RFU STATEMENT: Another England coach departs

He will continue working with the England Senior Men's team throughout the tournament. With 27 caps earned during his playing career, Cockerill joined England's coaching staff in September 2021 and served as interim head coach before Steve Borthwick's appointment.

"It has been an honour to not only play for my country but to also get the chance to coach England," said Cockerill. "Having coached and played in France previously, my family and I always had aspirations to return.  This opportunity presented itself some time ago and it was too hard to turn down personally and professionally.

"It is disappointing not to work with Steve and the wider team beyond the Six Nations. I had hoped to be able stay for the Rugby World Cup, but the timings weren’t meant to be.

"I will continue to be fully focused on England and this Six Nations campaign, working with this group of players as they begin a new journey together.

"I know how much playing for England means for this group and I look forward to watching them later in the year and seeing just what they can achieve. It’s exciting to see what change has happened so far in such a short period of time."

England Men's head coach Borthwick added: "Richard has been, and continues to be, an excellent coach and has provided invaluable support and guidance to our players.

"You can tell how much pride he had in playing for his country and he has the same pride in working for his country as a coach. I know it was a difficult decision for him to leave and he has our support.

"We will continue to work hard together as a coaching group as we work to help build an England team that gets to where we all want it to be."

It could prove to be the last chance for a number of players to save their international careers.

Age: 28

Position: Lock

Caps: 13

A favorite of Eddie Jones, the Sale Sharks lock is in danger of losing his place on the England squad due to the emergence of Leicester Tigers' Ollie Chessum.

With Courtney Lawes returning from injury, Hill may have one last chance to prove himself if he can displace Maro Itoje from the team.

Hill was omitted from the Scotland game last weekend and hopes to at least make the bench against Azzurri.

Getting back into the England set-up will not be easy, as Northampton Saints' David Ribbans is also playing well.

Fun fact: Hill is the nephew of former Rugby league international Paul Loughlin.

Age: 32

Position: Loosehead-prop

Caps: 71

The veteran loose-head had a lackluster performance when coming off the bench against the Scots.

With competition from Sale Sharks' promising Bevan Rodd and seasoned scrummager Joe Marler, Vunipola will aim to make a more significant impact if the game is close.

If England suffers its first-ever loss to Italy and Vunipola fails to make a positive impact, it may spell the end for the experienced Sarries player.

Fun fact: Vunipola is the nephew of former international players Manu and 'Elisi Vunipola, who both represented Tonga in the 1990s.

Age: 31

Position: Centre

Caps: 46

Having been dropped from the matchday squad to face Scotland in the Six Nations opener, Tuilagi has been tipped to return to the fold this weekend.

However, with the in-form Ollie Lawrence breathing down his neck for selection, Tuilagi is in need of a big performance against Italy.

Age: 28

Position: Number 8

Caps: 15

With the number 8 struggling for club form and a move to France on the horizon, you can bet he won't get too many opportunities to impress Steve Borthwick.

Saracens Billy Vunipola or Newcastle Falcons Callum Chick will be confident of getting a recall if England's back-row struggles persist.

There is also the prospect of all-action number 8 Zach Mercer on the horizon after former Bath powerhouse signed a contract with Gloucester for next season

Simmonds next cap very realistically could be his last unless he puts in a serious shift.

DID YOU KNOW?  His father and uncle are both in the fishing industry