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Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell fears Guinness Six Nations title rivals England are “on the verge of a big performance”.
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Andy Farrell’s side must win at Twickenham next weekend to keep alive their quest for championship glory.
Eddie Jones’ hosts are in a similar situation to the Irish, having registered two wins and a loss so far, with both sides attempting to overhaul Grand Slam-chasing France.
After defeat to Scotland in round one of the tournament, new-look England recovered to brush aside perennial wooden spoon winners Italy before stuttering past Wales last time out.
O’Connell, who won three times at the home of English rugby as a player, is braced for major test and admits Ireland need to refine all areas of their play.
“We need to improve everywhere,” he said. “We’re going to Twickenham with a full crowd.
“England I think are just bubbling and are just on the verge of a big performance, so every part of what we do needs to be done better.
“There isn’t any one particular area but everything just needs to be a little bit more accurate. One of the big things when we’re away from home is just being calm. That’s one of the big things for the lads.
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“There’s never any lack of intent, or passion, or emotion when these boys play for Ireland. It’s just being calm on the big occasion.”
Ireland dispatched depleted Italy on Sunday to make it 14 Dublin wins from 15 under head coach Farrell.
Away games have proved far trickier during the Farrell era, with triumphs at Murrayfield and Rome the only two victories from seven fixtures on the road.
Two of those defeats came at Twickenham in 2020.
Hooker Rob Herring, who returned from a calf issue as a replacement against the Azzurri and is competing with Dan Sheehan for a start, believes a big away success is the next step for the team’s development.
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“It’s massively important for us,” said South Africa-born Herring.
“Going away to England, we challenge ourselves to play the game we want to play and not be afraid we do that.
“To do it away from home in a cauldron like Twickenham, the atmosphere there, it’s a different experience.
“For the growth of the group it’ll be really good for us to go and put in a good performance.”
Ireland’s preparations have been hit by the loss of prop Andrew Porter for the remainder of the tournament due to an ankle issue.
Fellow front-rower Ronan Kelleher was already ruled out after sustaining a shoulder problem in the round-two defeat to France, leaving Herring competing with Sheehan for the number two shirt.
“I think hooker is a very competitive position throughout Ireland at the moment,” said the Ulster man.
“The last Six Nations I was starting a few games, guys have come in and taken their chances. I think we have a group here where we’re all trying to push each other on.
“I want to be fighting for that jersey and want to be starting but on any given week I’ll do whatever role the team needs me to do.
“They’re good blokes (Sheehan and Kelleher), and we all work hard together to try and improve the group.”
Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
110 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
110 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
110 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
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