We look at some of the facts and figures ahead of next weekend’s trio of Ireland v England Six Nations matches – Friday’s Under-20 duel in Athlone, the Women’s encounter in Ashbourne on Saturday and the headline act at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
RBS UNDER-20 6 NATIONS: Friday, February 8
IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th) v ENGLAND UNDER-20s (1st), Dubarry Park, 7.35pm (live RTÉ Two/RTÉ website)
– The Ireland Under-20s have won their last three home games, which were all played at Dubarry Park in Athlone
– Ireland have lost their last two Under-20 Six Nations games but have never lost three in-a-row in the tournament
– The England Under-20s’ only defeat in their last 13 Six Nations encounters was 12-8 to France in Vannes last year
– Ireland beat England 27-12 in the IRB Junior World Championships in Cape Town last June, their first win over the English Under-20s since 2010
– The England Under-20 have visited Dubarry Park three times before – losing in 2007 and 2009 and winning in 2011
– Defending champions England opened their 2013 campaign with a 15-6 win over Scotland in Plymouth, aided by a penalty try and a five-pointer from front rower Luke Cowan-Dickie
– Ireland made a losing start in Colwyn Bay as they went down 17-15 to Wales. They had a try from captain Luke McGrath, who turned 20 last Saturday, and 10 points – a try, conversion and penalty – from centre Tom Daly
Match Ticket Info: Tickets are on sale at the Bounty. Family tickets are excellent value at €;30 for two adults and two children in the covered terrace.
Stand tickets cost €;20 each and are selling steadily already, as is the pre-match function where you can enjoy a three-course meal with wine and also have a reserved seat in the stand for only €;40 per person. Please contact Geraldine at 0861732711.
IRELAND U-20: Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht); David Panter (Corinthians/Connacht), Tom Daly (Lansdowne/Leinster), Mark Roche (Lansdowne/Connacht), Rory Scholes (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) (capt); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons/Exiles), Chris Taylor (Malone/Ulster), Gavin Thornbury (UCD/Leinster), John Donnan (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster), Ryan Murphy (Dolphin/Munster), Conor Joyce (Malone/Ulster).
Replacements: John Andrew (Ballymena/Ulster), Ryan Furniss (Worcester Warriors/Exiles), Adam Boland (Lansdowne/Connacht), Sean McCarthy (Shannon/Munster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), John Creighton (Malone/Ulster), Eogháin Quinn (Lansdowne/Leinster), Darren Sweetnam (UCC/Munster).
ENGLAND U-20: Ben Howard (Worcester Warriors); Jack Arnott (Exeter Chiefs), Mark Jennings (Sale Sharks), Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs), Henry Purdy (Leicester Tigers); Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Alex Day (Northampton Saints); Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), Elliott Stooke (Gloucester), Dom Barrow (Leeds Carnegie), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester), Joel Conlon (Exeter Chiefs), Jack Clifford (Harlequins) (capt).
Replacements: Max Crumpton (Saracens), Nathan Morris (London Wasps), Danny Herriott (Northampton Saints), Tom Jubb (Saracens), Harry Wells (Leicester Tigers), Nathan Fowles (Sale Sharks), Will Hooley (Northampton Saints), Tom Collins (Northampton Saints).
Referee: Nigel Hennessy (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Greg Morgan, Julian Smith (both Wales)
Television Match Official: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)
WOMEN’S RBS 6 NATIONS: Saturday, February 9
IRELAND WOMEN (2nd) v ENGLAND WOMEN (1st), Ashbourne RFC, 2pm (Irish Rugby TV live stream)
– The Ireland Women have lost just one of their last six matches: 23-6 to England at Esher RFC last season
– Ireland have not lost at home since England last visited Ashbourne on March 18, 2011
– England’s winning run now stretches to 13 matches since their 8-8 draw with New Zealand at Esher in December 2011
– England’s solitary defeat in their last 39 Six Nations encounters since 2005 was 16-15 to Wales Women at Taff’s Well on February 14, 2009
– England have beaten Ireland in all 17 previous clashes in Women’s internationals
– Philip Doyle’s Ireland side opened this season’s Six Nations with a hard-fought 12-10 victory over Wales in Port Talbot. Hooker Gillian Bourke claimed the match-winning try, adding to an earlier converted effort from lock Sophie Spence
– England began their title defence with a thumping 76-0 tiumph over Scotland at Esher. Centre Abi Chamberlain, out-half Ceri Large, number 8 and captain Sarah Hunter and replacement Sally Tuson scored a brace of tries each
Match Ticket Info: Gates open at 12.30pm with admission prices as follows: a car of four people is €;20, adults and students are €;10 and children are €;5.
IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster); Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exiles), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (UWIC/Exiles); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sophie Spence (Mowden Park Sharks/Exiles), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Exiles), Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster).
Replacements: Stacey-Lea Kennedy (City of Derry/Ulster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Lauren Day (Waterloo/Exiles), Leigh Dargan (Saracens/Exiles), Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster), Amy Davis (Blackrock College/Ulster), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster).
ENGLAND WOMEN: Kay Wilson (Bristol); Francesca Matthews (Richmond), Abigail Chamberlain (Richmond), Amber Reed (Bristol), Sally Tuson (Bristol); Ceri Large (Worcester), La Toya Mason (Wasps); Rochelle Clark (Worcester), Victoria Fleetwood (Lichfield), Sophie Hemming (Bristol), Rowena Burnfield (Richmond), Tamara Taylor (Lichfield), Joanna McGilchrist (Wasps), Hannah Gallagher (Saracens), Sarah Hunter (Lichfield) (capt).
Replacements: Emma Croker (Richmond), Laura Keates (Worcester), Roz Crowley (Lichfield), Rebecca Essex (Richmond), Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield), Georgina Gulliver (Lichfield), Lauren Cattell (Saracens), Fiona Pocock (Richmond).
Referee: Andrea Spadoni (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Helen O’Reilly, Edward Kenny (both Ireland)
RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 10
IRELAND (2nd) v ENGLAND (1st), Aviva Stadium, 3pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC One)
STATS & FACTS
– Ireland have lost just one of their last four matches at the Aviva Stadium, 16-12 to South Africa on November 10
– Declan Kidney’s men have not won their opening two games of an RBS 6 Nations campaign since they won the Grand Slam in 2009
– Ireland have lost only one of their last five RBS 6 Nations contests, 30-9 to England at Twickenham in round five last year
– England have won their last two Test matches, accumulating 38 points on each occasion. They won all three away games they played in the Championship last season
– England have won their opening two games of an RBS 6 Nations campaign for the past four seasons. They have won their last seven matches played on a Sunday
– Ireland have not scored a try against England since Brian O’Driscoll did so 193 minutes ago during the sides’ 2011 Six Nations clash in Dublin
– England have won their last two games against Ireland but have not won in Dublin in the RBS 6 Nations since 2003. Ireland lead England by eight wins to five in the Six Nations
ON THE PITCH
– England made 655 metres with the ball in hand against Scotland in round one, more than they managed in any game in last year’s RBS 6 Nations and almost three times as many as they notched up in the 2012 Calcutta Cup fixture (223)
– Of the last 15 tries England have conceded in RBS 6 Nations play, only one has been scored by a forward: Italy’s replacement hooker Fabio Ongaro at Twickenham in 2011
– Ireland had to make more tackles (200) than any other side in the tournament in round one
– Try-scoring prop Cian Healy made the most tackles over the weekend, completing all 21 tackles he attempted
– Ireland had the worst discipline in round one of this year’s tournament, committing 15 infringements and being awarded two yellow cards
– Ireland have not conceded a try in the first ten minutes of any RBS 6 Nations game since they visited Twickenham in 2006
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) (capt).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon/Ulster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster).
ENGLAND: Alex Goode (Saracens); Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Mike Brown (Harlequins); Owen Farrell (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), James Haskell (London Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) (capt), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints).
Replacements: Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), David Wilson (Bath), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers), Danny Care (Harlequins), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers).
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Pascal Gauzere (France)
Television Match Official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
– Compiled By SFMS Limited (Stuart Farmer Media Services)
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