Eddie Jones has announced the England team to play Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday in the Six Nations. There are two changes to the side that beat Italy in round two.
Maro Itoje makes his first start in an England shirt, having made his debut from the bench in Rome in the previous round. Joe Marler is also rotated back into the starting line-up, with Mako Vunipola dropping back to the bench.
Elliot Daly will have the chance to win his first cap after being named in the number 22 shirt.
“I have been pleased with the attitude the squad have shown during a comprehensive two weeks of training,” said Eddie Jones. “Everyone is pushing hard to be in contention so there were some tight calls on selection.
“Joe Marler made a big impact off the bench in Rome and will start at loose-head with Mako Vunipola finishing the game. Joe Launchbury is unlucky to miss out through injury; Maro Itoje is selected as a result and we’re pleased for him.
“Elliot Daly has worked hard this week and is now ready for a place in the 23. He can provide cover in several positions in the back line.
“Playing our first game at Twickenham after two away fixtures will be huge for us. We’re determined to put in a strong performance against a clever Irish side who are the benchmark of European rugby.”
ENGLAND TEAM TO PLAY IRELAND
15. Mike Brown (vice captain, Harlequins, 45 caps)
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 17 caps)
13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 18 caps)
12. Owen Farrell (vice captain, Saracens, 37 caps)
11. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 12 caps)
10. George Ford (Bath Rugby, 19 caps)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 54 caps)
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 39 caps)
2. Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints, 68 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 58 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 1 cap)
5. George Kruis (Saracens, 12 caps)
6. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, 45 caps)
7. James Haskell (Wasps, 64 caps)
8. Billy Vunipola (vice captain, Saracens, 23 caps)
Replacements
16. Jamie George (Saracens, 5 caps)
17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 29 caps)
18. Paul Hill (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 44 caps)
20. Jack Clifford (Harlequins, 2 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 55 caps)
22. Elliot Daly (Wasps, uncapped)
23. Alex Goode (Saracens, 20 caps)
52 replies on “Six Nations 2016: England team to play Ireland”
Closer and closer to the team we all want to see.
Not as a Welshman!
It could be worse – Care’s on the bench and Goode’s in the squad!
A pity that Launchbury’ s injury allowed EJ to delay a decision about whether Itoje should play at 6 instead of Robshaw. I still think that balance in the back row is probably adequate for 6 Nations but lacking in pace and ball winning ability for the long term.
I’d rather see Itoje at lock in the long term Andy.
For me, 6 is a position that will be filled by Dave Ewers once he’s fit again
6 – bulky bugger + tackle/carry machine = Ewers/Vunipola
7 – fetcher = Kvesic/Wallace
8 – athlete/jumper = Hughes/Beaumont
Clifford covering all from the bench.
I agree with you about Ewers.
And would say that this backrow, although sluggish it is definitely adequate for this 6 Nations, I think EJ knows without Haskell and Robshaw we would lose a huge number of caps/experience which is crucial in this period of blooding new players.
You could well be right Pablito. Tbh I haven’t seen enough of Ewers to judge but lots of people seem to think he is the real deal. I just think we are pretty strong in the 2nd row and if there is an opportunity it does no harm to test for future options.
I think he could be. Immensely strong, carries very well, is pretty good at the breakdown and times his passes and off-loads nicely.
How far off being fit is he?
I believe he’s almost back Andy and might be playing this weekend
Rob Baxter has reported that he’s actually got stronger during his recovery, imagine that!
Can’t really James. The man was a monster beforehand
I think it was someone on here wrote that they’d watched an Exeter game and he just stood out amongst both sides for the sheer solidity of him
They build them big in Zimbabwe!
Maaaan you still need to pick so many overseas players , not enough english players good enough ?
Too many of the good ones are playing for Wales
as far back as i can rember Andy, england ALWAYS had a good locks and never a weak front row either , ,…backrow is a different matter, personally being Welsh i hope they keep vinipola , hes not international class in my book, looks ok in a strong team goin forward but otherwise no
A year ago I would have agreed with you osiboy but Billy V. looks fitter and quicker this season. He is certainly strong with ball in hand and is beginning to add some awareness. Having said that, he will have to keep improving to keep the no.8 shirt with Hughes qualified in June and Beaumont looking strong. I haven´t written off Morgan yet either. I still think if Billy gets some more club games there and gets even fitter, he could make an international 6. He has a low centre of gravity and would give us real go forward, although a lot of good judges seem to think that Ewers is pencilled in to play there when fit. Long term I don´t think we have too many problems at 6 or 8, but I don´t see a potentially world class 7 on the horizon.
