George North will miss the rest of this season after suffering a ruptured Achilles during Wales’ Guinness Six Nations defeat against Italy.

North, 31, went off two minutes from the end as Wales crashed to a fifth successive Six Nations loss this season that meant their first wooden spoon since 2003.

It was the Wales and Ospreys centre’s final appearance before retiring from international rugby.

“Ospreys can confirm that George North will miss the remainder of the season following surgery on a ruptured Achilles injury sustained whilst playing for Wales v Italy,” the Ospreys said on X.

“We’d like to thank George for his time at the club and wish him the best for the future.”

North, who will leave the Ospreys and join ambitious French club Provence this summer, added on X: “Not everyone gets the fairytale ending.

“A ruptured Achilles wasn’t the way I wanted to bow out of international rugby.

“Still, I have loved every second. Can’t thank everyone enough for the support and kind messages. On the recovery train now.”

A ruptured Achilles can mean several months on the sidelines, and it was a cruel way for North to leave the Test arena.

He won 121 caps – only Alun Wyn Jones and Gethin Jenkins have played more times for Wales – and scored 47 tries for his country.

North also helped Wales win four Six Nations titles, including two Grand Slams, while he also played in four World Cups.

Marlie Packer will make her 100th England appearance on Sunday when she captains the side in their Six Nations opener against Italy in Parma.

Red Roses head coach John Mitchell announced his squad on Thursday and Packer will become the seventh woman to reach the milestone for England.

Mitchell said the 34-year-old Saracens back-row, who made her senior international debut in 2008, “epitomises what it is to be a Red Rose”.

He added: “Reaching 100 caps for your country is an awesome achievement. Talking to Marlie about her journey, she has had to overcome adversity since her Test debut.

“What has been evident since I first met her is that her determination to succeed has been ingrained in her over the past 16 years, helping her achieve what she has in the game.”

Packer is one of only five players who have retained their starting places following England’s 33-12 win against New Zealand when sealing the inaugural WXV1 title in November last year.

The others are Harlequins full-back Ellie Kildunne, Trailfinders wing Abby Dow, Loughborough centre Helena Rowland and Bristol hooker Lark Atkin-Davies.

Saracens fly-half Zoe Harrison, Loughborough centre Emily Scarratt and Bristol second-row Abbie Ward all return to the starting line-up for the first time since England’s 34-31 defeat to New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup final.

Saracens prop Kelsey Clifford is poised for her maiden Test start and Exeter flanker Maddie Feaunati could make her England debut off the bench.

Loughborough flanker Sadia Kabeya and Harlequins scrum-half Lucy Packer will both start against Italy after missing WXV through injury.

England have lost only three of their last 60 Test matches and after completing the Six Nations Grand Slam last year, they finished the 2023 season unbeaten.

Mitchell said: “We are excited to get going in what is an awesome tournament. We are focused on improving our performance.

“We want to get quicker at our game, we want to create more pressure on the opposition and we want to present attacking opportunities. Italy is our first opportunity to put into practice what we are aiming to achieve.”

England team to face Italy: Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins), Abby Dow (Trailfinders), Helena Rowland (Loughborough), Emily Scarratt (Loughborough), Jess Breach (Saracens), Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Hannah Botterman (Bristol), Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury), Abbie Ward (Bristol), Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough), Marlie Packer (Saracens), Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury).

Replacements: Connie Powell (Harlequins), Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury), Holly Aitchison (Bristol), Megan Jones (Leicester).

Owen Farrell possesses the drive to one day resume his England career and could remain in rugby for the rest of his life, according to Saracens boss Mark McCall.

Long-serving England captain Farrell will become ineligible for international selection under Rugby Football Union rules when he joins French club Racing 92 on a two-year contract in the summer.

After sitting out the Guinness Six Nations to prioritise his mental health, the 32-year-old is set to return to competitive action on Saturday in the Gallagher Premiership clash with London rivals Harlequins.

Saracens director of rugby McCall believes Farrell is capable of remaining at the top level for the foreseeable future, including eventually adding to the 112 caps he was won for his country.

“There are very few players who can and I think he is one of them,” said McCall.

“But you have got to have the drive to do that, you’ve got to have the competitive spirit to do that – I think he has that.

“He can keep going for as long as that drive and competitive spirit is there.”

