England v Ireland, 5 September

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ENGLAND v IRELAND
5 September 2015
14:30 BST
Twickenham, London

Live on Sky Sports 1

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Romain Poite (France) Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

A. Head to Head

129 Played 129
74 Won 47
8 Drawn 8
47 Lost 74
1,484 Points 1,056

B. Recent Form

1 March 2015
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
19 – 9 to Ireland

22 February 2014
Twickenham, London
13 – 10 to England

10 February 2013
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
6 – 12 to England

17 March 2012
Twickenham, London
30 – 9 to England

27 August 2011
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
9 – 20 to England

19 March 2011
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
24 – 8 to Ireland

27 February 2010
Twickenham, London
16 – 20 to Ireland

C. Teams

ENGLAND

15. Mike Brown (Harlequins, 38 caps)
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 10 caps)
13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
12. Brad Barritt (Saracens, 22 caps)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 15 caps)
10. George Ford (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
09. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 48 caps)

01. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 32 caps)
02. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps)
03. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 51 caps)
04. Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs, 24 caps)
05. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 39 caps)
06. Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, 37 caps)
07. Chris Robshaw (captain, Harlequins, 38 caps)
08. Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby, 28 caps)

16. Jamie George (Saracens, 1 cap)
17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 22 caps)
18. Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
19. Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 23 caps)
20. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 18 caps)
21. Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens, 22 caps)
22. Owen Farrell (Saracens, 30 caps)
23. Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby, 1 cap)


IRELAND

01. Jack McGrath (St. Marys College/Leinster)
02. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
03. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
04. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
05. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster) (capt)
06. Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
07. Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)
08. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)

09. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
10. Johnny Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
11. Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
13. Jared Payne (Ulster)
14. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
15. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)

16. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
17. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)
18. Nathan White (Connacht)
19. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
20. Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
21. Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)
22. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
23. Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)

wales606 wrote:

JmD wrote:Nigel's requesting a physio at half time, could we see Poite come on and change the game in the second half?

Don't think the ref is making much difference at the moment. If the sides keep playing like this then England will win well. The question is will Ireland sort it out at half-time.

It was tongue in cheek

That's the second or third time O'Brien has fumbled it, oh dear.

Good work over the last few weeks by England's pack. They look a lot better..

WOW, certainly a far better game than i thought it was going to be.

England playing a lot more attacking rugby, with Ireland making more mistakes than i thought they would.

certainly looking forward to the second half.

Been a major concern of mine for a while with Schmidt's tactics. Ireland are absolutely clueless in attack. This Ireland team/squad is totally designed to sneak leads and defend them. When they come up against a team willing to attack them, they look lost. They seem to have no clue when behind.

The backline needs a player like Earls who can marshal the defense and get Ireland on the front foot more.

Classic average performance from Dave Kearney today.....

Good half for England, important to hold out just before half time. First score in the second half could be important... if Ireland get it England may pay for not getting a few more points on the board when they were on top.

Thomond wrote:Classic average performance from Dave Kearney today.....

Bit tongue in cheek there Thomond? Think Dave Kearney has been pretty good again today.

Ireland definately have one eye on just getting to RWC time and England looking for a performance which they have got. That being said with the dominance England have had 12 - 3 isn't much of a lead and had O'Brien held onto that ball it could have been even tighter. Second half is gonna be a good'n.

eirebilly wrote:

Thomond wrote:Classic average performance from Dave Kearney today.....

Bit tongue in cheek there Thomond? Think Dave Kearney has been pretty good again today.

Definitely, only positive in attack aside from Mike Ross. Very disorganised defending, standing off and rarely working as a unit. Getting isolated at the breakdown in attack and doing nothing there in defence. Slipping off tackles, and pedestrian in attack. Other than that we're good.

Pete330v2 wrote:Ireland definately have one eye on just getting to RWC time and England looking for a performance which they have got. That being said with the dominance England have had 12 - 3 isn't much of a lead and had O'Brien held onto that ball it could have been even tighter. Second half is gonna be a good'n.

Really, another one of Joe Schmidt's tactics eh, as Ireland certainly don't want a performance or to win the game...
Think your being very disingenuous to the England team who have completely outplayed Ireland.

Tommy Bowe is so lucky the squad was announced a few days ago and not tomorrow...

