Given the history between the nations, Wales never need any extra motivation to beat England at rugby in their own backyard.

However, halting England’s 15-match winning run would come with an added prize – a place in the top four of the World Rugby Rankings.

Should Wales stay there until 10 May, when the RWC 2019 pool draw takes place, the 1987 and 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-finalists will get band one status and ensure they cannot meet two-time defending champions New Zealand until the knockout stages.

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Much is at stake then as we look forward to the second round of RBS Six Nations, a competition that rarely fails to live up to expectations.

Italy and Ireland, two of the defeated sides from round one, will be hoping to get their campaigns up and running in Rome in the opening match of the weekend – a match that pits Azzurri coach Conor O’Shea against his compatriots – before attentions turn to Cardiff and the renewal of a rivalry that dates back 136 years to 1881.

Finally to Paris, where a resurgent Scotland go in search of their first win over Les Bleus for 18 years.

ITALY (13) v IRELAND (4)

Italy captain Sergio Parisse has recovered from a neck injury, which is great news for the Azzurri considering they have only ever won one Six Nations match without him in 10 attempts. 

The Azzurri have made four changes from the team beaten by Wales, winger Angelo Esposito returns, with Simone Favaro, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Andries van Schalkwyk also recalled.

Esposito steps in for Giulio Bisegni, Van Schalkwyk starts in place of George Biagi in the second row, Favaro replaces Braam Steyn in the back row, while Ghiraldini is preferred to Ornel Gega at hooker.

Joe Schmidt has made two changes to the Ireland side that lost 27-22 to Scotland in round one.

The Ireland coach has restored Donnacha Ryan to the second row to resume his successful partnership with Devin Toner. And with Ultan Dillane on the bench, Iain Henderson – a try scorer at Murrayfield  – is left out of the match-day 23 altogether.

The other change to the starting line-up comes at loose-head prop where Cian Healy (pictured) replaces his Leinster colleague Jack McGrath.

Conor Murray makes his 50th start for Ireland at scrum-half.

In brief

  • Italy’s only victory in the Six Nations in their last 16 matches was against Scotland in Edinburgh in round three in 2015
  • Italy have not won a test match at the Stadio Olimpico since beating Ireland there in round five of the 2013 Championship
  • The Italians have lost their round two encounter every year since they joined the Six Nations in 2000 
  • Ireland have not won away from home in the Six Nations since they last visited Edinburgh in round five in 2015
  • Ireland have not begun a Championship with a pair of defeats since they were whitewashed in 1998
  • Ireland have lost just one of their last 22 test matches against Italy – 15-22 at the Stadio Olimpico in 2013  
  • Ireland’s only three defeats in Italy in a test match were in Treviso in 1995, Bologna in 1997 and Rome in 2013

Rankings predictor

Italy stand to gain 1.85 points if they repeat their 2013 victory over Ireland. An extra point is up for grabs if they win by more than 15. However, they can only move above Georgia in the rankings if the Lelos fail to beat Belgium away in their Rugby Europe Championship 2017 opener. If this is the case, the Azzurri will move up two places to 11th, above both Japan and Georgia.

If Ireland lose in Rome, they will be replaced in the top four by Wales regardless of the result in Cardiff. Indeed, if Ireland were to lose badly, they could fall as low as eighth, depending on the result in Paris between France and Scotland. With a maximum of 0.22 points available for a win, Ireland can only make minimal inroads into the deficit between themselves and third-ranked Australia in victory.

WALES (5) v ENGLAND (2)

Fly-half Dan Biggar has recovered from injury to take his place in an unchanged Wales backline.

Biggar, whose 23 points helped Wales defeat England at Twickenham at Rugby World Cup 2015, suffered a rib injury during Sunday’s victory over Italy in Rome and failed to come out for the second half, but has recovered in time to partner Rhys Webb at half-back.

The only changes to the Welsh starting XV come in the front row where props Rob Evans and Tomas Francis join hooker Ken Owens. Taulupe Faletau is named on the bench having missed the trip to Rome in round one.

There are two changes to the England starting XV that defeated France 19-16 at Twickenham last weekend. Jack Nowell starts on the right wing with Jack Clifford (pictured) making his first Six Nations start at flanker. Capped eight times by England, Clifford scored as a number eight against Wales when the sides met in a friendly back in May.

