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Six Nations Preview: Ireland vs England

England's Billy Vunipola on the charge against Scotland last week

Ireland vs England at the Aviva Stadium

(Sunday, March 19, 1am HKT)

The big one

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What we can expect

A Six Nations match against England? In Dublin? On a Saint Patrick’s weekend? With a Grand Slam and a world record at stake? It’ll be quiet…

Ireland

Losing Conor Murray to injury is a big blow for Ireland as they take up the mantle once again of Grand-Slam killers. Murray has been replaced by Kieran Marmion, while Jared Payne comes in for the also-injured Rob Kearney and Iain Henderson replaces Devin Toner who drops to the bench.

Matchday 23: 15 Jared Payne, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Kieran Marmion; 1 Jake McGrath, 2 Rory Best (c), 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Donnacha Ryan, 5 Iain Henderson, 6 CJ Stander, 7 Sean O’Brien, 8 Jamie Heaslip. Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Cian Healy, 18 John Ryan, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Peter O’Mahony, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Paddy Jackson, 23 Andrew Conway

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England

Injury may have been against him, but Eddie Jones has saved arguably his best matchday squad for the last game of the tournament when everything is at stake for England, though the ever-industrious Jack Nowell may feel a little aggrieved about being relegated to the role of ‘finisher’ (as Jones insists on calling those players on bench-warming duty. Tom Wood could earn his 50th England cap if he does come off the horizontal finisher-holding surface.

Matchday 23: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 Maro Itoje, 7 James Haskell, 8 Billy Vunipola. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Tom Wood, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Danny Care, 22 Ben Te’o, 23 Jack Nowell

All eyes on: Billy Vunipola

Big Billy returns to the starting line-up and knows he has some catching up to do if he is to book himself a seat on the plane to New Zealand this summer. His battle with Jamie Heaslip will be fascinating.

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Key battle: The back three

Johnny Sexton is a master of the hanging high ball – and the Irish chasers will hunt down and harry whichever luckless Englishman is underneath them all game long. How the likes of Mike Brown, Anthony Watson and Elliot Daly handle that pressure will be key to the outcome of this game.

Prediction

Epic. England by 5.

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B
BeamMeUp 1 hour ago
The Springboks have something you don't have

A few comments. Firstly, I am a Bok fan and it's been a golden period for us. I hope my fellow Bok fans appreciate this time and know that it cannot last forever, so soak it all in!


The other thing to mention (and this is targeted at Welsh, English and even Aussie supporters who might be feeling somewhat dejected) is that it's easy to forget that just before Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018, the Boks were ranked 7th in the world and I had given up hope we'd ever be world beaters again.


Sport is a fickle thing and Rassie and his team have managed to get right whatever little things it takes to make a mediocre team great. I initially worried his methods might be short-lived (how many times can you raise a person's commitment by talking about his family and his love of his country as a motivator), but he seems to have found a way. After winning in 2019 on what was a very simple game plan, he has taken things up ever year - amazing work which has to be applauded! (Dankie Rassie! Ons wardeer wat jy vir die ondersteuners en die land doen!) (Google translate if you don't understand Afrikaans! 😁)


I don't think people outside South Africa fully comprehend the enormity of the impact seeing black and white, English, Afrikaans and Xhosa and all the other hues playing together does for the country's sense of unity. It's pure joy and happiness.


This autumn tour has been a bit frustrating in that the Boks have won, but never all that convincingly. On the one hand, I'd like to have seen more decisive victories, BUT what Rassie has done is expose a huge number of players to test rugby, whilst also diversifying the way the Boks play (Tony Brown's influence).


This change of both style and personnel has resulted in a lack of cohesion at times and we've lost some of the control, whereas had we been playing our more traditional style, that wouldn't happen. This is partially attributable to the fact that you cannot play Tony Brown's expansive game whilst also having 3 players available at every contact point to clear the defence off the ball. I have enjoyed seeing the Boks play a more exciting, less attritional game, which is a boring, albeit effective spectacle. So, I am happy to be patient, because the end justifies the means (and I trust Rassie!). Hopefully all these players we are blooding will give us incredible options for substitutions come next year's Rugby Championship and of course, the big prize in 2027.


Last point! The game of rugby has never been as exciting as it is now. Any of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Argentina, Scotland, England & Australia can beat one another. South Africa may be ranked #1, but I wouldn't bet my house in them beating France or New Zealand, and we saw Argentina beating both South Africa and New Zealand this year! That's wonderful for the game and makes the victories we do get all the sweeter. Each win is 100% earned. Long may it last!


Sorry for the long post! 🏉🌍

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