Fly-half Farrell has spent his entire career with Saracens and is poised to make his 250th appearance for the club in this weekend’s derby against Quins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“Regardless of what happens over the next 10 weeks, his legacy is firmly established here,” said McCall, who joined Sarries in 2009 when Farrell was still a teenager.

“He’s done everything and achieved everything here.

“And to go and explore the opportunity that he is in France and experience something different with his family, I think is a great thing to do at this stage of his career.

“I can’t imagine Owen Farrell not being in rugby for the rest of his life, to be honest.

“Given the rugby IQ that he has, the motivational ability that he has, the brilliant communicator that he is, the good person that he is, you could see him stepping into coaching very readily and we hope in time that might be here.”

Farrell opted to step out of the limelight after last year’s Rugby World Cup in France following intense scrutiny.

“The break was important for him,” said McCall. “He’s had a personally very difficult time.

“Maybe it’s him being brave enough to talk about it, which is not easy to do for most people, certainly not somebody like Owen.

“I think at least it’s maybe changed the dial a small bit.

“When people talk about England now, it’s never as bad as people are saying and it’s never as good as some people are saying. It’s somewhere in the middle but no one ever reports it that way.

“I think Owen’s bravery in telling people how he felt was a good thing.

“We almost forbade him from coming (into training) because he needed some respite and needed to go and do some things with his family, some things that were not rugby related. He is now free to throw himself into the rest of the season.”

McCall revealed Saracens have identified a replacement for Farrell and expects an official announcement in the coming weeks.

“It has been a fascinating project trying to find the right person,” he said.

“We wanted to look for someone that we believed had the potential and the personality to be part of this team for a while. We think we have found the right person.”

Owen Farrell expressed a desire to play rugby for as long as possible as he left the door open to a potential England return and featuring in the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour.

The Saracens star is poised to become ineligible for his country for at least the next two years after agreeing a summer move to French club Racing 92.

Farrell missed this year’s Guinness Six Nations to prioritise the wellbeing of his family but insists his love of the game has never diminished.

Asked about his international future, he replied: “I’ve not said anything. I don’t know.

“I’ve stepped back and there’s obviously a change happening next year (moving to France). Then we’ll see.

“There’s no point in saying anything now because I don’t know how I’m going to feel later down the line. We’ll see.”

While Rugby Football Union rules prevent overseas-based players from representing England, Farrell could still be selected by the Lions for next summer’s series against Australia.

His father Andy Farrell has been appointed head coach for that three-match tour.

“Have I spoken to my dad about it? I’ve told him ‘well done’, if that counts,” said Farrell.

“There’s nothing to talk about – whatever happens, happens. There are no decisions to be made about any of that.

“When it gets closer to the time, I guess things become clear or they don’t. You see how people are at that time. There is nothing to talk about there at the minute.”

Farrell will make his 250th appearance for the reigning Gallagher Premiership champions in Saturday’s derby against Harlequins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Following last year’s Rugby World Cup in France, where he was jeered by his own supporters, the fly-half opted to step out of the spotlight to spend time with his family.

“Obviously the World Cup was difficult at times but I really enjoyed the playing side of it and being involved,” he said.

“I want to play for as long as I possibly can as long as I am enjoying it.

“I love playing. That’s always been the case, even during the tougher bits as I’ve spoken about.

“I loved the game, and I loved the rugby. I want to enjoy all of it a bit more.

“I’ve been getting back to doing it here at the club, I’ve done that over this time during the Six Nations, and I want to really do that towards the end of the year. And then I want to get better at it next year as well.

“That’s how I think I am going to get the best out of myself and play my best. We’ll see what happens.”

Bayonne have announced the signing of England centre Manu Tuilagi from Sale on a two-year contract.

The 32-year-old will join the French club at the end of the season in a move likely to bring an end to his Test career.

Rugby Football Union regulations dictate any player departing the Gallagher Premiership becomes ineligible for international selection.

A short statement on Bayonne’s website read: “England centre Manu Tuilagi has signed for the next two seasons. Welcome Manu!”

Tuilagi won his 60th – and likely final – England cap in Saturday’s 33-31 Guinness Six Nations defeat by France in Lyon.

Earlier on Tuesday, the former Leicester player outlined ambitions of helping Sale lift the Premiership title as he confirmed his decision to leave Alex Sanderson’s side.

