Key events
Kick Off!
After some quite preposterous singing, the game is underway via Sam Prendergast’s foot.
Anyway, back at the game, the disco lights and pyrotechnics are firing up as we await the arrival of the teams.
Eddie Jones is a pundit on ITV, and the host has just had some #banter with him about what Danny Care said about him in his book. They all had a giggle about it and Jones insinuated it was all sour grapes because he dropped Care.
There’s been numerous accounts that Jones is a bully, not just from Care, and it lacks class that ITV have wheeled him out in the first place and worse that they’ve treated it like it’s a just a bit of a laugh.
We’ve had one match already today, so get the full rundown of Scotland’s win over Italy here.
Warm up with some reading
Anyone have any answers to all this uncertainty? Please for the love of God let me know on the email. Thoughts on anything else also welcome.
Teams
Simon Easterby has kept faith with Leinster youngster Sam Prendergast at 10, which keeps recent incumbent Jack Crowley on the bench. Joe McCarthy, the other predicted wunderkind of Ireland’s future, is injured and so Tadhg Beirne takes his place at lock ad that brings Ryan Baird in at blindside.
England have a familiar look from the Autumn, with wing Cadan Murley the notable new selection. The Curry brothers, Tom and Ben and united on the flanks, Luke Cowan-Dickie replaces injured hooker Jamie George and new captain Maro Itoje leads his side out in Dublin.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Gary Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Ryan Baird, Josh Van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Tom Clarkson, Iain Henderson, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw.
England: Freddie Steward; Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Cadan Murley; Marcus Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje (capt), George Martin, Tom Curry, Ben Curry, Ben Earl
Replacements: Theo Dan, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Willis, Harry Randall, Fin Smith
Preamble
It’s a time of uncertainty. The most powerful man in the world is regularly walking to a microphone to bray baffling, world twisting orders like a drunk and ill-tempered town crier minus the olde worlde charm. Nobody seems to know what growth means, despite it being used like a comma in the every speech leaders make; and nobody is really sure if boot-cut is back in or not.
This climate shrouds this match also, with both Ireland and England having much to ponder.
The home side are without their head coach with Andy Farrell away doing promotional work for the British & Irish Lions, a sabbatical that coincided with the most notable dip in form in Ireland’s recent history. Yes, they remain Six Nations champs and one of the top teams around, but there’s been plenty in the previous months to suggest that their monolithic success is more like a jenga tower with an increasing number of the blocks being nudged out of position. The Autumn series was plagued with set-piece issues combined with a misfiring attack and some poor discipline under pressure. These factors, alloyed with the ageing squad and a lack of genuine pace could see it all topple in the coming weeks.
England simply can’t win enough matches, despite having a settled squad of not-inconsiderable talent – albeit short of world class – some promising aspects to their play, and in Marcus Smith a now fully matured playmaker. There’s also the unanswered question about whether Steve Borthwick has what it takes at this level, especially in the light of him losing backroom staff at an Eddie Jones-esque rate and doubts over the quality of the replacements. Who knows if the significant defensive frailties present in November have been sorted, as well.
Plenty of questions, in a few hours we should have some answers.
