THE ENGLISH ARE in town, albeit they got here a bit later than planned.
The media assembled at their team hotel on the Stillorgan Road this evening fresh from Andy Farrell’s address at the Aviva Stadium only to be told that the visitors would be delayed in getting there.
It turned out they had only just landed at Dublin Airport, about an hour behind schedule. The media briefing would be delayed too. There was an instant joke about the Irish aviation authorities looking to help the Irish team in any way they could.
The unexpected interlude did allow us to canvass the room of English journalists for their sense of how Saturday is going to go as Ireland look to seal a Grand Slam. The pessimism among the English contingent was stark and universal. Collectively, they have no belief that Steve Borthwick’s side can spoil the party in Dublin.
It shouldn’t come as a great surprise so soon after one of English rugby’s dark days at Twickenham last weekend when the French ran riot and scored 53 points. It was the third-biggest defeat in England’s history and their worst-ever at home. So the sense of doom and gloom is coming from a painful place.
Ireland are 14-point favourites for Saturday’s game as things stand, which is lower than last night but still a notable position in this fixture, which has been so ferociously contested down through the years. Ireland have won their two most recent meetings, but England had gone four-in-a-row before that.
Times have changed drastically since that streak. Ireland are now on top of the world while England are… well, it’s hard to know what to make of them. The Premiership gets huge hype in England but it’s arguably not the competition that some think it is. There are tries aplenty but it comes across as being a rather distant cousin of Test rugby.
Selection in the England team was a bit of a muddle under Eddie Jones, with Borthwick possibly inheriting that habit. Weeks after confirming Owen Farrell as his skipper and gushingly singing his praises, Borthwick moved him to the bench for the France game. Marcus Smith started that one but now goes to the bench for Saturday.
Regardless, Farrell is back in the England team to face Ireland and while there are concerns over his fitness, they should be stronger for it. Manu Tuilagi hasn’t got form or game rhythm on his side but he has had some brilliant games against Ireland in the past, so his inclusion may be positive too. Meanwhile, wing sensation Henry Arundell is worth at least a try if England can just get the ball into his hands.
It was a bit of a surprise that scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet hung onto the number nine shirt after a tough day against France. Ireland were expecting to see the experienced Ben Youngs return to the mix, but Borthwick is sticking with 21-year-old van Poortvliet, who has the potential to be brilliant.
Alex Dombrandt goes again at number eight after a chastening experience against les Bleus and Borthwick will be hoping to see the Harlequins number eight getting back on track.
With the team bus still being packed up at Dublin Airport this evening, England stuffed Borthwick into an advanced party taxi with a couple of players to speak to the media.
The England boss is renowned as being direct and authoritative in his dealings with players, but he’s not that with the media.
Indeed, he rarely seems to answer the questions posed to him, instead steering his words into vague and occasionally completely unrelated territory. It’s certainly a strategy and fair enough, but it doesn’t make for good copy.
That said, Borthwick underlined that his team are hurting from losing like that in Twickers. He reckons we will see a bounce back but his belief is certainly not matched in the English press corps.
The confidence in Farrell’s team here on home soil has been palpable all week. This time around, there don’t seem to be any of those nagging feelings of self-doubt that Irish people specialise in.
Seemingly everyone is on the same page in sensing that this is going to be Ireland’s weekend.
