Ireland Wolfhounds vs England Saxons: Preview and Prediction

For the past few years, the Wolfhounds and Saxons have met a week before the start of the Six Nations in a sort of unofficial curtain-raiser for the tournament. This year, with a certain Rugby World Cup on the horizon, it takes on more significance than ever.

Ireland Wolfhounds

When you take a look at the team Ireland have named for their second string side, it becomes even more obvious that this is far more than just a run out for some younger players. There is only one player without a full cap in the starting line-up, Leinster’s Jack Conan, who has been a revelation this season.

The biggest news, however, surrounds the man he has been filling in for in provincial colours – Sean O’Brien. The Tullow Tank makes his first appearance back from a shoulder injury which has kept him out since September, and similarly encouragingly, Iain Henderson returns in the second row after an impressive cameo for Ulster last weekend. Both will have their sights set on the senior squad.

They are far from the only familiar faces in Wolfhounds colours. 81-cap centre Gordon D’Arcy takes his place in the midfield, alongside Keith Earls who will be keen to throw his hat back into the ring for the centre spots having missed the Autumn Internationals with injury.

Luke Fitzgerald and Fergus McFadden have plenty of experience on the flanks, while Ian Madigan gets a chance to audition for Johnny Sexton’s vacant 10 shirt with a start at fly-half. All in all, it is a backline brimming with creativity, especially when you throw Kieron Marmion, a real livewire, into the mix at scrum-half. There’s no doubt they’ll be looking to play a quick, open game.

England Saxons

Sam Burgess! Let’s get that out of the way early. He starts at 12 opposite the veteran D’Arcy, giving rise to a great stat that was doing the rounds on Twitter yesterday – D’Arcy has 81 caps for Ireland, while Burgess has been in union for only 60 days. Opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of experience, but Burgess’s physicality will keep the gnarled D’Arcy busy.

If Ireland have picked an expansive backline, the Saxons have matched it. There is far less experience but no little flair in the likes of Henry Slade and Elliot Daly, and they will be tasked with creating the space for arch-finishers Marland Yarde and Chris Ashton – both of whom will feel like they have a point to prove, having been left out of the senior squad.

The pack contains five players who are adept in the back-row, another indication that the Saxons will fancy an open game rather than a tight one. James Gaskell and Matt Garvey start in the second row, but the latter has certainly played more rugby at blindside flanker this season. They join Dave Ewers, Matt Kvesic and Thomas Waldrom who fill the actual back-row spaces.

There is a real flavour of looking to the future on the bench, where Luke Cowan-Dickie and Maro Itoje, both stalwarts of the England Under-20s side at one time or another in recent years, will get their chance at some stage.

All Eyes On

Sean O’Brien has taken most of the headlines, but it’d be unfair to expect too many fireworks from him after so long out. For the Wolfhounds, Ian Madigan is undoubtedly the key man – and the man with the biggest point to prove. He has been used mostly at centre for Leinster this season, but with Johnny Sexton and Paddy Jackson both crocked for the initial stages of the Six Nations at least, it is a direct shoot-out between him and Ian Keatley for the starting shirt. Madigan must prove that he can efficiently control and direct a game, as well as bring out the attacking devil that we all know dwells within. His goal-kicking, which went badly awry against Wasps last weekend, must also stand up to scrutiny.

As much as I’d love to pick someone else – and there are plenty of exciting players in this Saxons side – no one else will receive close to the level of scrutiny that Sam Burgess does on Friday night. After a handful of outings for Bath, several from the bench, he is included in England’s second string – a decision which proves how keen the England management are to get him involved. He will bust holes in the Ireland midfield if he can time his runs properly, and his partnership with Daly could be a beautiful one, but the real intrigue will be around how he defends. D’Arcy is a wily operator and will bring Earls, who has bags of pace, into the game well. If Burgess is caught out of position, he will be exposed.

Prediction

It’s tough to make a prediction for this game really, as the result is almost secondary to the way the sides play. The last two years have not been high-scoring affairs, Ireland winning 14-8 in 2014 and England taking it 14-10 the year before. The two line-ups are brimming with the potential to run in try after try, but much will depend on whether the weather holds up – last year’s game was played on a miserable evening in Gloucester and the game was pretty scrappy as a result. Ireland have the greater experience and more combinations that are used to playing with each other, which makes them favourites in my eyes. Ireland Wolfhounds by 6.

By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images