Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson has been named in England’s starting line-up for the Six Nations match against Italy, marking his first start in the championship.
Record-breaking fitness levels
The 23-year-old enters the fray with a reputation as potentially the fittest player in professional rugby.
Atkinson reportedly holds the unofficial record for the ‘Bronco’ test, a gruelling endurance drill used to measure aerobic capacity.
He completed the series of shuttle runs in four minutes and eight seconds, surpassing a benchmark previously set by All Blacks star Beauden Barrett.
“I did it in four minutes and eight seconds,” Atkinson confirmed regarding his time.
“It’s a bit of an unregulated test, so it’s very unofficial.”
The Gloucester midfielder attributes his engine to a background in endurance sports before his physical growth spurt.
“Growing up, I did a lot of cross-country and a few triathlons. From U13s to U18s I was a relatively small player; I grew in size quite late. So I had to find other ways to impact the game.”
Seb Atkinson, England Centre
Borthwick rings the changes
Head coach Steve Borthwick has overhauled his backline as England attempt to recover from recent defeats by Scotland and Ireland.
Atkinson takes the number 12 shirt, replacing Fraser Dingwall, as the coaching staff looks to capitalise on his high work rate off the ball.
The selection offers a delayed opportunity for the former Worcester Warriors player to cement his place in the squad.
Atkinson impressed during the summer tour of Argentina, starting both tests, before injury setbacks disrupted his progress.
Overcoming injury setbacks
A combination of knee and hip issues struck at an inopportune moment ahead of the autumn campaign.
This untimely absence allowed rivals to stake their claim for the inside centre role while Atkinson recovered.
“I really enjoyed my year, culminating in Argentina,” Atkinson said.
“Getting my cap and having my parents there was an unbelievable feeling.”
“I really wanted to make the most of what I achieved out there by coming back and really nailing down my spot – but I got injured at the wrong time.”
Now fully fit, the centre is set to play a pivotal role as England look to finish their tournament on a high.
Former British and Irish Lions wing Anthony Watson has admitted to memorising answers to circumvent head injury protocols during the 2017 series against New Zealand.
Watson revealed he cheated the assessment to return to the field following a high tackle by Sonny Bill Williams in the second Test.
The incident occurred in the 25th minute when the All Blacks centre drove a shoulder into Watson’s head.
Williams was shown a red card for the challenge, while the England winger was removed for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
Memorised answers circumvented safety checks
The 32-year-old confessed to committing a specific sequence of words to memory to pass the recall section of the concussion protocols used at the time.
“I knew the impact was big and as I got in to do the protocol I was starting to feel a bit hazy,” Watson told the BBC documentary Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?
“I just want to caveat this by saying that I love the medical staff there at the Lions and they had no idea I was doing this.”
Watson explained that he had learned the standard list of five words provided during testing in that era.
“At that stage I knew the protocols – they give you five words to remember so it is ‘elbow-apple-carpet-saddle-bubble’. That is what I had,” he said.
“I managed to get through the walking tests and all of that and then when it came to the words, I knew it off by heart so I knew I was going to get straight back on.”
Return to action and protocol changes
Watson had appeared unsteady immediately following the collision and failed an initial attempt to stand from a kneeling position.
Jack Nowell temporarily replaced his compatriot while the assessment took place.
However, Watson returned to the pitch just six minutes later and played the remainder of the Lions’ historic 24-21 victory in Wellington.
The former Bath and Leicester back also featured for 72 minutes of the series decider at Eden Park the following week.
The recall element of the HIA process has been significantly updated since the 2017 tour.
Medical staff no longer use a set list of words, instead generating a random sequence from a bank of 20 words to prevent players from pre-learning answers.
Retirement and reflection
Stricter protocols now penalise players for incorrect answers, while independent doctors review video data and smart mouthguard technology to verify collisions.
Watson is not the only player to admit to attempting to bypass these safety measures.
Fellow England wing Jonny May admitted in 2019 that he tried and failed to pass a similar test by repeating words following a head knock against Wales.
Watson, who retired from professional rugby in January 2025 due to a persistent back injury, maintains he has no regrets about prioritising the match over his immediate health.
Ben Earl has revealed that England’s players held a frank meeting to "lay it bare" following consecutive Six Nations defeats by Scotland and Ireland.
Steve Borthwick’s side travel to Rome this weekend aiming to salvage their campaign after their title hopes were effectively ended by a 42-21 loss to Ireland at the Allianz Stadium.
The Saracens back-rower disclosed that the squad engaged in a candid review session last Wednesday to address individual underperformance.
"If we’re being honest, there’s been some challenge from within the playing group," said Earl.
