England cannot become regarded as easy prey for Ireland ahead of Six Nations clash

St Patrick’s weekend festivities should reach a thunderous climax around 7pm on Saturday, when Ireland clinch the Six Nations title and fourth Grand Slam in their history, after dispatching England.

There is no trace of danger or doubt in the air here. Attach green ribbons to the trophy now and line up the celebratory “black things.” Spoiling the party is beyond today’s visitors at the Aviva Stadium as fears of Steve Borthwick’s breach will be justified again.

The England head coach knows how far his team is from the current standard bearers of the sport and after world number 2 France defeated them at Twickenham last weekend, the number 1 nation is ready to pounce on the exposed English jugular. This could be a bloody and brutal occasion.

Bookmakers are hoping for a no-contest finish to Super Saturday that makes Ireland 16-point favourites, a damning indictment of how far England has sunk. It’s hard to argue with your assessment.

You are also in for a culture shock. It’s all set to be a jarring collision between a finely tuned machine and a sizzling mass of duct-taped parts.

Spoiling the party is beyond England as fears of Steve Borthwick’s breach will be justified again.

The England boss knows how far his team is from the current standard bearers of the sport.

The Irish game is structured for Champions Cup and Test success, while the English game is mired in division and confusion. Borthwick is fighting institutionalized annoyance and disruption. No wonder he spoke of Ireland having “an amazing road” and a strong Leinster core who “must certainly help”.

England find themselves on another precipice on Saturday, staring into the void where their Six Nations record lies in shambles. If they lose, as they surely will, it means a third straight year of winning two of five Championship games. What an affront to English rugby heritage, however, the RFU have grown used to and almost resigned themselves to lower standards and expectations.

What the union hierarchy would have expected after Eddie Jones was ousted was a rebound effect under a new regime. Instead, the decline continues.

Defeat to Ireland would leave them just a fraction above Australia, Jones’s seventh-ranked player in the world. That doesn’t fit with any long-term strategic plan issued from the corridors of power in Twickenham. His slim chances of going into this final weekend of the campaign with a title shot were buried under the French attack last weekend, but there is a reputation factor here that should draw attention.

England cannot become easy prey for her neighbours. They have to at least assert themselves today, playing with the fervor of a wounded animal. That is not negotiable.

The visiting group should be hurt and determined to make amends for what happened to them at Twickenham seven days ago.

England expected a rebound effect after Eddie Jones’ departure, but decline continues

England suffered the worst defeat in their history at Twickenham, losing 10-53 to France last weekend.

Too many liberties were taken. English forwards aren’t supposed to bend the knee like that. Having captained ‘Le Crunch’, Ellis Genge is the man to set a tone of angry defiance. Borthwick spoke of ‘frank talks’ over the past week. Evidently, the players have been told their fortunes.

“They certainly need to understand what it takes to compete against the best teams,” the head coach said.

Certain members of your starting eleven are running out of lives. Alex Dombrandt needs to show that he really belongs before Zach Mercer is eligible for selection this summer and takes the number 8 shirt. Jack van Poortvliet is another under mounting pressure. In form, he is not justifying the place of his. In potential, he has much more to offer. The time has come to prove it again.

So far, a true team has not taken shape. So far, there is no real identity or sense of direction. There has been no positive change from the management team so far and further turmoil is imminent, with the departure of Richard Cockerill and the arrival of Richard Wigglesworth and Aled Walters from Leicester. Others can be added. The coaching staff is changing and it is likely that there will be more changes in the field staff.

All the noise around the Red Rose squad should elicit a reaction tonight. But excitement alone won’t save them, because the hosts have that in abundance, too. In fact, trump cards cannot be found in English.

Ireland is more creative, cohesive and resilient. They are better at opening up opponents and closing them down. They have superior skills and knowledge. They can solve problems on the fly in a way that is far beyond the ken of England. They are better in the air and with the ball in hand. They have more style, more guts and more groundhogs capable of dictating the terms in the breakdown. They are awash in Lions pedigree and supreme confidence.

If the script is followed, this will be an Irish triumph masterminded by discarded English managers. Andy Farrell has elevated the team he inherited from Joe Schmidt with passion and positivity. The impact of him threatens to break the cycle of Irish peaks before the World Cups. This could be a preliminary stage on the road to the greatest glory of the sport. The league legend is riding union. Regardless of what he says, he may be able to be persuaded to return, one day.

By now, he has embraced life in Dublin and the Lancaster finds himself on the brink of a famous feat, aided and abetted by Mike Catt, and by Stuart Lancaster and Graham Rowntree in their respective roles in Leinster and Munster. England’s past is coming back to haunt England’s present.

Jack van Poortvliet is another under increasing pressure. In form, he is not justifying the place of his.

Manu Tuilagi has been called up and has never lost to Ireland, but there is a first time for everything

Borthwick needs lucky breaks. Manu Tuilagi has been called up and has never lost to Ireland, but there is a first time for everything. In six appearances against these rivals, the Venta center has earned his luck. It’s hard to imagine him extending that sequence today, regardless of the havoc he can wreak in midfield.

After France’s thrashing, Jamie George said: ‘We’ll be written off.’

You are absolutely right, England has been and is being, with justification. There has been talk of enthusiasm for the challenge, but Borthwick also continues to acknowledge that glaring ‘gap’.

It’s huge. Too big to bridge. Based on a clever system, Ireland has built a formidable machine. Based on a chaotic disaster, England has dug itself a deep hole, and they can’t ruin St. Patrick’s Day from there.