Not sure about England always having good locks. Steve Borthwick? Mauritz Botha? Peter Larter? I definitely like the look of the current crop though. If we can just get George in at hooker and get rid of Hartley our front five and back up has potential to be pretty formidable.
Perfect back 5 is Kruis and Launchbury Itoje 6 Clifford 7 Billy 8.This combo could become seriously good!
Any long term combination that leaves Hughes out is not as good as it might be. He has the potential to be one of the “world class players” that EJ has been talking about. Not yet convinced by Clifford and I think If one is earmarked to play second row.
At some point in the near future I would like to see Watson given a go at 15 perhaps the Australia tour. Does anyone know when Slade will be fit?
He is due back towards the end of the season so might make the summer tour!
Good luck to Daly and Itoje, I hope they both show what they can do
Quite like the rotation of Marler and MV. Does anyone know if Mike Ross is fit for Ireland?
Very happy with this selection. Great to see Maro getting a start, and alongside his usual second row partner he will feel very comfortable. Also hoping that Daly gets a decent amount of time on the pitch (wherever he comes on). Very excited about this game, as it’s a really good chance for the team to prove the first two games were building blocks.
If Ireland play like they did in the first two games I’m confident we can win.
We’ve seen a lot of conservatism from Eddie about blooding inexperienced players so i wouldn’t bank on it
vs Scotland game remained tight so minimal use of subs
Clifford (11m), George (4m), Hill unused,
vs Italy the bench wasn’t emptied until the result was beyond doubt
Score 8-19: Itoje (26m), Score 9-28: Clifford (18m), Hill (11m), George (11m)
The future back row is Billy V at 6, Nathan Hughes at 8, and Jack Clifford at 7
Billy V. could never play at 6 what made you think that Gerry
Billy V played quite a bit at 6 when he first joined Sarries. Joubert was playing 8, and Billy would often start at 6.
Billy has played a huge amount at 6, he is also effective at the breakdown, and his engine has significantly improved enough to be very effective there.
If the game is opening up and England are clear ahead then I reckon Daly will come on. If it’s still tight he’ll stay on the bench.
Throwing new caps into a game that still hangs in the balance can be risky. A raft of new caps coming on may disrupt the teams flow and it would be a chastising experience if you got your first cap in a game you lost, particularly if it looked like the team was in control before you came on.
One of Lancasters failings was his preplanned subs (often in his quest for the mystical 600 caps total), which often led to us losing games (Wales at the World Cup). EJ seems to play his substitutes according to whats happening in the game. He has no obligation to play players just so that they gain caps, his obligation is to win.
Having said that, I hope that the Irish are knackered by 60 mins and Daly, George, Mako, Clifford and Care all get to come on and rip a tired defence apart.
Math
If ‘Throwing new caps into a game that still hangs in the balance can be risky’ is yr logic, surely starting with Lawes, then bringing on Itoje, ‘the nxt big thing’, as a replacement would make more sense?
The latter could also have been given a start v Scotland or Italy, games in which England were pretty def favourites, to see what he was made of 1st; rather than start him in a potentially banana skin match v Ireland, albeit @ home. Also, is Itoje seen only as an Int’al lock?
Agree regds Daly, but why didn’t he also previously start in order to blood him for the bigger Irish game? Esp in place of the 2nd fly 1/2 Farrell, who is out of posi!
And remember the ‘w class’ hyped Farrell let his opposite, Foley, score x2 tries agin him in the not so distant WC. A ‘Wolf Pack’ defender? Mmmm.
EJ’s rationale v his chat sometimes doesn’t add up to me.
Daly didn’t start instead of Farrell because he is not a 12. He is a 13 that can cover wing or fullback. He has been training a bit at 12 in case of injury cover but that is not his best position. So would make absolutely no sense to start him out of position instead of another more experienced player, who has played a lot of 12.
Well teams used to swap the centres over from inside to outside & v versa depending on which side of the field they occupied.
Farrell is a fly1/2, Daly is at least a ‘centre’.
Are these 2 positions so much more different that a fly1/2 is a better option?
Or get a proper 12 in.
if you cant beat a second string Ireland by 12pts+ eddie will be deported imo, they were good v wales with what they had , but a further 3 injuries and eng @ home ,……hmmmm, C’mon now !