In brief

  • Wales have won their last four test matches since a 32-8 defeat by Australia on 5 November, which was also their only defeat in their last 10 tests at the Principality Stadium 
  • Wales have not begun a Six Nations campaign with two wins since they secured the Grand Slam in 2012 
  • England are in the midst of their best ever run of victories in test matches – the sequence currently standing at 15 consecutive wins since Australia beat them at RWC 2015  
  • England’s only defeat to Wales in their last five encounters was 28-25 at Twickenham at RWC 2015 
  • England have visited the Principality Stadium on 10 previous occasions since the Millennium where their record is an even won five, lost five
  • Since the 2010 Six Nations Wales have lost only three games at the Principality Stadium, and two of those were to England, in 2011 and 2015 – the other was to Ireland in 2013  

Rankings predictor

If Wales win, they will gain one-and-a-half rankings points and get into the top four at the expense of Ireland. If Ireland lose to Italy in Rome, Wales will move ahead of them regardless of the result in Cardiff.

It is possible for England to move on to 91.29 points with a win of more than 15 points, which will still leave them three-and-a-half points behind number one side New Zealand. England cannot be usurped in second even with the heaviest of defeats.

FRANCE (8) v SCOTLAND (7)

France coach Guy Noves has made just one change to his starting line-up and three changes to the match-day squad in total after Les Bleus put up such a battling performance against England at Twickenham in round one.

Loann Goujon (pictured) is welcomed into the starting line-up, packing down in the back row alongside Kévin Gourdon and Louis Picamoles. He replaces Damien Chouly, who joins hooker Christopher Tolofua and second-row Julien Le Devedec as new faces on the bench.

John Barclay comes in to the Scotland back-row for the injured Ryan Wilson in the only change to the team that handed his side a first opening day win in the Six Nations for more than a decade.

Full-back Stuart Hogg will earn his 50th cap for his country and, at 24, becomes the youngest Scotland player to do so.

In brief

  • France have lost their last three tests since beating Samoa 52-8 in Toulouse in November  
  • France are in danger of losing four in a row at the Stade de France for the first time since 1999-2000
  • Since 1982 France have only once begun a Championship campaign with a pair of defeats, and that was in 2013 when eventually they were the recipients of the wooden spoon
  • Scotland’s victory over Ireland in round one was their third successive win since their defeat to Australia in November 
  • The last time Scotland began a campaign with two wins was in 1996, when they only lost out on a Grand Slam at the final hurdle 
  • Scotland’s victory over France at Murrayfield last year ended a 10-game losing streak to the Frenchmen, whilst the last time that Scotland won successive tests against France was in 1963-64 
  • Scotland won on their first ever visit to the Stade de France in 1999, but have lost on each of their nine visits since 

Rankings predictor

If France burst Scotland’s bubble and win on Sunday, the nations will swap places in the rankings with France up to seventh and Scotland down to eighth. Big wins for France and Italy will see Les Bleus move up to sixth.

A Scotland win, however, will move the Vern Cotter's men up to their highest-ever position of fifth with France dropping out of the top eight altogether – not a position Les Bleus want to be in when the RWC 2019 pool draw takes place in May.

If Wales lose and Ireland fail to get a result in Rome, Scotland will head into Sunday’s match knowing victory will lift them into the top four.

AMERICAS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

Argentina XV, the USA and Brazil go into the second round of the Americas Rugby Championship with wins under their belts following their respective victories over Canada, Uruguay and Chile in round one.

Felipe Contepomi’s Argentina XV take on close allies Uruguay in their next encounter, while USA and Brazil put their winning records on the line when they meet in San Antonio.

A wintry welcome is likely to await Chile as they head to British Columbia to take on Canada in the remaining fixture at the Westhills Stadium in Langford.

CANADA (18) v CHILE (30)

Canada’s coach Mark Anscombe has made five changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s match.

Djustice Sears-Duru, Benoit Piffero, Ollie Nott, Gradyn Bowd and Guiseppe du Toit all come into the starting XV that will once again be captained by Gordon McRorie. 

Du Toit and Nott, along with Conor Keys, will all make their test debuts for Canada on Saturday. Cole Keith, Reegan O’Gorman, Matt Beukeboom, Robbie Povey and George Barton can join them if they come off the bench.

Chile are without centre Matías Nordenflycht, last year’s tournament top points scorer, after he sustained a thigh injury in Los Condores’ 17-3 defeat to Brazil in Sao Paulo.

Flanker Arturo Seeman wins his first cap as one of 11 changes to the team that took to the field against Brazil. Benjamin Soto captains the new-look Chile side from number eight.