“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Sale,” he told the club website. “It was a really tough conversation with Al, and a tough decision for everyone because my family and I have been really happy here.

“I never thought I’d leave Leicester and it was a big move, but since arriving here I’ve grown a lot as a person. I’ve developed as a player, but more so as a person.

“The environment at Sale is amazing. It’s what makes me want to get out of bed and put the work in, and I genuinely love coming in every day.

“If I’ve helped the young players then that’s great, but they’ve helped me so much too and I’m going to miss them all.

“The mindset from the start of the season was to win the Premiership and that’s what we’re all focused on now. Knowing it’s my last season here will give me an extra push to make sure I leave on a high.”

Tuilagi has been an automatic pick in the midfield for four successive England coaches due to the power he provides on both sides of the ball.

However, his career has been heavily interrupted by a number of serious injuries, including groin, chest, hamstring, knee and a broken hand.

Sale currently sit seventh in the Premiership table.

Sharks director of rugby Sanderson said: “We talked about what was best for the club and what was best for Manu and his family, and we had to make a tough decision. But it’s still a wrench and really tough for me to accept that he’s going.

“He is one of the world’s best players and one of the world’s best blokes. There are very few people who can do what he can on the field. As a player he’s every bit as good as I thought he was before I came here, but as a person he continues to surprise and inspire me to be better.

“We’ll miss him massively on the field, but the void he leaves off it will be harder to fill.

“His smile is the same whether he’s running on to the field ready to smash someone, or sitting opposite you having a glass of wine, and I’m really going to miss that.”

Manu Tuilagi has played his final game for England after agreeing to join French club Bayonne next season in a two-year-deal.

Tuilagi will depart Sale in June with the outcome of a medical the last hurdle before the move is finalised, the PA news agency understands.

The 32-year-old centre won his 60th cap in Saturday’s 33-31 defeat by France in Lyon after coming on as a replacement for Henry Slade in the 59th minute.

Rugby Football Union regulations mean that any player leaving the Gallagher Premiership becomes ineligible for international selection.

Tuilagi has been an automatic pick in the midfield for four successive England coaches due to the power he provides on both sides of the ball.

However, his career has been heavily interrupted by a number of serious injuries including groin, chest, hamstring, knee and a broken hand.

Had he been fit for every match since his debut in 2011, he would have amassed 156 caps.

Ollie Lawrence’s rampaging performance against France, which included two tries, suggests England have finally found his successor as a hard running centre but Tuilagi’s unique physicality means he will never be truly replaced.

Bayonne are positioned ninth in the Top 14 table and the move is expected to be officially confirmed this week.

Danny Care will take stock before deciding on his international future after contributing to an encouraging Guinness Six Nations for England.

Care won his 101st cap as a replacement in Saturday’s agonising defeat by France in Lyon that saw a long-range penalty by Thomas Ramos seize victory for Les Bleus in the final minute.

The 37-year-old provided cover for Alex Mitchell throughout the championship and deputised in the starting XV when England’s first-choice scrum-half was injured for the defeat by Scotland in round three.

Now one of the most exciting players in English rugby is facing a crossroads moment as he nears the end of his Test career while yet to agree a new contract for next season with Harlequins.

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“It’s 101 and still not out at the moment! I’m going to go home and assess and speak to the family. I’ve not made any big decisions yet,” Care said.

“But I’ve loved being a part of this team. I genuinely have. The past year yes, but particularly the past seven weeks in this Six Nations have been some of my favourite times in an England shirt.

“The result against Ireland was an unbelievable feeling, I thought we were going to do it again and maybe surpass it against France.

“The icing on the cake would have been another win but it wasn’t to be. But I’ve never been prouder to wear an England shirt.”

Care’s international career appeared to be over following a disagreement with Eddie Jones in 2018, but his irrepressible form for Harlequins resulted in a recall under the Australian and he has remained in favour under Steve Borthwick.

“If it had all finished a couple of years ago it would have been a bit meh, a bit rubbish, so I’m delighted with how the last year has gone,” he said.

“I owe Steve and the coaching staff an awful lot for giving me another opportunity for doing what I love doing the best.

“I’ve had an amazing time and this team is going to go in one direction, I’m sure of it. Whether I’m a part of that or not, I’ll be the happiest person to be a part of it or watching it.”