We still have the nice run in of Canada, Romania and Italy, but definitely getting less confident about that France match with every minute of watching this display..

Been good from England.
But for all that it's only a couple of points difference.

Let's see if they can be ruthless like the kiwis now and take this game away from Ireland.

Ireland are refusing to use a set backs move, all through the hands or up on the air...

Nice chip behind England's line caused a bit of havoc.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Been good from England.  
But for all that it's only a couple of points difference.  

Let's see if they can be ruthless like the kiwis now and take this game away from Ireland.  

scores ffs - don't scare me like that

Ireland are lacking the intensity in the first half.

Bowe and Zebo both had a chance to take on Dan Cole one on one from 5m out there, and neither of them noticed.

Well if POC can score, it might still be on for Ireland. Excellent from Heaslip for the turnover.

All England's dominance and we are 2 points ahead.

Now they need to regroup and get back to the basics they were doing so well at in the start of the first half.

Much better start to the 2nd half. So much more intensity in attack and defence

Awful from Henshaw

Dawson said England are looking tired and out on their feet, does it look like that on tv?

Brutal by Henshaw. Lawes looked like he got away with a shoulder charge there.

That was a bit of an open goal for the Ireland backs if that doesn't go forward...

Hmm, poc had one hand on the floor and the other on the ball. Should of been a pen to England.


How's the game been everyone?

Madigan and Cave at centre now. Think Payne and Henshaw did quite well today, that last forward pass excepted.

How's the line out gone?

Ireland's only backline move involves Sexton doing the loop around...

mikey_dragon wrote:Ireland's only backline move involves Sexton doing the loop around...

Yep, we have few enough we don't want to show them all just yet!

bedfordwelsh wrote:Dawson said England are looking tired and out on their feet, does it look like that on tv?

I don't think so, just managing the game terribly. Not looking for 3 points often enough.

nathan wrote:How's the line out gone?

Won all I think (about 9), but most of them looking shaky. Still, an improvement.

I love the I've cocked up and so I have cramp!

Why are England not just picking and driving like they were the first half which so effective...

nathan wrote:Hmm, poc had one hand on the floor and the other on the ball. Should of been a pen to England.


How's the game been everyone?

Plus the player that picked it up when it popped out was well in front of the back foot ...

Pretty happy Burgess is on to knock on and throw forward passes in our 22- much less worrying than your first-half centres.

Are you allowed to kick it out of a scrum half hands? Not having a go, just I always thought it got blew for

And now England go to pot as usual....

Where's the leaders to get a grip and give them direction.

Not taking away that Ireland have upped their game.....bit England have lost all direction.

Now it's the turn of the England back line to miss an open goal. If this isn't a try, that blown overlap will be unforgivable.

No try get on with it

Lol, naughty tmo

What's happening with that Hawkeye trial

Looks like players needed that rest lol

nathan wrote:Are you allowed to kick it out of a scrum half hands? Not having a go, just I always thought it got blew for

I didn't think you could kick the ball out of any players hands?

I dont think Irelands centers played well today, they were not poor but no standout either. Henshaw with the forward pass was a shame, Payne with a dropped ball and getting stripped. Defense was average and no leader amongst them to marshal the defensive lines.

Dave Kearney has been the best Irish player although he has been run close by Heaslip.

eirebilly wrote:I dont think Irelands centers played well today, they were not poor but no standout either. Henshaw with the forward pass was a shame, Payne with a dropped ball and getting stripped. Defense was average and no leader amongst them to marshal the defensive lines.

Dave Kearney has been the best Irish player although he has been run close by Heaslip.

I think all the players have injuries in the back of their minds

Payne showed his creativity today with an excellent range of passing and great decision making. Kearney has been very good.

Oh dear God England.

Earn the right to play wide. We're so predictable.

Great maul....so why not keep it tight....smash the forwards again....more small carries THEN go wide.

For me, the saddest moment today was watching just how past it Bowe has become. The once great winger looks to slow and clumsy nowadays.

Not the best player to give a low offload, how tall is lawes

Better breakdown work today by england

eirebilly wrote:For me, the saddest moment today was watching just how past it Bowe has become. The once great winger looks to slow and clumsy nowadays.

Trimble looked very sharp last night, and most importantly- physical. That decision looking worse and worse.