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Here are your rugby headlines for Thursday, February 5 as the Six Nations gets underway tonight...

Feyi-Waboso reveals 'traitor' taunts

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso says facing Wales in the Six Nations is a game he "really wants to win" as the Cardiff-born England wing prepares for an emotional Twickenham clash. The 23-year-old, who was born and raised in Llandaff before moving across the border as a teenager, will come up against the country of his birth on Saturday. And whilst there is no bitterness, there is clear motivation.

"Maybe, somewhat," he told The Times when asked if the fixture completes the circle. "I just feel like it's a team I want to beat. You have a few of them, France too, but they're just a team I really want to beat."

The British-Nigerian winger grew up in Cardiff and represented Wales at under-18 level before departing the Blues pathway after failing to secure a place to study medicine at Cardiff University, despite achieving an A* and two As at A-level.

He transferred to Aston University and Wasps, then to Exeter Chiefs following Wasps' collapse in 2022, continuing his medical studies in Devon. Though he qualifies for Wales, he has long felt more aligned with England, he says, with strong family ties across the border.

Still, the Welsh connection runs deep - and he was reminded of it in no uncertain terms when Exeter defeated Cardiff 31-0 in the Challenge Cup last month. "The crowd was at me. It was so hilarious. Their fans travel well, from Cardiff," he recalled, remembering the chants of 'traitor, traitor!' and 'Manny is Welshman!'

"It was 'you're just a s*** Tom Bowen', so it was good crack. At times they were louder than our fans. It was actually good motivation when you're on the pitch. I was kick-chasing, hearing that, and it's just as good as someone cheering you."

However, should he score at Twickenham, don't expect any flamboyant celebrations. Unlike England colleague Henry Pollock, who memorably launched the ball into the stands after touching down against Bordeaux, Feyi-Waboso maintains that such displays aren't for him.

"No, no! Leave that to him, he's good at that stuff," he explained. "That was good, as it was a mental try wasn't it? He caught it on the edge, chipped, chased ... he's after my spot. He's an amazing player and can back it up. They would've hated that.

"When someone has misplaced confidence, it's like, 'What are you doing?' but this guy is doing it every single week on the biggest stage. If you're good enough, go for it. We appreciate the fact that the game needs to grow, so it's amazing to have that personality."

Six Nations boss speaks out amid backlash

Six Nations chief executive Tom Harrison has confirmed further modifications to match coverage are in the pipeline, following the announcement that commercial breaks will feature during live games throughout this year's tournament. ITV is set to break from traditional broadcasting norms by introducing split-screen advertising during their coverage of the tournament.

Historically, British broadcasters have refrained from interrupting live rugby action, confining adverts to half-time and full-time breaks. However, the new approach will see brief adverts displayed during natural pauses in play, such as scrum formations, while the live action continues on the left side of the screen.

The decision has sparked an outcry among rugby enthusiasts, who have labelled it as "pathetic", "horrible", and an unwelcome "Americanisation of sports coverage".

One disgruntled viewer questioned on X: "Who on earth at ITV thought this was a good idea and definitely wouldn't upset the fans?" Another lamented: "Sports coverage is in the bin. Absolutely atrocious, pure greed," while another frustrated fan added: "WTF. How to turn more fans away from a sport They'll be getting rid of match commentators next and using AI or so-called influencers sat at home on their gaming chairs FFS."

One social media user even suggested they would rather see the Six Nations go behind a paywall than endure this perceived sell-out, while another simply declared: "Rugby's gone." Despite the backlash, Harrison maintains that this strategy is a way of turning rugby's challenges into opportunities, with further changes anticipated for live match broadcasts.

"One of the things we're trying to do at the moment is use some of the issues in the game to our advantage," he revealed during his appearance on the Business of Sport podcast.

"So, for example, one of the things that we've been talking about recently is scrum resets, which is obviously a moment where everything has to be right before a referee is happy to effectively launch the scrum.

"We are using that moment now to create commercial inventory, which was one of the key reasons why we were able to get the ITV deal across the line. We've effectively got a squeeze-back in that moment before a scrum is reset. We [will] do it once every half, we managed to agree that within the Ofcom guidelines."

Harrison explained how the sport is embracing new approaches to boost revenue streams: "So, there are elements where the game is being more flexible and we are trying to be innovative about how we can create new moments of commercial upside,".

He also outlined future plans involving players and coaching staff: "The players have a role to play in that too. So, at some point, having player interviews at half-time or during water breaks in the summer, that kind of thing, we're not too far away from that. Interviewing coaches at half-time too. These sort of things shouldn't be too hard, but they've just been really difficult conversations in the game so far."

Genge: Wales are 'damaged' and dangerous

Ellis Genge reckons a battered Wales outfit could present England with significant challenges when the historic foes clash in their Six Nations curtain-raiser at Twickenham on Saturday. Wales travel to the capital following a dismal period that has seen them suffer defeat in 20 of their last 22 Tests since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, whilst ongoing uncertainty continues to plague the domestic scene.

Several key players are departing for England next season, with Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Aaron Wainwright all securing moves to Premiership sides. Meanwhile, Tomos Williams, Louis Rees-Zammit and Dafydd Jenkins are already plying their trade in English club rugby.

The bookies have made Wales rank outsiders, with some firms offering odds as generous as 28-1 on a victory at Twickenham. However, England prop Genge has cautioned against dismissing the visitors.

"Sometimes when there is a lot of stuff behind the scenes it can bring you together and, for them, there is no better fixture than England v Wales," he said.

"Although there has been a bit of turmoil over the last 12 months and a lot of tough discussions behind the scenes, everyone knows that a Wales team who are a bit damaged, coming to Twickenham, is not going to be an easy game by any means."

New head coach Steve Tandy embarks on his maiden Six Nations campaign, having previously overseen Scotland's defence, and Genge believes Wales' recent results don't paint the complete picture.

A 73-0 thrashing by world champions South Africa in the autumn made headlines, but that match fell outside World Rugby's international window, meaning numerous first-choice players were unavailable. Genge reckons Wales' display against New Zealand the previous week, when they trailed by just three points after 50 minutes before ultimately going down 52-26, provides a truer indication of their capabilities.

"You have got to pay them their respect," he added. "With a full outfit they were brilliant against New Zealand for 50 or 60 minutes, so they have definitely got it.

"We will welcome it with open arms. I am sure they are beating the drum this week saying they need to do x, y and z, but we both know what it will be when we cross the line on Saturday."

Six Nations kicks off

The waiting is finally over. The Six Nations makes its return this evening with a mouth-watering opener as France welcome Ireland to Paris (8.10pm kick-off).

Two of the competition's powerhouses go head-to-head under the lights at the Stade de France, with both nations nursing realistic championship hopes.

France will be looking to make an emphatic statement on their own turf, whilst Ireland arrive determined to upset the hosts and establish early momentum.

The fixtures continue on Saturday afternoon, as Italy host Scotland in Rome (2.10pm). Scotland will be targeting a positive opening result against an Italian outfit keen to demonstrate they are no longer the tournament's regular whipping boys.

Focus then shifts to Twickenham, where England take on Wales at 4.40pm in one of rugby's most intense rivalries.