Gareth Bale, the Wales and Real Madrid star who is the world's most expensive footballer, has old schoolmate Sam Warburton on his mind...

Image source, Rex Features

England, decked out in a gunmetal grey training kit, are going through their paces on the Principality Stadium turf.

Owen Farrell lines up a practice shot at goal.

Alicia: Come on England!

Welshgirlabroad: Chores done, fire lit, gin poured, can only mean one thing...

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An England player who appeared in all five games of a second successive Grand Slam will, according to the Daily Telegraph,, external be in line for a £153,000 total pay-out of match fees and win bonuses. 

It was all a little different 70 years ago.

When England met Wales in 1947 it was the first official match between the teams since 1939 and the end of World War Two.

The RFU have put together this feature, external remembering bomb-damaged grounds, players hanging on wireless team announcements and rationed post-match meals.

Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip speaking to RTE: "Last week was a tough loss and a lot of people stood up today and trusted the process. 

Italy were always going to pose a massive challenge, but we still scored when a man down. We lived in the moment and got the outcome. 

We wanted to have two wins from two, but we're on one from two, and have two bonus points."

Ireland's stand in captain Jamie Heaslip on ITV Sport: "It's definitely nicer to win than to lose and we are delighted with the score, but there's a still a lot of work for us to do. We'll recuperate and recover now and then the hard work starts again."

Image source, Getty Images

The roof, the roof, the roof is....off.

England boss Eddie Jones, the bluffer he is, made big play of the fact earlier this week that he was ambivalent about whether the Principality Stadium lid was shut.

Then, just before the deadline, he played the away-team veto, demanding that Wales keep the game open to the elements.

You can understand why.

England have won four of the five matches the teams have played with the stadium roof open.

Wales have won four out of the five, including 2013's famous 30-3 walloping, with the roof shut.

Matt Dawson: Here we go folks. Score predictions? England by 7 I think but only a late score to seal it

One suspects the scoreline will be a little closer in Cardiff, as Wales welcome England in the game of the round.

You can watch live TV coverage by clicking the play icon at the top of this page, plus there's Radio 5 live commentary and all the usual text-based shenanigans as well.

Kick-off is in half an hour... Exciting isn't it? 

Tony Ward
Former Ireland and Lions fly-half on BBC Radio Ulster

What a scoreline. How do you pick a man of the match? I think it will go to CJ Stander, but it's a superb all-round performance.

Andrew Priestley: Craig Gilroy has clearly been watching and learning from Ulster team-mate Charles Piutau with all that footwork and side-steps.

Peter Campbell: 9 tries. 9 conversions. Easy.

Robbie Cunningham: BOOM called Craig Gilroy to get a hat-trick of tries when he came on with 1/2 hour to go and it actually came true!!

This is the first time since England in 1914 that a team has had two hat-trick scorers in a Five or Six Nations game.

Tony Ward
Former Ireland and Lions fly-half on BBC Radio Ulster

Amazing! 

It encapsulates the game for me, we were well past the 80 minute mark, Ireland could have just kicked the ball out of play; but it shows how much they've enjoyed themselves that they looked for the ninth try.

That's two hat-tricks, one for CJ Stander and now one for Craig Gilroy. Magic.

Ireland rampant, Italy outclassed.

I'm not sure there is too much more to say.  

There will be tougher Tests for Joe Schmidt's side. It is looking like a long old campaign for Italy, considering Scotland's improvement in the opener.

Ireland are pressing for a ninth try with the clock already red.

This is the last play of the match...