Ireland would win the 2024 Six Nations with a game to spare if they get the better of England at Twickenham today, though their opponents will be up for the fight. Steve Borthwick's men threatened to ruin Ireland's coronation party a year ago, and they'll have a capacity crowd at the Cabbage Patch roaring them on this time.
For a team that's scored six tries to Ireland's 15, there have been some bold claims coming out of the England camp in the build-up, the standout being wing Elliot Daly's insistence that the hosts will take the game to their opponents. Many an Ireland fan will be licking their lips at that particular prospect.
England's fighting talk would no doubt have had Ireland head coach Andy Farrell reaching for the salt. While the prospect of a no-holds-barred shootout is tantalising, there's a strong chance it's too good to be true, and they may be better-off mentally preparing for a blood-and-guts slog instead.
As the underdogs, the hosts will be ready to do whatever it takes to avoid being the king-makers again, and for all the talk of a potential return for fly-half Marcus Smith, that usually means getting physical. Even so, do they have the muscle to face down Caelan Doris and this ferocious Irish unit?
HOW TO WATCH A FREE ENGLAND VS IRELAND LIVE STREAM ON ITVX
| UK stream: ITVX (FREE) |
| US stream: Peacock TV |
| AUS stream: Stan Sport |
What time is kickoff?
The England vs Ireland kickoff is at 4.45pm GMT / 11.45am ET / 8.45am PT today, Saturday, March 9. In Australia, that's 3.45am AEDT on Sunday, March 10.
England vs Ireland team news and venue
England team: England: Furbank; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, George (c), Cole, Itoje, Martin, Chessum, Underhill, Earl. Replacements: Dan, Marler, Stuart, Cunningham-South, Dombrandt, Care, M Smith, Daly.
Ireland team: H Keenan; C Nash, R Henshaw, B Aki, J Lowe; J Crowley, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong; J McCarthy, T Beirne, P O'Mahony (c), J van der Flier, C Doris. Replacements: R Kelleher, C Healy, F Bealham, I Henderson, R Baird, J Conan, C Murray, C Frawley.
Today's game will be played at the 82,000-seater Twickenham Stadium, the largest of the Six Nations venues. It takes its name from the leafy south-west London suburb, and the ground it was built on was previously used for growing vegetables, hence its nickname: the Cabbage Patch.
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