In brief

  • Canada have won all three previous meetings dating back to 2002
  • Last year’s corresponding match in Santiago ended 64-13 in Canada's favour. It was the first time Canada had scored 60 points in a test since November 2010, against Spain in Madrid
  • Canada go in search of their 100th test victory
  • Chile failed to score a try for the first time in eight tests when they lost 17-3 to Brazil in round one
  • Canada captain Gordon McRorie is the Americas Rugby Championship's all-time leading points scorer with 47 points.

Rankings predictor

Canada cannot move any higher than their present position of 18th but they will drop down the rankings even in victory if Russia beat Spain in their Rugby Europe Championship encounter in Madrid. A fall of three places, leaving them outside of the top 20, is possible in the event they lose by more than 15 points, Germany beat Romania by the same margin and Russia win.

Chile will climb two or three places with victory, but can slip lower than 30th if they lose badly and Brazil beat USA by more than 15 points. In such a scenario, Os Tupis will replace them in the top 30.

USA (17) v BRAZIL (34)

The USA Eagles hand a test debut to Spike Davis, the Ohio Aviators’ top try-scorer in the first season of PRO Rugby, as Blaine Scully has returned to the UK.

Meanwhile, regular scrum-half Nate Augspurger switches to the other wing in place of Zack Test, who was injured in the Eagles’ 29-23 win over Uruguay.

Changes to the front-row see Ben Tarr and Dino Waldren pack down either side of captain and hooker James Hilterbrand. Tony Lamborn comes in at openside with Todd Clever dropping to the bench.

At half-back, vice-captain Shaun Davies is partnered by Will Magee, whose cameo performance off the bench last weekend helped clinch victory for the Eagles, while JP Eloff steps in at centre for AJ MacGinty.

Brazil coach Rodolfo Ambrosio has opted to make three changes to the starting XV that took on and beat Chile in round one.

Jonatas Paulo replaces Alexandre Texugo at loose-head prop, Luis Vieira is named in the second row in place of Diego Lopez and Beukes Cremer makes way for Matheus Silva at scrum-half.

The Sancery twins Felipe and Daniel retain their places in the backline but Moises Duque’s brother, Lucas, is still unavailable through injury.

In brief

  • This is the first meeting between the nations on US soil and only the second at this level
  • Last year’s match in Sao Paulo ended in a dramatic 24-23 win for Brazil
  • Brazil have won only one of their last 16 tests away from home – 32-21 against Paraguay in May 2016
  • Daniel Sancery is the Americas Rugby Championship's all-time leading try scorer with four.

Rankings predictor

The USA cannot improve their rating or position in the rankings due to the 13.15 points and 17 places separating the two sides. Brazil, however, will continue their ascent up the rankings with an improvement of three places to 31st possible if they beat the Eagles for the second year in a row.

ARGENTINA XV v URUGUAY

There are no rating points available for this non-capped international between two great allies.

Second-row Pedro Ortega is the only player to keep his place in the Argentina XV starting front-five as Contepomi makes a total of eight changes from the win over Canada last weekend.

Francisco Ferronato, Marcelo Brandi and Santiago Medrano form a new-look front-row and Ignacio Larrague joins Ortega in the second row. Mariano Romanini wears the number six jersey in the only change to the back-row.

In the backs, Juan Capiello moves from outside to inside-centre to accommodate the inclusion of Santiago Alvarez, while Segundo Tuculet is promoted off the bench and swaps places with Fernando Luna on the right wing.

Nicolás Freitas (pictured) celebrates his call-up to Los Jaguares' Super Rugby squad with a place on the right wing for Uruguay.

Freitas’ inclusion is one of five changes made by Los Teros coach Esteban Meneses, with three in the pack and two in the backs.

The only other change in the backline sees Francisco Berchesi come onto the left wing in place of Andres Rocco.

In an otherwise unchanged front row, Martin Espiga is named at hooker, while Diego Magno is promoted from the bench into the second row and Gonzalo Soto makes his first appearance of the Championship in the back row.

In brief

  • The Argentina XV are on a four-match winning run dating back to their 20-8 loss to Romania in the final of the World Rugby Nations Cup last June
  • The Argentina XV were crowned inaugural World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge champions in October after victories over Canada A, Uruguay A and Fiji Warriors
  • Last weekend’s 29-23 defeat to USA extended Uruguay’s losing run to four matches

The World Rugby Rankings will update at 12:00 GMT on Monday.

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