England finished only third in the tournament yet will embark on their summer tour to Japan and New Zealand with a sense of excitement having toppled champions Ireland and pushed France so close – all while playing pulsating rugby.

“The aim going into this tournament was to win the whole thing. Obviously we haven’t done that but the team has taken huge strides in the right direction of where it wants to go,” Care said.

“I’ve got no doubt that this team is going to hit some massive heights. If I were an England supporter right now, I’d be really excited by what I’m seeing.

“Everyone better watch out because when this team is on fire, they’ll be very hard to stop.”

Ryan Baird was determined to savour Ireland’s latest Guinness Six Nations title success following inspiration from a framed Maro Itoje jersey and the motivational words of his mother.

The Leinster forward struggled to fully embrace last year’s triumph due to preoccupation with analysing his own performance in the immediate aftermath of the Grand Slam clincher against England.

Baird took home the match shirt of rival star Itoje following that memorable 29-16 St Patrick’s weekend win in Dublin.

In the wake of last weekend’s last-gasp loss at Twickenham, the souvenir provided a timely reminder of the magnitude of championship glory ahead of Saturday’s decisive 17-13 victory over Scotland.

“I struggled to enjoy it last year because I was so frustrated about some of the mistakes I made and it kind of ruined it for me,” said Baird.

“Only when we lost last week and I was back home, my mum for Christmas had framed my jersey with the Maro Itoje jersey for me and she was like, ‘just remember how special that was and how hard they are to win’.

“So when the final whistle went, I’d made a few mistakes in the game but I put that aside.

“I remember being on the ground as the ball was being kicked out and I thought ‘you know what, appreciate the last eight weeks of hard work you have put in, appreciate the time you spent with your team-mates’.

“It didn’t give me a crazy high, it just gave me a satisfaction. I worked hard, we all worked hard.”

Baird, who can operate at lock or flanker, made his Test debut during the 2021 Six Nations.

The 24-year-old has patiently awaited opportunities but could benefit from the potential retirement of captain Peter O’Mahony.

Baird idolises O’Mahony and feels “privileged to be led” by the veteran Munster flanker, who is contemplating his international future after leading his country to silverware.

“He epitomises what it is to be an Irish rugby player,” said Baird, who featured in each of Ireland’s tournament fixtures but only started the round-two win over Italy.

“I said to him before the game how much I look up to him and I said it to him after. Yeah, I idolise him.

“I’m so fortunate to play with him as well, the way he carries himself. He’s such good fun off the pitch and such a hard worker on the pitch.

“You can see it is everything to him and I’m privileged to be led by him.”

Ireland face a two-match summer tour of South Africa before autumn clashes with New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia.

Baird hopes to add to his 20 caps – 14 of which have come as a replacement – against the top southern hemisphere sides.

“I just want to fulfil my potential and I feel very fortunate to be in this group,” he said.

“I’m not representing me, I’m representing family and friends and the big thing we always say is we want to inspire the nation.

“As I get older I’m realising more that I am less selfish in my views as to why I am doing this.

“I do it first because I love playing rugby and I love representing this country and what this gives others when we do this and when we win.

“I’m starting to appreciate that more and I guess it’s why I’m more fond of this one (Six Nations title).”

Andy Farrell is relishing a shot at the world’s best as Ireland pursue perfection after continuing their northern hemisphere domination with another Guinness Six Nations title.

Ireland turn their attention to a two-match summer tour of South Africa having retained the championship crown following last year’s Grand Slam by beating Scotland 17-13 in Dublin.

Many pundits feel Farrell’s in-form side are already Test rugby’s leading nation, an opinion understandably disputed in the Springbok camp following their back-to-back Rugby World Cup successes.

While Ireland have won their last three clashes with the Webb Ellis Cup holders, they have only once achieved that feat on South African soil – a 26-20 Cape Town triumph under Joe Schmidt in 2016.

“It doesn’t get any more difficult, does it, or any more exciting than that,” Farrell said of the July fixtures in Pretoria and Durban.

“All you want is an opportunity to put yourself out there against the best and South Africa are 100 per cent the best.

“Being able to go out there and test ourselves over there – we’ve managed to win one game over there before – will be great for our development going forward.”

Ireland have won 33 of their last 37 Tests stretching back to 2021 following a memorable St Patrick’s weekend.

