2020 Six Nations Championship – England vs Ireland Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs Ireland taking place? Sunday 23rd February, 15:00
Where is England vs Ireland taking place? Twickenham Stadium
What is the expected weather for England vs Ireland? 13c in cloudy skies
What channel is England vs Ireland on? ITV 1
Where can I stream England vs Ireland? England vs Ireland can be streamed via ITV Player
Where can I get tickets for England vs Ireland? Fans seeking tickets should visit the ticket section of the official rugby union website for each nation
What was the outcome in the last meeting? England 57-15 Ireland
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- England did what was required to pick up their first win of this year’s Six Nations as they edged a scrappy game with Scotland in awful conditions but they will need to improve further in this contest against Ireland.
- Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade are welcome additions in Eddie Jones’ squad for this game with Tuilagi managing just 16 minutes in this year’s tournament so far with the centre slotting straight back in to the starting XV while Slade is yet to feature because of a fractured ankle and will return from the bench.
- Anthony Watson will remain on the sidelines with a calf injury which has resulted in Jonathan Joseph shifting to the wing and Elliot Daly reverting to fullback in place of the injured George Furbank whilst England will also be without Mako Vunipola who has been granted some leave to deal with personal issues which sees Joe Marler earn a recall.
IRELAND
- Ireland made it two wins from two as they were able to defeat Wales and improve their strong home record in the Six Nations but they will need to be at their best as they head to Twickenham to face England.
- Andy Farrell has received some good news ahead of this game with Caelan Doris available for selection after overcoming a head knock and he will make his return from the bench but Will Addison has returned to Ulster after missing out on selection.
- Garry Ringrose is still sidelined with the hand injury that he suffered against Scotland with the centre having to wait at least another week before he can be considered with that news meaning that Farrell has opted to name an unchanged starting XV for this game.
THE PREDICTION
England will be keen to build on their first win of this year’s Six Nations as they host Ireland. A narrow win over Scotland in testing conditions has given England a platform to build from but they will need to be much better against Ireland. Less severe weather should help this game as a spectacle and should also allow England to put in an improved display whilst Ireland too know they need to be better away from home but with little to separate the two teams, this should be a tight affair that is likely to go under 42.5 points.
