Six Nations 2023: Ireland face wounded England for historic Grand Slam

The 2023 Six Nations has reached what promises to beryllium a captivating climax arsenic Grand Slam-hunting Ireland invited a wounded England to Dublin connected St Patrick's Day weekend.

Having entered the contention arsenic the world's fig 1 side, the Irish person masterfully navigated their mode done the archetypal 4 rounds to springiness themselves a changeable astatine winning a 4th Grand Slam - and archetypal successful Dublin.

After a memorable 2022 that included a Test bid triumph implicit the All Blacks successful New Zealand, a Six Nations cleanable expanse would beryllium the eventual connection six months retired from the World Cup successful France.

England are successful a antithetic boat. With their rubric hopes mercilessly crushed by a rampant France astatine Twickenham past week, Steve Borthwick's squad get successful Dublin with 2 main aims: restoring pridefulness and spoiling the Irish party.

England are not the lone broadside with designs connected raining connected Ireland's parade, of course, arsenic France tin inactive clasp their title. To person immoderate chance, however, Les Bleus indispensable bushed Wales successful Paris (14:45 GMT) earlier Ireland and England instrumentality to the transportation connected Lansdowne Road.

'Super Saturday' opens with Scotland hosting Italy astatine Murrayfield (12:30 GMT), which is unrecorded connected BBC One.

• Final-round permutations - however Ireland oregon France tin triumph the title
• 'Home Grand Slam would beryllium Sexton's imagination Six Nations finale'
• Ireland v England: preview, cardinal stats, squad quality & standings

'Desperation is an illness'

Ireland person handled everything the Six Nations has thrown astatine them, from losing cardinal players to wounded to grinding retired wins erstwhile they haven't been astatine their best.

The astir awesome Irish show came against France successful Dublin successful circular 2 erstwhile Farrell's men ran retired 32-19 winners successful an epic conflict betwixt the world's apical 2 sides.

Beating the holders felt big, but defeating England to present a Grand Slam successful Dublin for the archetypal clip brings adjacent greater pressure, and Farrell has called connected his players to amusement calmness successful the midst of the "circus".

"All this worldly that you guys [the media] are going to beryllium writing, it each becomes portion of the circus, you know, managing each that," helium said.

"But successful reality, anyone who has ever played successful a large game, erstwhile you get implicit that achromatic enactment each bets are off. It's concern time, isn't it?

"All the emotion gets taken retired aft the archetypal 5 minutes anyhow and past you've got to beryllium astatine your best.

"To me, desperation is an illness. You privation to effort and enactment distant from that.

"You can't beryllium close if you're desperate. Being calm capable to beryllium yourself and being controlled capable to beryllium close erstwhile it matters is simply a temperament that we're each chasing."

England keen to marque amends for Twickenham humiliation

Even without the accidental of winning a title, this is an important crippled for an England broadside keen to extinguish the symptom of their worst location decision successful 113 years of Test rugby against France past week.

For Borthwick, who replaced Eddie Jones arsenic caput manager successful December, Saturday presents an accidental to enactment England backmost connected the close way successful the past tourney outing earlier the World Cup.

It volition beryllium a large ask, though, considering Ireland person won their past 13 Tests astatine home.

"We cognize that aft the bitter disappointment of the show against an exceptional France side, we volition person to beryllium overmuch improved to conscionable the situation of playing the broadside ranked fig 1 successful the world," said Borthwick.

"However, I person witnessed an England squad determined to marque amends for the decision astatine Twickenham.

"I'm assured that the squad announced volition erstwhile again privation to amusement the benignant of resilience and cognition that brought america triumph successful Wales."

What the pundits say

Former England scrum-half Danny Care connected BBC Radio 5 Live's Rugby Union Daily podcast: "You tin marque mistakes similar decision-making oregon accomplishment execution, which you tin forgive, but the 1 non-negotiable successful rugby and particularly erstwhile you're wearing an England garment is you don't springiness up.

"I don't deliberation you'll spot an cognition occupation from England this weekend. The players and coaches won't fto it happen.

"I deliberation Ireland volition triumph but you'll spot a much combative show from England."

Former Ireland and British and Irish Lions helping Shane Horgan: "Ireland are uber-confident and are precise relaxed astatine their quality to present a performance.

"That assurance has been built implicit a agelong period. They've won a circuit successful New Zealand, they've beaten each the confederate hemisphere teams and against France, Ireland truly dominated.

"They're unafraid successful their quality and they're not looking implicit their shoulders."

Sexton v Farrell

As ever, Ireland and England's show volition beryllium dictated by their fly-halves, astir whom determination has been a contrasting communicative successful caller weeks.

This is being built up arsenic Johnny Sexton's large day. It is the Ireland captain's past Six Nations crippled and helium tin unafraid his spot successful Irish sporting past by becoming the archetypal skipper to triumph a Grand Slam successful Dublin.

He besides needs conscionable 1 constituent to surpass predecessor Ronan O'Gara arsenic the Six Nations' all-time grounds scorer.

On the different hand, England fly-half Owen Farrell - the lad of Ireland caput manager Andy - is seeking redemption aft being dropped for Marcus Smith successful the France defeat.

• Farrell v Farrell 'has ne'er been difficult'
• Sexton wants to instrumentality emotion retired of swansong

Line-ups

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Henshaw, Aki, Lowe; Sexton (capt), Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong; Baird, Ryan; O'Mahony, van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Herring, Healy, O'Toole, Treadwell, Conan, Murray, R Byrne, O'Brien.

England: Steward; Watson, Slade, Tuilagi, Arundell; Farrell (c), Van Poortvliet; Genge, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Ribbans, Ludlam, Willis, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Walker, M Vunipola, Cole, Isiekwe, B Curry, Mitchell, Smith, Marchant.

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