Defeat by France in 2022, a pair of losses against New Zealand, including in the quarter-finals of last year’s World Cup, and last weekend’s last-gasp 23-22 reverse against England are the only blemishes on the remarkable record.

Ireland’s latest Six Nations success came following the retirements of long-serving stars Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls, while outstanding wing Mack Hansen was among those unavailable due to injury.

Head coach Farrell, whose side also have autumn appointments with the All Blacks, Argentina, Fiji and Australia on the horizon, wants to keep raising the bar.

“To be consistently at your best is probably impossible but that is what we’re going after,” said the Englishman.

“But when class players drop out of the squad, it’s always going to take time to build back up and if you can do that winning, or learning from the experiences like at Twickenham or whatever, then that’s all well and good.

“But the reality is that there’s plenty more in us and there has to be for what’s coming for the rest of the year.”

Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony feels a responsibility to keep building on the foundations laid by former team-mates such as Sexton.

“You always represent the past players,” said the Munster flanker, who is contemplating his own retirement.

“They’re a huge part, and even Johnny popping into the hotel last week, it’s something that we should probably make a bit more regular.

“They’ve been there for a long, long time and Johnny has been a huge part of where we are now and Earlsy is, like everyone who has put a huge amount of effort into the group.

“Every time you pull it on (Ireland’s shirt) it’s for lots of those people as well and you’d like to think that they’re proud sitting at home, the people who can’t take the field any more.”

Munster fly-half Jack Crowley, who has filled the void left by Sexton, and Leinster lock Joe McCarthy are part of the new generation tasked with maintaining high standards.

Farrell has urged the rookie pair to ignore the hype surrounding their standout Six Nations performances.

“Jack’s a realist,” said Farrell. “And do you know what? I’ve been hard on him.

“Jack will tell you that because it’s easy to read the press and get carried away that, ‘I’m doing it and I am doing really well’.

“But we’ve kept his feet on the ground and Joe McCarthy as well because there has to be a realisation that’s not what we’re chasing.

“We’re chasing something better than that and as long as we can continue to do that we’ll continue to grow as a group.”

Steve Borthwick will begin plotting New Zealand’s downfall this week as he looks to build on England’s encouraging end to the Guinness Six Nations.

A stunning victory over Ireland in round four and agonising near-miss against France in Lyon on Saturday have generated excitement around a team that is now playing their most ambitious rugby for four years.

While finishing third in the table will hardly have set alarm bells ringing in the All Blacks’ camp ahead of the summer tour, the threat posed by England’s attack against two of the best international sides will have been noted.

Borthwick will head to New Zealand for a scouting mission on Monday, accompanied by head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters, who will also continue preparations for the first leg of the tour in Japan.

“I’ve got to go and put plans in place for where we are going to be and how we will do it, so that we prepare properly,” Borthwick said.

“I did Japan just before the start of the Six Nations, with a visit there, and then Aled is going to Japan as well, after New Zealand.

“In a week’s time we will understand exactly where we are going with our training programmes, our locations, our venues, so we give the team the best opportunity to get the result we want.

“I’ll be taking the very best players that are available for selection at that point in time.”

After a humdrum start to the Six Nations, England came alive in the final two rounds by scoring seven tries and only losing to France when Thomas Ramos landed a long-range penalty in the final minute.

George Ford insists the revival was borne out of their deflating nine-point loss to Scotland on February 24, a result that sparked considerable soul-searching due to the high error count.

“Our mindset since the Scotland game has been to really go at teams with the ball in hand,” Sale fly-half Ford said.

“Be a threat, ask questions, fire shots, be that attacking team and be on the front foot a lot more. You have seen that in the last two weeks.

“We had to front that up after Murrayfield. We had to make a choice. It was off the back of that game when we had to have a few honest conversations about things and decide what team we want to be.

“We were putting bits and parts together, but we didn’t have the feeling we’ve had the past two weeks. We’ve probably made a good thing out of a bad there.

“You never want to go through those situations, but when you do you’ve got to learn and come out the other end of them.

“We’re improving and there’s a good base. We still need to improve on that but the penny’s dropped in terms of what type of team we want to be. And how dangerous we can be.

“We all play rugby because we want to score points and want to score tries. You’ve got to do all the other things as well but we’re in a good place now – and we want to get better.”

George North delivered a message of hope for Welsh rugby as he departed international rugby on crutches after Wales’ wooden spoon nightmare became reality.

