RFU statement: England arrange 'benchmark' pre-World Cup friendly

Eddie Jones has added an away date in Ireland to the World Cup 2023 build-up he has planned for his England squad next year. It is the fourth match that has been announced ahead of the finals in France, the trip to Dublin coming after two games versus Wales and before a match against Fiji.

An RFU statement: “England will play Ireland away next summer as part of their preparations for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Eddie Jones’ side will travel to Dublin to take on the Irish at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, August 19 (KO TBC).

“The match follows a double-header against Wales - with the first away in Cardiff (Saturday, August 5) and the second at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, August 12. England’s final fixture before they travel to France for the Rugby World Cup is against Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday 26 August. Tickets for all Twickenham matches are on sale now.”

Jones said: “It’s a great chance to benchmark ourselves against the current No1 team in the world. We are looking forward to taking them on in front of a lively Irish crowd and work towards being at our best for when the Rugby World Cup starts.”

Having named on Monday his England squad for next week’s five-day training camp in Jersey, Jones is facing a four-game Autumn Nations Series, starting with Argentina in the opening game on Sunday, November 6. They then face Japan (Saturday, November 12), New Zealand (Saturday, November 19) and South Africa (Saturday, November 26).