2024 Six Nations – England v Eire
Saturday 9 March 2024 – 18:45
Twickenham
These video games are usually feisty previous affairs, evident once they met final 12 months and tempers boiled over with Freddie Steward proven a purple card simply earlier than half-time for a cynical shoulder cost.
We are able to count on extra fireworks at Rugby HQ this weekend as the 2 previous foes sq. off for the 142nd time.
To Win Match
England 15/4 | Draw 33/1 | Eire 1/5
Handicap
England (+12.5) 9/10 | Eire (-12.5) 9/10
It’s beginning to turn into the second each English dreads within the opening third of the 12 months: a Six Nations conflict with previous foes Eire. The lads in inexperienced have reigned supreme over their English foes for the previous few years with Eire’s final loss to the English coming again in February 2020.
The statistics level in the direction of the pattern persevering with this week with Eire having gone three from three within the Six Nations, while the English are two from three having but to play Eire or France.
Andy Farrell’s males have really set the usual this time period beating France 17-38 in Spherical 1, Italy 36-0 in Spherical 2, and Wales 31-7 Spherical 3. They’re presently averaging 35 factors scored per recreation and their concession charge is sitting at a median of simply 15 per match. These stats inform the story of a aspect that has been unrivalled up to now within the Championship.
Whereas England have managed to bag two wins from their first three video games, these two victories have been removed from spectacular with Steve Borthwick’s males avoiding a primary loss to Italy by the pores and skin of their tooth as they staged a second-half comeback to beat the Azzurri 24-27. They then managed to keep away from defeat towards an inexperienced Welsh outfit by a fair narrower margin as they beat the younger Dragons 16-14 at Twickenham.
Their luck would run out in Spherical 3, nevertheless, as Duhan van der Merve and his Scottish compatriots would put an finish to England’s hopes of a Grand Slam and all however finish their title problem with the burly South African bagging a hat-trick as his aspect ran out 30-21 victors in Glasgow.
Whereas most – myself included – have dominated out England’s probabilities of stopping Eire’s assault on back-to-back Grand Slams, there are some pundits who’re backing an enormous English exhibiting this weekend.
Whereas I give them no probability towards the Irish, maybe the return of fly-half Marcus Smith has obtained English followers excited. The Harlequins star is but to make an look on this 12 months’s Six Nations, which has been a significant letdown for Borthwick because it appears he is able to give Smith the keys to English backline and mold his group round him. Smith might nicely be joined within the halves by Northampton’s Alex Mitchell, with the 26-year-old additionally coming back from harm.
On the Irish harm entrance, it appears they’ve a largely clear invoice of well being headed into this conflict.
Verdict: Eire (-12.5) 9/10
Eire are a category above this time period and even with Smith returning, I can’t see England inflicting them any issues. I really count on them to say a bonus level win which can see them safe the Championship with a spherical to spare.