There was no fairytale finish for North on his 121st and final Wales appearance, with Italy’s 24-21 victory at the Principality Stadium leaving Warren Gatland’s team propping up the Six Nations table.

Amid the doom and gloom, though, North spoke of “shining lights” as an extensive rebuilding job now moves to the next phase – facing world champions South Africa at Twickenham before two Tests against Australia Down Under.

While North prepares to see a specialist on Monday, Gatland and his staff will continue an extensive review into Wales’ worst Six Nations campaign since 2003.

“We have spoken about it honestly, and I think you have to in these times. We know where we are as a squad,” said North, whose Wales career included four Six Nations titles, two Grand Slams, four World Cup campaigns and 47 tries.

“The boys know the standard. Gats (Wales head coach Warren Gatland) drives that, the coaches drive that, but it is going to take time for us to get there.

“There are some real positives coming through, some shining lights, we have just got to give them time.

“Unfortunately, we are in the results business and the results business waits for no man.

“What a great challenge now for these boys to go (against) South Africa and Australia at the end of a long World Cup year. It is the experience they need to build that resilience and robustness into them and drive forward.

“The public have been incredible with their support for the boys, and all I would say is keep believing in them.

“The talent is there – I have seen it first-hand. The talent is immense, we’ve just got to give it time. I don’t think we are too far away from clicking.

“You have to get through this bit to get to the good bit.

“I was very fortunate I had a few more people to hold my hand when I was their age and show me how to go about winning. Once you know how and win once, you know.”

Asked about Gatland’s offer to step down, North added: “That wouldn’t solve much, would it?

“He knows how to get the best out of boys, especially with where we are. He’s done it before, but like I said, it takes time.”

North must wait to discover if he will return to action for the Ospreys this season ahead of joining ambitious French club Provence for next term.

But he will no longer be seen in the red jersey of Wales as he follows players like Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny into Test retirement during the last 10 months.

“People don’t always get the fairytale ending they want,” North said. “With two minutes to go I thought I might have had a chance to take it all in, but then obviously stuff happens.

“I am still incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved and how I went about my work. To be able to do it (bow out) at home is incredibly special.

“I’ve said to everyone at the Union the amount of messages I’ve had since I made my announcement has been incredible, and I can only say a massive thank you for the support from everyone.”

Ollie Lawrence finished Saturday’s agonising defeat by France alongside boyhood idol Manu Tuilagi in what was a symbolic moment for England’s midfield.

Lawrence produced a coming-of-age performance in the 33-31 defeat at Groupama Stadium, crossing either side of half-time in an impressive display of power running that was a continuation of his stellar form for Bath.

It was evidence that the 24-year-old centre is ready to provide the ball-carrying might that has been Tuilagi’s calling card since making his debut in 2011.

England have longed to find a defence-smashing alternative to Tuilagi during his regular spells out through injury and in Lyon they finally witnessed a passing of the baton, with the 32-year-old veteran almost certainly playing his final Test before joining a French club next season.

Eddie Jones drew a comparison between the punch they offer in attack in 2021 and, after the similarities were made clear in a riveting climax to the Guinness Six Nations that saw Tuilagi step off the bench for the final 21 minutes, Lawrence paid tribute to a unique team-mate.

“Manu’s been class. You ask anyone in the squad, he’s one of the best people around,” Lawrence said.

“He was my hero growing up, he was someone I looked up to and tried to emulate my game around.

“The way he was playing at a young age in an England shirt was amazing. To keep going playing at this level is testament to him really.

“To have the pleasure to take the field with him on the amount of occasions I have now is special and a memory I will look back on.

“Who knows what is going to happen in the future, but it has been a pleasure playing with Manu. He’s a great bloke on and off the field.”

Lawrence missed the opening two rounds with a hip injury and the current Gallagher Premiership player of the season has grown in influence since making his comeback in a dispiriting defeat by Scotland.

Now 24 caps into his international career, he is proving that his marauding club form translates to the highest level.

“Test rugby is very different to Premiership rugby in a lot of aspects. You get fewer opportunities and have to be more decisive with them. That was one thing I was focussed on this Six Nations,” he said.

“Coming out of the injury, I didn’t want to use that as an excuse, I just wanted to get in there and offer my bit to the team.

