Teen sensation Louis Rees-Zammit re-confirmed his desire to play for Wales after agreeing a new contract at Gloucester.

Teen star Rees-Zammit can have an instant impact for Wales in the Six Nations according to new coach Wayne Pivac, who included the 18-year-old as one of five uncapped players in his squad.

If last week was hellish, Northampton were far more saintly in Lyon on Saturday - winning with a bonus-point to do all they could to make the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

The bookies fancy England after their run to the World Cup final but a new Six Nations era could spring a few surprises after some tough talking at the tournament launch on Wednesday morning.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The 2020 Six Nations campaign will begin on Saturday, February 1 with a number of teams eyeing glory in this year's competition.

SPECIAL REPORT: On the Welsh beat Wayne Pivac, the ex-Auckland copper on the streets in the 1980s, is unlikely to feel the pressure his old day-job brought against Italy.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS FOY: It turns out that balancing on a rock perched above the waves of the Mediterranean, is not Shaun Edwards' natural habitat.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY WILL KELLEHER: Leigh Halfpenny is a nervy interviewee at the best of times. After the 18 months he has endured, it is understandable that his self-assurance is low.

George North looks likely to line up at outside centre in Wayne Pivac's new-look Wales team to face Italy as Rhys Webb is set for a recall.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The 2020 Six Nations campaign, which gets underway this weekend, promises to be a closely-fought affair with several teams eyeing the title.

With England firing bombs at their Championship rivals each week, and Scotland responding with talk of 'hate', Wales coach Wayne Pivac is finding the pre-match mudslinging all a bit unnecessary.

WILL KELLEHER AT AVIVA STADIUM: Wayne Pivac rued 'unacceptable' errors made by Wales in their first Six Nations defeat since 2018 as they lost 24-17 in Dublin to Ireland.

Wayne Pivac called for patience after he lost his first Wales match, saying it would not take major surgery to reinvigorate their Six Nations challenge.

There have been concerns over Biggar's concussion record, having taken two blows to the head during the World Cup against Australia and Fiji in September.

Leigh Halfpenny reckons Wales can roll back the clock and repeat their feats of 2013 this year by winning the Six Nations title, despite losing to Ireland in their last encounter.

The last two Tests between Wales and France have been edge-of-the-seat thrillers. Both were won by wily Wales just when all looked lost:

If on Saturday the tide has turned against Wales, the French are flooding through in attack and causing chaos it will be the old men of the sea who guide those in red to calmer waters.

WILL KELLEHER AT PRINCIPALITY STADIUM: And so the fortress has fallen. After 10 years of being out-gunned in Cardiff, the French revolution is well and truly alive.

Liam Williams, Josh Navidi and George North all set to be fit for selection for boss Wayne Pivac as Wales were handed a triple boost before taking on England at Twickenham on March 7.

EXCLUSIVE BY WILL KELLEHER: Welsh victories at Twickenham are rare but much-celebrated occasions. Sportsmail spoke to those involved in the most recent triumphs.

Wales' oracle has spoken and delivered doses of reality to his nation. Alun Wyn Jones does not talk much, but when he does it is worth listening to the totemic and decorated captain.

Wales will be hopeful Dan Biggar does not spark a backline injury crisis ahead of their Six Nations match against England after going off early for Northampton on Saturday against Saracens.

Wales wing Hallam Amos will miss the rest of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations due to a knee injury. Amos sustained the injury during the Cardiff Blues' Guinness PRO14 victory over Benetton.

The 21-13 defeat killed off English hopes of a Grand Slam, before Warren Gatland rubbed salt in the wounds by questioning their big-game ability.

Alun Wyn Jones moved to ease fears that Dan Biggar is not fit for Wales' trip to Twickenham by saying he will play against England on Saturday despite suffering a knee injury for Northampton.

Josh Navidi once turned All Blacks heads and has now been backed to leave England blue too at Twickenham. He had hamstring trouble but is now fit to start on Saturday.

CHRIS FOY: Twickenham will be a sanitised zone but the health and safety initiatives will not extend to the field of play, as England seek to end Six Nations campaign with a vengeance.

MIKE BROWN: Players love seeing what grenades Eddie Jones throws during his press conferences. Sometimes they will be watching on social media to see what he comes out with.

All around him, others were losing their heads, but this time Kyle Sinckler did not. The pantomime villain of last year's England defeat in Cardiff proved on Saturday how much he has changed.

Sportsmail's Chris Foy gives his thoughts on the Six Nations with England now sitting top of the table following their win over Wales and France's defeat to Scotland on Sunday.

WILL KELLEHER AT TWICKENHAM: Justrin Tipuric called for calm after Wales' third consecutive defeat - making this their worst Six Nations run since 2007.

Joe Marler has given his response to the storm over his manhandling of Alun Wyn Jones's genitals with Piers Morgan among those weighing into the debate on Twitter.

NIK SIMON FOR THE DAILY MAIL: Danny Care issued a staunch defence of Harlequins team-mate Joe Marler ahead of today's disciplinary hearing in Dublin.

The skipper will play in his 148th Test - levelling Richie McCaw - his 139th for Wales to add to nine for the British & Irish Lions. Meanwhile Webb wears the No 9 shirt for first time since 2017.

Wales' leading internationals are set for a 25 per cent salary reduction for three months while Premiership Rugby is working on possible scenarios to restart the season.

With sport a long way from being permitted, rugby is bracing itself for catastrophic losses and Six Nations countries are desperate for the November Test matches to go ahead.

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has revealed that 'two or three' of his squad have tested positive for coronavirus. The pandemic saw the Six Nations brought to a halt before it could finish.

In just the past ten days I've battled with my home insurer after the price of my policy was hiked by 30 per cent for no reason, chased my old energy supplier for a £174 refund.

After years, if not decades, of insurers routinely hiking customers' policy prices at renewal, many thought an end to the loyalty penalty was in sight.

It has been nearly 14 years since we launched our 'Fair Play on Charges' campaign. We have exposed how banks rake in billions from customers who accidentally slip into the red, time and again.

NASSER HUSSAIN: How good is Steve Smith? You'd have to say he's up there with the all-time greats. The point of sending someone out of the door is to get runs, not to look pretty.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER AT OLD TRAFFORD: The only surprise was the declaration. For some time, as the shadows lengthened, it seemed as if Tim Paine was waiting.

Trevor Bayliss will stand down from the role with England following the end of the Ashes, with the search for a successor among the ECB's high priorities.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT OLD TRAFFORD: Three late wickets, including Joe Root, left England's Ashes hopes hanging by a thread on Friday night as they battled to save the fourth Test.

NASSER HUSSAIN AT OLD TRAFFORD: Rory Burns strikes me as the kind of lad who goes away and looks at his issues. He works with a coach he trusts and solves problems.

BUMBLE AT THE TEST: Josh Hazlewood has put Australia in complete control of the fourth Ashes Test after grabbing three quick wickets late on during the third day at Old Trafford.

England have abandoned plans to rest senior players from the two-Test series in New Zealand that begins this winter as they start to again prioritise the ultimate format.

RICHARD GIBSON AT OLD TRAFFORD: After the miracle of Headingley kept their Ashes hopes alive, England now need a marathon stonewall across the Pennines to stop Australia killing them off.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT OLD TRAFFORD: Joe Root insisted he was still the right man to captain England, despite Australia regaining the Ashes on a tense final day in Manchester.

SPORTS AGENDA BY MIKE KEEGAN: England's footballers may well have been delighted last week when the FA announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with food delivery app Deliveroo.