"A few of us had a meeting last Wednesday and laid it bare."
Honest conversations
Earl admitted several players confessed they had not "pulled their weight" during the difficult start to the championship.
"There are people in the squad who don’t feel they’ve pulled their weight or performed well enough," he said.
"Once you get that out there, it’s about how you move forward. There’s no point sulking about it."
The 26-year-old insisted the nature of the conversation was constructive rather than a simple refocusing exercise.
"Some people have come forward and said they need to be a lot better at this or been a bit off on this," Earl added.
"We’ve stripped it bare. Again, hopefully it’s something we can look back on again when we play more big games over the next 18 months and we can say, ‘I won’t forget those conversations’."
Borthwick plots changes for Italy
Head coach Borthwick is expected to overhaul his backline for the trip to the Stadio Olimpico as England look to snap a two-match losing streak.
Northampton Saints fly-half Fin Smith is under consideration for a start despite missing training on Monday through illness.
Seb Atkinson is also understood to be set for a place in the starting midfield.
Despite the recent setbacks ending a 12-match winning run, Earl believes the squad is ready to deliver a reaction against the Azzurri.
"These are the weeks where boys have a little glint in their eye," explained Earl.
"They mean business. You look at some of the big guys in our squad and go, ‘something good is coming’. We are all hoping that is going to materialise on Saturday."
Earl highlighted a renewed focus on the "intangible stuff" often taken for granted when winning, admitting the team had been dealt "sucker punches" in recent weeks.
England all-rounder Will Jacks has been backed to reach even greater heights by his domestic coach after equalling a tournament record at the T20 World Cup.
The Surrey star has been instrumental in England’s campaign, collecting four Player of the Match awards.
That feat equals the record for a single edition of the tournament set by Australia’s Shane Watson in 2012.
Despite the accolades, Surrey head coach Gareth Batty insists he is not surprised by the impact his player has made on the world stage.
‘This era’s equivalent of Moeen Ali’
Batty’s belief in the off-spinner dates back four years to when he made the decision to name him as the county’s primary spinner.
The coach drew comparisons at the time between Jacks and Moeen Ali, a parallel that has resurfaced following the 25-year-old’s recent international displays.
I’ve seen it for years, it’s not a surprise in any way. He’s a winner, he’s very competitive and I think he’s an all-format player.
Gareth Batty, Surrey Head Coach
Batty believes the all-rounder is currently navigating a trajectory that could see him emulate one of England’s most versatile white-ball cricketers.
He’s getting more of the limelight now in the shorter format, but if he can keep growing and learning from his experiences… I said it in 2022, I think he is this era’s equivalent of Moeen Ali.
Hopefully he can go on beyond what Moeen achieved – and I don’t mean that disrespectfully to Moeen and I certainly don’t mean it disrespectfully that Jacksy is not quite Moeen. He’s an evolving spinner.
Adapting to a new role
Jacks has had to adjust his game significantly to fit into the national side’s tactical setup.
While accustomed to opening the batting domestically, the clean-striker has been deployed at number seven to provide finishing power.
I suppose the super impressive part of it is his trade is opening the batting.
Batty highlighted that the transition demonstrates the player’s elite mindset and technical ability.
For him to adapt to the role of finisher is not a surprise because of his skillset and the way he strikes a ball but it’s impressive to put that marker down and really make that role his own.
The former England spinner also praised Jacks’ bowling consistency under pressure.
His stock ball is also very good. If he just runs up and bowls and doesn’t try anything technical, no pressure, he’s as good as most spinners around the world.
Wales fly-half Sam Costelow has been ruled out of Friday’s Six Nations encounter against Ireland in Dublin after failing to recover from an ankle injury.
Costelow, 25, sustained the issue during the second half of the narrow 26-23 defeat by Scotland nine days ago.
Despite being retained in the training squad last week, the Scarlets playmaker is not fit to travel for the fourth round of the championship.
He remains in contention to feature in the tournament finale against Italy in Cardiff on 14 March.
Selection dilemmas for Tandy
The injury forces a change at number 10, with Costelow set to be replaced by either Jarrod Evans or Dan Edwards.
Edwards is looking to regain his spot after being dropped for the Scotland fixture, having started the previous seven international matches.
Head coach Steve Tandy will officially confirm his matchday 23 on Wednesday.
Tandy is also forced to replace Taine Plumtree, with the Scarlets flanker ruled out for the remainder of the tournament due to injury.
Squad updates and dismal run
Cardiff prop Keiron Assiratti and Dragons flanker Ryan Woodman have been drafted into the squad for this stage of the campaign.
