AS EDDIE JONES and England load up their heavy artillery in a bid to derail Ireland’s Grand Slam defence on Saturday evening, the fit-again Billy Vunipola is one of several game-changing threats to Joe Schmidt’s side.
The rampant and powerful Saracens number eight has escaped the clutches of an injury-ravaged two seasons, and his return to the England back row for this Six Nations is a major fillip for Jones’ side.
Vunipola has played just 167 minutes of international rugby since 2016, a year he showed his true quality in a white shirt, helping England to the Grand Slam and then a clean sweep of Autumn victories over South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia.
But in more recent times, the 26-year-old has been beset by a recurring injury nightmare, as he had operations on his shoulder and knee, not to mention the three broken arms which only added to the frustration and his time on the sidelines.
It has been an unquestionably long and difficult road back for Vunipola, but there are signs he is returning to his best having built up his match fitness and sharpness with Saracens in recent weeks.
And, now, he is in line to win his 37th England cap at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, with Vunipola’s return providing huge excitement and encouragement for Jones’ side in a World Cup year.
His opposite number, CJ Stander, is all too aware of Vunipola’s influence at the set-piece, at the breakdown and in the collision zone having coming up against him on a number of occasions, most recently during Munster’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Saracens in 2017.
“He is a power athlete,” Stander says. “He has footwork to him as well and soft hands. A lot of people think he is just going to run over people, but he is actually an all-rounder.
“If you look at what he has done for Saracens this year, he is playing quite well. It’s a good match-up. I have played against him before, he’s another big threat for them.”
Stander, who scored that beautifully-worked try off a Schmidt set-piece move at Twickenham last March, is wary of England’s two-pronged ability to dominate teams up front and cut them apart out wide.
“The set-piece. It is a big part of their game,” he continues. “From that they have good threats out the back, they have good, powerful runners.
“They have a very powerful game, a physical game as well. The forwards, you have powerful athletes in there and you have threats going out wide — Elliot Daly, Jack Nowell.
“It’s a team that has really stepped up in the physical side. They have footwork and smarts as well. If you look back on the November series, I think they were unlucky. They played some really good rugby.
“I think they are going to bring physicality, but smarts as well.”
Ireland forwards coach Simon Easterby is expecting England to pitch up in Dublin with a clear plan, but their attacking threats are not just limited to one style of play.
“They normally try to run over people,” he said. “There’s no doubt that they’ve got quality in players like that, Billy Vunipola in particular. We have to have the smarts about us to be able to deal with that.
“They’ve got ball carriers. Like Billy, like his brother Mako. Courtney Lawes is an aggressive defender, can carry the ball. But similarly, they have some strike runners in the backs which we maybe haven’t come across recently. There’s Elliot Daly, [Henry] Slade, they’ve also got Manu Tuilagi potentially back into the mix.
They have the ability to do damage if we don’t get our tackling right.
Stander, facing into his fourth Six Nations campaign in a green jersey having made his debut against Wales in February 2016, will be tasked with leading Ireland’s defensive charge having become a key leader in his area in recent years.
“It is a big game and we are all looking forward to it,” he adds. “We know it is going to be a massive battle, especially up front. If you look at the last few years, it is a physical game and what a way to start the Six Nations.
“We want to start the Six Nations well. I think it will be a great game and something all the players are looking forward to.”
Join us to preview the Six Nations with Simon Zebo, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey on Thursday @7pm in Liberty Hall Theatre Dublin.
