Although the destination of the NatWest 6 Nations title is already decided, 2018 champions Ireland still have a first Grand Slam and Triple Crown since 2009 to aim for when they take on last year’s winners England at Twickenham.
2018 NATWEST 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 17
ENGLAND (3rd) v IRELAND (1st), Twickenham, 2.45pm (live TV3/UTV/ITV/FR2/DMAX/NBC/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has made one change to the team to face England in this afternoon’s NatWest 6 Nations final round match at Twickenham.
Iain Henderson’s selection in the second row is the only change to the side that accounted for Scotland last time out. It is the same lock pairing from the first round win in France as Henderson and the 21-year-old James Ryan start, with Devin Toner providing back-up.
Making his 60th Championship appearance, Rory Best captains Ireland from the front row, flanked by Leinster props Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong. Loose forwards Peter O’Mahony, Dan Leavy and CJ Stander start together for the third successive match.
Ireland’s unchanged back-line contains the 2018 Six Nations’ leading try scorer, winger Jacob Stockdale(six tries), and the joint-second top points scorer, out-half Jonathan Sexton (40 points). Sexton and Conor Murray will look to outplay England’s half-back pairing of Owen Farrell and Richard Wigglesworth.
Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki continue their centre partnership after a successful first outing together against the Scots, while Rob Kearney, who took a full part in training today after sitting out Tuesday’s session, has Stockdale and Keith Earls for company again in the back-three.
Apart from Toner’s inclusion, Ireland’s replacement bench is unchanged as Joe Schmidt’s men head to London with an unassailable eight-point lead at the top of the table. They will claim their third Six Nations title in five years, and a fifth win of the campaign would secure Ireland’s first Grand Slam and Triple Crown since 2009.
“There is a sense of anticipation, a sense of nervousness. The magnitude of what it will take to get us over the line is very much uppermost in the thinking,” said Schmidt. “At the same time, there has been a good opportunity to relax a little bit and recover from what was a pretty intense game against Scotland.
“It’s a similar rhythm to our week. We probably don’t want to break that rhythm up too much because it has served us so well this far.”
Chasing Ireland’s first victory at Twickenham since 2010 and referencing last season’s 13-9 success against England in Dublin, he added: “I don’t think any of the team would care if it was three-nil. I don’t think we would be uninspired by a three-nil victory, because we know what’s at stake.
“And what’s at stake is a fantastic opportunity, not just to achieve a Grand Slam, but to go a year unbeaten. We wouldn’t have dreamed of that this time last year. This time last year we were scrambling around, we thought Conor (Murray) was going to play on the Thursday, and Kieran Marmion came in and did superbly. And Jared Payne played his only game of the Six Nations.
“That character reference that we have from that group has helped us build from there on. And hopefully we can continue to build on that. That would be special for us in all sorts of ways, because of the Championship and what is at stake.”
Meanwhile, with England making seven changes in personnel, captain Dylan Hartley returns as their starting hooker after recovering from a calf injury, with Harlequins tighthead Kyle Sinckler making his first start of the campaign in place of the benched Dan Cole.
George Kruis will partner his Saracens club-mate Maro Itoje in the second row, taking over from Joe Launchbury, while James Haskell and Sam Simmonds return as starters in the back row, coming in for the injured Courtney Lawes and Nathan Hughes. The rejigged loose forwards see Chris Robshaw shift to blindside flanker.
There are also positional switches in a back-line which is now marshalled by Owen Farrell, England’s captain in Paris, and Richard Wigglesworth at half-back. George Ford and Danny Care are the players to make way, with Jonathan Joseph recalled at outside centre and Ben Te’o swapping the number 13 jersey for 12.
Winger Elliot Daly has recovered from the foot injury he suffered during the fourth round defeat, while once-capped Exeter Chiefs back rower Don Armand is standing by to make his Six Nations debut from an otherwise experienced English bench.
Head coach Eddie Jones said: “We can’t wait to get back to Twickenham and play there. We have had a couple of tough games on the road and to get back and play in front of our 24th man will be exciting for the players and they will be looking forward to putting in a good performance.
“Ireland are a very good team. We have seen in every game the physical contest has been quite enormous so we have to meet that physical challenge and then play smart tactically.”
NatWest 6 Nations Results/Fixtures
ENGLAND: Anthony Watson (Bath); Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors), Elliot Daly (Wasps); Owen Farrell (Saracens), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens); Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), James Haskell (Wasps), Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs).
Replacements: Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Don Armand (Exeter Chiefs), Danny Care (Harlequins), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Mike Brown (Harlequins).
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch/Ulster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster), CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster), Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Nigel Owens (Wales)
Television Match Official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): England to win: 11/10; Draw: 18/1; Ireland to win: 10/11
Pre-Match Quotes: Tadhg Furlong (Ireland) – “I think the group is under no illusion of what it would mean to the country, the team, our families and where we’re from. But, at the end of the day, it’s ifs, buts and maybes, hypotheticals – if we don’t win the game of rugby.
“I know this sounds incredibly boring but you just need to go through the same process you do for every other game. Obviously with the game that it is, you mightn’t be consciously thinking of it, around the place, but there is that extra buzz, there is that extra vibe, you’re doing that little bit extra homework. Although you’re doing nothing different, the feel around the group is that this is a big week.
“Kyle Sincker is a good scrummager, he’s a very good ball carrier, he runs some very smart lines. He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Mako Vunipola, I got on really well with him over on the Lions tour. He’s a good scrummager, and around the pitch his play probably speaks for itself.
“He’s one of their key men both from a ball carrier point of view but also a link man between forwards and Owen Farrell out the back. The quality of player they’ve brought in is really high, they’re bringing in a Lion for a Lion at tighthead. The strength of Owen Farrell at 10, Ben Te’o at 12, they’re still incredibly strong. I don’t think they’ll be any weaker for (the changes).”
Richard Wigglesworth (England) – “Any nine’s job is easier with Owen outside of you. He has proven over the last number of years just how good he is. He’s an excellent communicator, runs the team really well, lets you know what he wants and when and I know him really well so we have short-sharp conversations – there is complete trust there.
“Ireland are a top team playing really well and are incredibly coached, so we know just how tough this weekend is going to be, but that is what makes it exciting. We’ve had a good week of training and we are ready to get stuck in.
“(Conor) Murray is a top player and has been for a long time now, very consistent and can do everything well – a player I have huge respect for. I get pleasure out of making the right decisions at the right time, knowing I have done the right thing for the right reason. So I just want to try and make good decisions out there like I try and do every week.
“Emotion plays a huge amount in any game and we have to get the emotion part right. I think it has been there and it will be against Ireland.”
Pre-Match Links –
Head-To-Head: Ireland v England
Irish Rugby TV: Ireland v England Team Announcement Press Conference
Irish Rugby TV: Mike McCarthy Sets The Scene Ahead Of England v Ireland
In The Chair: Joey Carbery And Ian Keatley
In Pics: Ireland Training Ahead Of Six Nations Finale
Recent Meetings –
2015: RBS 6 Nations: Ireland 19 England 9, Aviva Stadium; Rugby World Cup Warm-Up: England 21 Ireland 13, Twickenham
2016: RBS 6 Nations: England 21 Ireland 10, Twickenham
2017: RBS 6 Nations: Ireland 13 England 9, Aviva Stadium
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #ENGvIRE, #TeamOfUs and #ShouldertoShoulder on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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