England could finish as low as fifth in the Six Nations table this season with a defeat against Ireland on the weekend in the final round of matches. Things have badly gone off the rails for them in this season’s Championship after having lost back to back games against Scotland and France. England’s performance at the break down in those two matches have been nothing short of abysmal and they have just lost a bit of leadership as well as attacking dynamics.
There were a bit predictable in trying to come forward against France in Paris last weekend and mistakes and penalties wee once again pretty costly to them as they ended up chasing a game at which they ultimately failed. So head coach Eddie Jones has chopped fly half George Ford along with scrum-half Danny Care, lock Joe Launchbury and prop Dan Cole for their final game against Ireland.
Richard Wigglesworth, George Kruis and Kyle Sinckler all come in to the starting fifteen along with hooker Dylan Hartley who is back as captain. The changes in the back line means that Owen Farrell shifts to fly-half with Ben Te’o at inside-centre. Injuries have forced changes too with Courtney Lawes and Nathan Hughes out injured.
This is a tough challenge now for England, but will all pressure of a Championship title out of the window now (as the highest they can finish his second), they have a chance at least to show some fight and some character. The only way to silence everything will be for them to run out at Twickenham and stop ireland winning the Grand Slam.
England v Ireland Odds*
England 20/21, Ireland 20/21, Draw 22/1* (betting odds taken at 7:37 p.m. on March 15th, 2018)
Ireland are looking for the third Grand Slam success following on from 1948 and 2009 successes. They are now on a huge eleven match winning streak in Test matches which kicked off with their win over England in the final round of last season’s Six Nations matches, a victory which meant that the Irish denied England the Grand Slam. Will the tables be turned in this one?
Ireland have only made the once change to their squad which took a win over Scotland last weekend, a match which won them the Six Nations Championship. The change is Iain Henderson coming in for Devin Toner. Peter O’Mahony, Rob Kearney and Cian Healy have gotten over injuries to retain their places in the Irish squad.
Head to Head
Things are even with two wins in each in the last four meetings between the two nations and each of the wins have been home victories as well. In the last ten years there have been a total of twelve meetings with England slightly ahead 7-5 from those matches. England are on a four match winning streak at Twickenham against the irish. Just one of the last six meetings have been settled by a margin of more than ten points and the handicap line is as tight as it could be with an England -1 at 11/10 odds* (betting odds taken at 7:37 p.m. on March 15th, 2018).
England v Ireland Predictions
This is all too close to call. England have to show some character but Ireland are a far more settled side and they will have seen the weaknesses that the English have shown in their last two matches and know how to exploit them. England may not be good enough to deny the Irish their shot at the Grand Slam.
