Doubts were raised last year when Haskell decided to move to France to play in the pink of Stade Francais. I was particularly upset with the move having played with James at Wasps. He’s a player of undoubted talent and whilst I was disappointed to see him leave the club I’m glad that his rugby hasn’t suffered as a result.

I thought the England pack were in control for most of the game last weekend and that’s a great sign moving forward. The returning Nick Easter was impressive and Tim Payne solid in the front row. The lineout was disciplined and Steve Borthwick really did lead by example. A lot has been made about his right to the captaincy but he deserves a lot of credit for the way he conducted himself and lead his country on Saturday.

Next up for England it’s Italy in Rome. The Azzurri put in a spirited display against Ireland in their opening fixture and if there is one thing you can be sure about Italy, it’s that they never roll over.

One man who will be particularly keen to impress is Mauro Bergamasco. A year ago Mauro endured a humiliating experience at Twickenham when he was drafted in as a makeshift scrum half due to injuries. After some woeful passing and shocking positional play he was replaced at half time. Thankfully, from an Italian perspective, Mauro will be back in his favoured position of flanker come Sunday afternoon.

England will head to Rome with plenty of confidence yet it’s important that they don’t get carried away. If anyone is best placed to keep their feet on the ground it’s Martin Johnson. Consistency in a tournament like the Six Nations is key and I’m confident Martin will make sure England consolidate their victory against Wales with a win in Rome.

From an England point of view it’s a case of one down and four to go. Lets hope we’re looking at two wins out of two come the end of the weekend.

Lawrence Dallaglio is rugby ambassador for Greene King IPA, the Official Beer of England Rugby. To find your nearest Official England Rugby Supporter Pub visit www.greenekingipa.co.uk