Final rounds of Six Nations to throw up big plotlines

After five weeks and three rounds of games, the 2023 Six Nations has turned the corner towards the final two matches, by which point attention will turn to September and the World Cup in France.

Whether it's silverware or pride, there's something on the line for all six countries over the next 11 days, culminating with Ireland's meeting with England on Saturday 18 March at the Aviva Stadium.

Here are some of the major storylines to follow across the final week and a half of the championship.

Can Ireland lay down a Grand Slam mark?

One win from the remaining two games could well be enough for Andy Farrell's side to win the Six Nations, landing a first title for the side since the departure of Joe Schmidt in 2019.

However, after a 12-month period in which Ireland have beaten every major rugby nation in the world, and started the championship with three bonus-point wins from three, this Irish side have set a standard where anything less than a Grand Slam would feel like an anticlimax.

There's a natural inclination to keep one eye on the World Cup later this year, which is largely a result of the Irish rugby public getting their hopes up too early in the past, but the wave of momentum that comes off the back of a Grand Slam is far different to that of a regular title win.

In 2015 Ireland got their hands on the title after a dramatic Super Saturday in which they thrashed Scotland and watched England fall just short of a points target against France, but while Schmidt's side did carry a championship win into that year's World Cup, it didn't carry the same weight after the Grand Slam bid was derailed in Round 4 in Wales.

The importance of a Grand Slam doesn't need much context considering Ireland have only ever won three of them,