OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Two years ago, the NFL made a change to its rules. 'It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.'

OLIVER HOLT: Andy Holt, the owner of Accrington Stanley has accused big clubs of being like a boa constrictor, squeezing the life out of the teams in the lower leagues of English football.

OLIVER HOLT: I hope that making such a generous apology to Messrs Sullivan and Gold and Baroness Brady, the visionaries in charge of West Ham, did not stick in the throats of Sky Sports bosses.

OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: There is nothing wrong with the offside rule and there is nothing wrong with the way VAR is interpreting it. The facts really are that bald. 

OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: So the Premier League is planning a Hall of Fame. There is no news yet on how much it is going to cost to get in or where it's going to be situated.

OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: The Premier League, we are told, is worried that it is looking 'petulant' and 'ridiculous' in the face of the coronavirus crisis. It is right to be worried.

OLIVER HOLT: And so, after all the years of taking, when the nation was plunged into a crisis and football's rainy day came, Premier League's billionaire owners had a simple message for us.

OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: In the midst of all this, in the midst of the lockdown and my dad in a care home no one can visit any more and my mum reaching for her shopping.

OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Voiding the Premier League season is not an option that we should even be entertaining. The same applies to all our leagues.

OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Are we so desperate for football to return that we turn a sport that we cherish for its escapism, its tribalism and its beauty into a giant sterile zone?

Anthony Watson has yet to make an appearance in the Championship because of a calf problem but his presence in the group attending a three-day camp in Oxford points to his improving fitness.

Officials at the RFU and the Italian Rugby Federation have expressed confidence that Eddie Jones’ side will be able to finish their campaign as planned at the Stadio Olimpico on March 14. 

The killer coronavirus outbreak across the globe has lead to a host of sporting events being cancelled, postponed or placed in serious doubt with the Six Nations among impacted events.

George Kruis knows he has a crucial decision to make in the next few weeks - stay at Saracens and remain in contention for England selection or accept a lucrative offer from Japan.

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

Sky are in line to secure a £300million agreement to screen the competition from 2021, leaving terrestrial channels BBC and ITV on the margins with potentially huge implications for the sport.

EXCLUSIVE BY NIK SIMON: England's World Cup winning captain Johnson shoots down the prospect of Sky Sports taking over the Six Nations broadcast rights in an instant.

Manu Tuilagi is England's master of destruction on the pitch - and he is building an equally fierce reputation on the chess board.

Mako Vunipola has been cleared to train with Saracens despite being stood down by England due to fears surrounding the coronavirus. 

England are ready to unleash their scrum as an attacking weapon against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, after using their set-piece ordeal in the World Cup final as a catalyst for change.

England are coming to terms with the premature end to their Six Nations campaign but Ford admitted the postponement of matches is insignificant in context of the coronavirus crisis.

England became Triple Crown winners with a rollercoaster victory against Wales at Twickenham.

NIK SIMON AT TWICKENHAM: To be continued. England's Six Nations hopes are still alive but, like any good cliff-hanger, no one quite knows what will happen next.

Sportsmail runs the rule over every player from the two sides after England survive a late Wales onslaught and win 33-30 at Twickenham to keep their Six Nations title hopes alive.

Eddie Jones launched a scathing attack on the decision to send off Manu Tuilagi for a high tackle during England's 33-30 Six Nations victory against Wales at Twickenham. 

WILL KELLEHER AT TWICKENHAM: Are Wales now dashing instead of dogged? Under Warren Gatland they were rarely, if ever, easily beaten in a game that mattered. Not in the Six Nations anyway.

England could find themselves in treble trouble after Eddie Jones slammed the 'rubbish' refereeing at Twickenham and Joe Marler grabbed Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones by his genitals.

Joe Marler's England future has been left in doubt as he awaits confirmation of a citing for manhandling Alun Wyn Jones's genitals, amid fresh Test retirement speculation.

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.

France's Six Nations clash against Ireland joins England v Italy in being pushed back, although RFU chief Bill Sweeney says he sees no reason why Wales v Scotland can't go ahead.

Player's union chief executive Damian Hopley has urged rugby authorities to apply 'common sense' to the process of re-scheduling matches postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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.

England coach Eddie Jones has been disciplined by his bosses at the RFU following his scathing criticism of referee Ben O'Keeffe.

Wales are still livid at Joe Marler for his grabbing of Alun Wyn Jones' genitals with Wayne Pivac saying there is 'no place in the game' for the England prop's act.

Maro Itoje has had a one-year loan move to French side Racing 92 blocked by Premiership Rugby clubs after Saracens relegation from the English topflight.

Rugby's total shutdown was confirmed on Monday night as the Premiership, European cups and all community games were suspended. But the England tour of Japan is still on - for now.

The spread of coronavirus has brought the world of sport to its knees after multiple multi-million pound tournaments were postponed or cancelled as the death toll continues to rise.

NIK SIMON: Millions will be lost through matchday takings and broadcast rights if the league goes into long-term lock down. The epidemic could force some club finances to the brink of collapse.

The World Cup winner said his 'Aunty Jean', who was in her 80s, 'never ever ever did anything but bring sunshine in to my life', adding that she had passed away on Saturday morning.

Eddie Jones has agreed to a pay cut 'in excess of 25 per cent' as part of the RFU's attempts to off-set the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which has led to a shut-down of the rugby season.

The 58-year-old former rugby star, who is affiliated with Wimbledon Pitbull beer, also branded the business mogul a 'c***' when asked if his claims were real by one of his Twitter followers.

Billly Vunipola has ended speculation about his future by confirming that he will stay at Saracens next season, despite their demotion to the Championship.

CHRIS FOY: There has been a polarised response to the news that Eddie Jones will remain England's head coach until the 2023 World Cup. Many people are delighted. Others are aghast.

RFU CEO Bill Sweeney has also said that the Marriott hotel adjoining the stadium could be used to accommodate doctors and nurses, and the north car park for drive through testing.

Eddie Jones has warned his England squad to expect major surgery at the next World Cup. Jones' side reached the final of the Rugby World Cup last summer where they lost to South Africa.

Eddie Jones's men were due to play two Tests against the 2019 World Cup hosts in July, but plans now appear in jeopardy after the latest announcement from the Japanese governement.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON: World Rugby has found itself at a revolutionary crossroads after Agustin Pichot launched a late bid to challenge Bill Beaumont in the presidential elections.

EXCLUSIVE BY CHRIS FOY: Vunipola is glad Jones will continue to provoke trepidation and inspiration among players because he believes the Australian can lead them to World Cup glory.

The English league champions confirmed last night they had taken advantage of the government's furlough scheme - meaning all their players' wages are now part-funded by the state.

Sport in all corners of the world has ground to a halt as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But some teams and players are returning to training and plans are being drawn up to get going again.