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This Saturday, Ireland face England in the third week of the Six Nations. The match takes place at Twickenham, a venue where Ireland haven’t won in six years.
Joe Schmidt has picked two new faces for the game, with Leinster’s Josh Van der Flier replacing Tommy O’Donnell at flanker, and Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey coming into the centre for Jared Payne.
Van der Flier signed with Leinster just last March, so he has less than a year of senior rugby under his belt.
Mike Ross returns to the team at prop, while Keith Earls comes in for the injured Dave Kearney on the wing. Kearney, along with Mike McCarthy and Sean O’Brien, has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.
The loss of O’Brien is a major blow. He had become a focal point to the team and a real leader, one the players could rally around as a successor to Paul O’Connell. He is also an explosive runner who can break down any defence.
Jonny Sexton is in the side, although he suffered a ‘whiplash’ injury in the game against the French, due to several questionable charges on the out-half. England coach Eddie Jones has gone so far as to comment publicly that “Sexton’s parents must be worried about their son!” A bit of mind games by the new coach.
England go into the match with two wins from two games, though they have played the weakest sides in the tournament, Scotland and Italy. Still, they will want to continue their form.
It has been a disappointing campaign for Ireland so far, with one draw and one loss from two games. Although the games were against Wales and France, two of the strongest sides in the tournament and Ireland have been beset with injury problems.
It’s quite a fall for Ireland. At the start of the tournament, they were going for a third consecutive Six Nations title. Now they are completely out of contention, after only two games. The game against France was especially disheartening, the first loss against the French in six games.
The most worrying aspect of Ireland’s play in the opening fixtures has been the way they have given away the lead in both matches. Against Wales, Ireland had been 13-0 up only to let Wales back and end with a draw, at 16-all. Against France, Ireland went from being 9-3 up, to losing 10-9.
All the signs point to an England victory, with Ireland trying to keep it respectable. Of course, conversely, that may work in Ireland’s favour. Ireland have overcome the odds several times before when classed as the underdog.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.