“I’ve managed to progress my game to a level where I am confident I can keep pushing to see where I can take it.”

England finished only third in the table but having inflicted Ireland’s solitary defeat and dazzled against France, who triumphed through a final-minute Thomas Ramos penalty, clear progress was made.

“It was a massive step forward for us as a team. Throughout this tournament we’ve progressed nicely. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get over the line,” Lawrence said.

“We fell short and that’s definitely something we’ll keep working on, but it’s really exciting being part of this group. We don’t know where we can take it as a team and that’s the exciting part.”

The 2024 Guinness Six Nations Championship was ultimately decided by events on the opening night when Ireland beat France in Marseille.

Although the Irish subsequently lost to England at Twickenham, they still successfully defended their title by a margin of five points from runners-up France, while Wales hit rock bottom with a wooden spoon.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five things that were learnt from the tournament.

Ireland back on track after World Cup woe

Ireland emphatically bounced back from familiar Rugby World Cup quarter-final disappointment to underline their status as the northern hemisphere’s top Test side by clinching a second successive championship title.

A record win away to France set the tone for another dominant campaign, with only the finest performance of Steve Borthwick’s reign as England boss – and a last-gasp drop goal – scuppering the pursuit of back-to-back Grand Slams.

Ireland will now turn their attention to backing up widespread claims of being the world’s best. A tantalising two-Test summer series against world champions South Africa should settle that debate. Mouthwatering autumn matches against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia will follow before head coach Andy Farrell temporarily departs his role to take charge of the British and Irish Lions.

England find their mojo

Finishing third at the 2023 World Cup was a significant achievement, but Steve Borthwick’s reign has really been given lift-off by the last two rounds of the Six Nations.

Toppling defending champions Ireland was their greatest win of the last four years, and it was in the result only that they failed to back it up against France, losing to a Thomas Ramos penalty with seconds left.

England have their mojo back, emboldened by a new-found appetite for attack, and they can look ahead to their summer tour to Japan and New Zealand with genuine excitement. Given how grim it looked when they were beaten by Scotland at Murrayfield on February 24, it is a remarkable turnaround.

Warren Gatland’s Wales in freefall

Wales have gone from World Cup quarter-finalists to finishing bottom of the Six Nations in just five months as they suffered the ignominy of a first wooden spoon since 2003.

Head coach Warren Gatland said that he offered his resignation – which Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney rejected – immediately after a demoralising home defeat against Italy. It was Wales’ fifth successive loss of a tournament when they ultimately propped up the table by seven points.

Gatland’s post-World Cup rebuilding job is an extensive one, and while there was promise provided by newcomers like Cameron Winnett and Alex Mann, Wales ultimately could not overcome the absence of such key performers as Dan Biggar, Liam Williams, Louis Rees-Zammit, Jac Morgan and Taulupe Faletau. George North has now followed Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny into Test retirement, and Wales’ next game is against world champions South Africa. A long and painful road lies ahead.

A familiar story for Scotland

It was a missed opportunity for Scotland to post their best finish of the Six Nations era after somehow managing to end up with just two wins from five despite being well in contention in each of their matches – and establishing commanding positions in four of them.

Concentration issues proved costly in narrow defeats by France, Italy and Ireland, while they were fortunate not to pay the penalty for an alarming second-half collapse in the opening match against Wales.

Gregor Townsend’s side had chances to put the French away, before being left to rue the officials’ controversial decision not to award them a late match-winning try; they had victory firmly within their grasp in Rome before losing their way badly in the second half; and then in Dublin, a poorly executed lineout in front of their own line ultimately undermined a spirited away performance. Scotland must find a way to cut out the flakiness that continues to hold them back from being considered a truly top-class side.

Italy deserve the highest acclaim

While Ireland were once again crowned kings of the Six Nations, a strong case could also be argued for Italy as team of the tournament.

They might have finished only fifth, but their level of improvement under new head coach Gonzalo Quesada was something to behold. Italy had collected the wooden spoon for eight successive seasons, yet this time around there was a quality, purpose, direction and dynamism about their rugby that underpinned victories over Scotland and Wales, an away draw against France and narrow loss to England.

Michele Lamaro was an an inspired captain, the centre pairing of Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello proved on a par with any midfield partnership in the competition, newcomer Louis Lynagh looked a Test natural, Paolo Garbisi ran things impressively from fly-half and there was so much better tactical appreciation and execution from Italy than for several seasons. They were a joy to watch.