I just don’t see Farrell as a centre. I’m worried that he’s going to be properly exposed by the next three games – although I’m hoping to see Manu pared up with Joseph for the Wales game. Is there a centre replacement on the bench?
Daly is the replacement centre. Farrell has played a lot of his rugby at 12. He played there with Ford at 10 through the England age groups and often plays there for Sarries with Hodgson at 10.
Despite the fact that EJ seems keen on him I don´t see Manu playing for England this six nations. He has come back into a club side that is misfiring badly, and for me after most of the past eighteen months out he needs to get plenty of game time in and prove that he hasn´t lost any pace. He was never lightning quick and if he has lost half a yard he will get exposed by quicker players. Hopefully he will get back to his very best, but I am not holding my breath.
Hate to say it, but I don’t think he’ll ever be fit for long. Much like Croft before him, and now Slater, I think he will only ever be fit for small periods at a time.
Tigers don’t have a great record of keeping their players fit, and he seems to have fallen into this category.
That is certainly a perception of Leicester I’ve had for a while. Don’t know if it is factually accurate or not, but my impression is many of their players seem to struggle long-term with injuries.
Rimbo
Agree regds Farrell, but why do you (& others) see Tui as England’s mid field saviour?
He’s basically another battering ram (are you reading this Billy?) who can’t effectively distribute or kick & who will simply play into the hands of Oz on the June tour.
There have to be better, SKILLED players about!
‘Arthur’ Daly make get a chance to get his wedge out v Ireland, but only likely due to injury or if the game reaches a stage England whereby can’t lose.
To promote his type is NOT fwd thinking, esp in light of the NH’s performances in the last WC!
Need to learn & to be MORE inventive.
Not an advocate of the Nonu comparison then?
Nope.
Manu Tuilagi is a far more accomplished distributor than he’s credited for. No offence Don, but I feel that a lot of people assume, just because he’s a monster and is used in that way, that he doesn’t possess other skills. OK maybe he’s not quite *as* skillful as a couple of other centre options, but he’s really not far off.
The main way he plays is to take contact. It’ll plays into the hands of Oz in June.
Check out the latest S18 games esp in Australia for comparison. They aim to run into holes, not opposition.
Get rid of ford let Farrell play 10 and continue with kicking duties and play an out and out 12 beside him. With real gain line breaking skills
Don P
I want to question your view on defence. You blame Farrell for foleys two tries in wc game. Surely you don’t think if a player scores it’s the fault of his opposite number? You don’t need me to tell you (go on, I will anyway) that rugby is a team game and a when a team concedes a try it’s the fault of the team and not a single player ( most of the time).
Furthermore you criticise the ‘wolf pack’ Farrell. Again, you probably k ow this, but i will point out the obvious to you. The Wolfpack system is a Saracens defence system, not England’s in the wc. Maybe you got confused with when gustard, the coach who implements he wolf pack system, was appointed.
And to reiterate other comments Daley doesn’t play 12 for wasps. Surely not even your beloved all blacks would not debut a player in a position which requires a different skill set?
Technically it is Farrell’s fault. It was his man. If each looked after his opposite then this would be more effective surely?
Have to end now. Will revisit.
Banastre
To follow up; I ? rather than criticse, but you may not have taken my comments as such.
In respect of Farrell, I pointed out a 2 facts which, it seems to me, render his ‘WC’ tag premature.
Regds ‘wolfpack’, it appears to have been Gustard’s brainchild. He is now England’s ‘D’ coach. Is he employing a newly devised system then?
The so called ‘wolfpack’ (BTW, before I discovered Smirnoff, I thought it was a German submarine fleet’), as I understand it, is a ‘D’ system whereby the team basically rushes the attack with the shape of an umbrella @ its end.
If Daly is cover for midfield, surely he should have had @ least SOME exp of playing both posis therein. If England’s 12 gets injured nxt up, he’s the nxt cab off the rank.
Generally the ABs don’t debut players our of posi, no. However, both Cory Jane & Ben Smith, I think, may have done so. CJ was a f/back @ the Canes, Smith a wing for Otago. More recently Chas Piatau, a f/back, debuted v Fr @ wing. However, it’s a bit of an academic argument as nec may have dictated in the latter’s case, as it may yet for Daly.
Ireland by 6pts
England by 15pts+
Ireland by 50 points
Look Stu I know you rate Andy Farrell highly but he hasn’t started his job with Ireland yet