Stephen Ferris previews Ireland v England in Six Nations finale
Published:
Six Nations: Ireland v England
Ireland are going for the Grand Slam on Saturday as their Six Nations campaign ends with a match against England in Dublin.
Ladbrokes ambassador Stephen Ferris looks at some of the main talking points and picks out of a couple of tips for the big game. Read his Scotland v Italy and France v Wales previews by clicking on the links.
Ireland v England (Saturday, 17.00, ITV)
The biggest show in town. A Grand Slam is on the line for Ireland against their old enemy England. Tickets are like hens’ teeth and anyone who has managed to get one will hopefully have a day to remember. However, England roll into Dublin after being slaughtered by France. A wounded animal is a dangerous one, but do England have the clinical edge that it will take to beat Ireland who have cemented their place as the world’s best team in the rankings? I hope not!
The Irish are battered and bruised after their victory against Scotland. Iain Henderson and Garry Ringrose won’t be featuring after they picked up knocks. Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher are both struggling for fitness with it being a six-day turnaround, so Rob Herring could come back into the starting line-up. The other worry is Caelan Doris who had to go off with a hip injury and will be monitored during the week. One thing that Ireland have done well over the last couple of years is expand on their squad depth. Guys with not a lot of game time throughout the Championship will have to step up on Saturday afternoon. They have gig boots to fill, so let’s see how they all go.
Watch more from Johnny Sexton's Press Conference as he looks ahead to Saturday ⬇️#TeamOfUs | #GuinnessSixNations
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 15, 2023
Ireland have won 13 of their previous 23 games against England. They have also won seven Six Nations games in a row which is their joint-longest record. If they make it eight they will win the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam in front of their home fans at the Aviva Stadium.
England have the best line-out and scrum success in the Championship, although stats don’t always tell the whole truth, especially when France blew the English away a couple of times last week at scrum time. A pragmatic game is what Steve Borthwick will want against Ireland. So, I could see Owen Farrell coming back in to start, and possibly a shuffle in the backrow which hasn’t really clicked so far.
Will it be the fairytale for Johnny Sexton in his last ever Six Nations game? Or will we see the biggest upset of the championship so far?
Prediction:
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
