England vs Ireland LIVE | Guinness Six Nations
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Guinness Six Nations match between England and Ireland at Twickenham.
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Here are five talking points ahead of the game in London:
Pinch point
More so for England than Ireland, round three is a pivotal weekend. Only victory will keep Eddie Jones’ men in title contention, while defeat would guarantee a third year devoid of success in Europe. Ireland are on the Grand Slam march and a win would keep destiny in their own hands, but they have some room to slip up.
Eddie rolls the dice
One of the more bizarre weeks of the Jones era in which he made an ill-advised joke about racism took another dramatic turn in the shape of a team selection full of curiosities.
(Continue reading below...)
Jim Hamilton and Darren Cave discuss Sunday's blockbuster
Five second rows in the 23, Jonathan Joseph making his first Test start on the wing, Elliot Daly restored at full-back, Ben Earl present as a hybrid back row/wing/centre and another six-two split on the bench. If Jones’ judgement is exposed by Ireland, he will invite more pressure on to his regime.
Farrell v Farrell
Andy Farrell has made a solid start to life as Ireland head coach in the form of wins against Scotland and Wales, but Twickenham provides the stage for a fascinating sub-plot in the form of a duel between one of rugby’s great family dynasties.
Andy, a dual-code international and former Great Britain captain, will have devised a plan to shackle Owen, his son and the skipper of England, who acts as the inspiration, goalkicker and playmaker for his team.
A Beautiful Day
The Irish camp was visited by a national hero during the week as U2 frontman Bono met the squad, performing some of his music but more importantly giving a talk in which he discussed the meaning of “Irishness”. It struck a chord with the players, who appear to have been liberated by the departure of Farrell’s authoritarian predecessor Joe Schmidt.
Could the tide turn?
Schmidt’s Ireland endured a torrid time last year, especially at English hands. They were thumped in Dublin in one of England’s finest hours under Jones and six months later were routed again, this time in a World Cup warm-up match.
England appear to have their number, but with both Vunipolas unavailable, there is a shortage of firepower to break the gain line. The dominance of a fixture between two well-matched teams has a habit of being cyclical and fortunes could soon be reversed.
WATCH: England's Eddie Jones and George Ford set the scene ahead of Ireland's visit
Latest Comments
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
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