The visitors travel to the Aviva Stadium seeking to end a desperate run of 14 successive Six Nations defeats stretching back three years.
Wales have lost 24 of their past 26 internationals across all competitions.
History is also against them, as the side has not recorded a Six Nations victory in Dublin since 2012.
WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley has promised Tyson Fury a shot at the world title providing the former king of the division defeats Arslanbek Makhmudov in his return to the ring this April.
Wardley insists he will be "ready and waiting" to face the 36-year-old if the comeback goes according to plan.
The "Gypsy King" is scheduled to end a 17-month hiatus from the sport when he faces Russian heavyweight Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 April.
It marks the start of a fifth unretirement for Fury, who walked away from boxing at the start of 2025 following back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk.
Wardley looks past Dubois
Before any potential super-fight can be agreed, Wardley must defend his newly acquired belt against Daniel Dubois in Manchester on 9 May.
The Ipswich-born fighter was elevated to world champion status after undisputed king Usyk vacated the strap.
Despite the formidable challenge posed by Dubois, the unbeaten champion (20-0-1) is already eyeing a massive domestic showdown with Fury.
"I had an open invitation to him at the start of the year before he signed up for his fight with Makhmudov and before I even signed my fight with Daniel," Wardley told Sky Sports.
"I said look if you want to go straightaway we can go straightaway, it’s no bother."
"But if he wants a little warm-up and he wants to get through that and see how he feels, then cool, no bother to me. I’ll still be ready and waiting after I’m done with Daniel for a massive fight."
The road to redemption
Fury (34-2-1) has been preparing for his latest resurrection in Thailand and will enter the ring as a firm favourite.
His opponent, Canada-based Makhmudov (21-2), arrives at the contest following a gritty victory over Dave Allen in Sheffield.
While Wardley offers a clear route back to world honours, other potential avenues for Fury have closed.
A long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua had been mooted for late 2026, but those plans are now indefinitely on hold.
Joshua has paused his boxing career following a tragic car accident in Nigeria earlier this year which resulted in the loss of two close friends.
Floyd Mayweather will face kickboxer Mike Zambidis in an exhibition contest in Athens this June as a warm-up for his professional return against Manny Pacquiao.
The 49-year-old American is set to end his retirement to meet his long-time Filipino rival in a licensed bout in Las Vegas this September.
Before that lucrative rematch, the five-weight world champion will travel to Greece for a spectacle against Zambidis.
“2026 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for me,” Mayweather said.
“Europe, I’m on the way to entertain.”
Zambidis bout precedes Las Vegas return
Zambidis, known as ‘Iron Mike’, is a 45-year-old former kickboxing champion who retired from his primary discipline over a decade ago.
The Greek fighter briefly competed in professional boxing in 2019 but has been largely inactive since.
Mayweather’s return to the paid ranks will mark the fourth time he has reversed a decision to retire.
The defensive master last fought professionally in 2017, stopping UFC star Conor McGregor to extend his perfect record to 50-0.
Fourth retirement reversal for Pacquiao clash
His first encounter with Pacquiao in 2015 remains the richest fight in history, generating record gate receipts of £53.1m.
That bout also set an all-time pay-per-view record with 4.6 million buys, despite criticism regarding the excitement levels of the contest.
The veteran superstars are scheduled to meet again at the Sphere on 19 September, 11 years after their initial meeting.
Jon Jones has confirmed he is in negotiations with the UFC regarding a sensational return from retirement to feature on the proposed White House card.
Talks underway for historic event
The 38-year-old has been retired since June following his victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.
He stepped away from the sport after facing criticism for refusing to unify the heavyweight belt against Tom Aspinall.
However, the prospect of competing at the executive mansion this summer appears to have tempted the former two-division champion back into the fold.
Jones explicitly stated his desire to represent his country on such a unique stage.
“I’m in negotiations with the UFC about this White House thing.”
“I’m a very, very, very proud American and I cannot wait to represent one more time, so let’s see what happens,” Jones added.
UFC president Dana White indicated on Friday that matchups for the event “should” be announced later this week.
Pereira speculation mounts
The timing of these talks coincides with Alex Pereira vacating his light-heavyweight title without immediate explanation.
That decision has fuelled rumours that ‘Poatan’ is preparing for a move to heavyweight to face the American legend.
Jones has previously expressed significant interest in a super-fight against the Brazilian knockout artist.
Alternatively, Pereira could be placed in an interim title bout, potentially against Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall injury update
Reigning heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall remains sidelined with a serious eye injury sustained against Gane in October.
The Briton’s fighting future is currently uncertain following multiple surgeries to repair the damage.