Warren Gatland faces the biggest challenge of his coaching career after Wales’ alarming demise was confirmed by a first Six Nations wooden spoon for 21 years.

Wales finished seven points adrift of fifth-placed Italy following the Azzurri’s 24-21 victory in Cardiff, which was their 14th defeat in the last 16 Six Nations games.

They have lost seven successive matches in the tournament at home, and Gatland has a miserable 10 per cent Six Nations win-ratio since he returned for a second stint as head coach.

During his trophy-laden first spell in the job between 2008 and 2019, Wales won Six Nations titles, Grand Slams, reached two World Cup semi-finals and were briefly the world’s number one-ranked team.

There are significant mitigating factors behind Wales’ slump, including Dan Biggar, Leigh Halfpenny and now George North retiring from Test rugby, Jac Morgan, Taulupe Faletau and Dewi Lake all recovering from long-term injuries, Louis Rees-Zammit quitting rugby union to pursue a possible American football career and Liam Williams playing club rugby in Japan.

But much of their performance against Italy was scarred by schoolboy errors and a chronic lack of composure. In truth, Italy were at least 20 points better.

Wales’ post-World Cup rebuild has witnessed some green shoots, notably the arrival of newcomers like full-back Cameron Winnett and flanker Alex Mann, while they threatened an unlikely comeback win against Scotland, ran England close and were competitive for an hour before subsiding to France.

The Italy performance, though, illustrated how big Gatland’s task is. Wales’ next game is against world champions South Africa in June, followed by a two-Test tour of Australia.

Asked if he was confident of turning things around, Gatland said: “Absolutely. I’ve never shied away from that.

“We have had glimpses where we have been really good in this tournament. We need to do that for longer periods.

“We need to start better in games and make sure we are more accurate.

“Probably the amount of turnovers in those games have allowed opposition teams some easy outs where they haven’t had to play too much rugby and have waited and relied on us shooting ourselves in the foot with some mistakes.

“We just need to win, don’t we. We need to get some confidence and self-belief, whether that is first of all at the national level, but also at regional level.

“When you start winning and get confidence, it makes a huge amount of difference.

“I know that the regions and (Welsh Rugby) Union are talking collectively and trying to put strategies in place for the future. That will make a huge difference to everyone.”

Gatland said he had offered his resignation – which was rejected – to WRU chief executive Abi Tierney immediately after the Italy game.

The painful Six Nations review process will now take centre-stage, in addition to starting preparations for some demanding assignments against heavyweight southern hemisphere opposition.

Gatland added: “There is planning to be done over the next few weeks, in terms of the summer tour and making sure as a coaching group we are visible in the regions as well.

“I can promise you we will go away and review this really carefully. We have already done some review stuff, and we will work on areas that need to improve.

“I think collectively we have all got a lot of work to do to make sure we can continue to improve the state of Welsh rugby.”

An eventful Guinness Six Nations has seen a crop of emerging talent announce their arrival on the Test stage.

Here the PA news agency picks five players who enjoyed a breakthrough tournament.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, England, wing, 21

It is indication of Feyi-Waboso’s impact in only three caps that he was missed when ruled out against France because of concussion.

A genuine X-factor player with pace and power who had Twickenham on their feet for the visit of Ireland in round four.

Joe McCarthy, Ireland, second row, 22

McCarthy’s coming of age display against France on the opening weekend went unmatched in the rest of the Six Nations but his status as a second row enforcer was already assured.

Bristles with aggression on both sides of the ball.

Cameron Winnett, Wales, full-back, 21

One of the slightest players on the international stage but Winnett’s speed, footwork and handling have proved a handful for opponents.

Not bad for a player with just 15 professional appearances for Cardiff to his name before the tournament began.

Tommaso Menoncello, Italy, centre, 21

Menoncello’s international appearances before this Six Nations lacked consistency but he is now becoming the force his talent suggested was possible.

Powerful and direct, has has the physicality to make an impact in attack and defence.

Nolann Le Garrec, France, scrum-half, 21

An outrageous 35-metre reverse pass headlined a man of the match display against Wales that was also his first start.

Faced with the impossible task of replacing Antoine Dupont, Le Garrec has showed there may be life outside the France superstar after all.