Ireland vs England Match Preview

In a rematch of one of the 6 Nations biggest rivalries, Ireland and England go head to head in their final test match ahead of the World Cup. Neither coach has pulled any punches in the selection, and don’t expect the players to do so either, especially with spots in the 23 available to those who impress. Without the pressure of the 6 Nations Championship on their backs, one hopes this will be a more open affair than the last meeting between these two, a 19-9 kickfest that ended in favor of Ireland. I for one, am more than ready for this one to kick off, so lets delve into the prediction.

Joe Marler and Dan Cole are the props for England, and will want to cause Ireland problems in the scrum and in the loose. Marler in particular has given Mike Ross trouble at scrum time in the past, especially when he played for Quins against Leinster in the champions cup. Tom Youngs gets a chance to prove that he should start, but Stuart Lancaster will want good lineout throws, a tall order against an excellent Irish unit. With Cian Healy unavailable again, Jack McGrath fills in at loosehead, while Rory Best and Mike Ross get starts as well. Best will be a major nuisance for England at the breakdown if they give him a chance, so that must be a focus point for England.

Devin Toner returns to the 4 shirt, and now has a lot to prove after Iain Henderson’s phenomenal showing against Wales last weekend. Paul O’Connell captains the side, and his lighting quick ability to get in the air will cause problems for England’s lineout if they do not execute properly. As for England they have paired Geoff Parling with Courtney Lawes. This gives them two dynamic locks who can be very dangerous in open play. Parling in particular is a very smart player, so look for him to utilize pop passes before contact to put others into space. Jonny Sexton will have his head on a swivel after seeing what Lawes did to French flyhalf Jules Plisson.

England have named a hard working back row, with Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, and Ben Morgan. Wood and Robshaw will be everywhere doing the grunt work, making tackles and hitting rucks, while Morgan will show off his prowess with ball in hand. Robshaw made an immense 82 tackles over the course of the 6 Nations, an average of over 16 tackles a game. Ireland’s back row has perhaps a bit more flair, but don’t they they won’t put their heads down and work if they have to. Peter O’Mahony is dominant at the breakdown if given the chance, as is Sean O’Brien, and Jamie Heaslip will be more than happy to carry and tackle all day long. If England allow O’Mahony and O’Brien time to get over the ball, they will have a heyday. Dont forget, The Tullow Tank is explosive with ball in hand, so he cannot be ignored in that regard either.

Ben Youngs and George Ford reunite, and England fans will want to see that same explosive dominance that the duo enjoyed during most of the 6 Nations. Youngs’s sniping runs must be stopped early, or they will give England a massive edge with ball in hand, while Ireland will want to play tight defence on Ford and send him a physical message early, as they did in the 6 Nations. Against them is one of the World’s best halfback pairings. Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton combine, and if they are allowed to operate with space and time, they will tear this England team apart.

Stuart Lancaster has opted for safety and defence with his center pairing, starting Brad Barritt at inside center, while Jonathan Joseph will provide the attacking spark from the 13 jersey. England will want to see Barritt make the right decisions in attack, something he has struggled with in the past. For Ireland, the have stuck with the center pairing that brought them through the 6 Nations, with Robbie Henshaw at 12 and Ulster’s Jared Payne at 13. Payne may have provide a bit more attacking danger, especially with Luke Fitzgerald and in particular Keith Earls breathing down his neck. The England game was Robbie Henshaw’s wakeup call to the rest of the world, and Ireland fans will hope he can provide yet another incredible performance.

Ireland have made some big changes to their back three with Dave Kearney coming in on the left wing, and Simon Zebo taking over at fullback. Kearney and Bowe are outstanding kick chasers, so expect Ireland to use them early and often, while Simon Zebo provides Joe Schmidt with a potent left boot and, an attacking spark that few in the squad can offer. England will be looking to loose the absurd speed of Jonny May, while Anthony Watson’s magical feet will create havoc for Ireland in defence throughout the game Mike Brown is back at fullback for England, and after a weak showing against France last week, he would like nothing more, than to stun and silence a raucous Aviva Stadium crowd.

There are some interesting calls on the benches, with Ireland relying on youngster Tadhg Furlong to play loosehead, perhaps giving Cian Healy a little more time to recover from his neck surgery. England have a very strong bench, featuring Mako and Billy Vunipola, Joe Launchbury, Jamie George and Owen Farrell. Stuart Lancaster has also given Sam Burgess a spot on the bench, so expect him to play some role in the match as the coaches pick their final lineups.

This prediction is easy because England have Sam Burgess on the bench, so they will win by at least 50 points. Fear not, that was nothing more than a joke. This will be a very close battle, and I think that we will see a lot of physicality and plenty of kicking, but don’t think for one minute that the match won’t be worth watching because it will. If Ireland run their systems well, and build a lead early in the game, I think they will have a good shot at winning the match, however, if they let England stay within 3 points, then the strong English bench will give the men in white the edge.
Prediction: England 23- Ireland 21