IRELAND WILL CLIMB to the top of the World Rugby rankings for the first time if they beat England at Twickenham in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up [KO 3pm, Sky Sports Action].
Joe Schmidt’s side, currently sitting third in the rankings, would go ahead of New Zealand and Wales if they can replicate their exploits from 2018 and beat Eddie Jones’ side in London.
With neither Wales or New Zealand in action this weekend, Ireland have a golden opportunity to make history on Saturday, although moving top of the rankings will not be the primary motivator for Schmidt’s side.
Just four weeks out from the World Cup, Schmidt has re-introduced a number of senior players into his starting XV for Ireland’s second warm-up outing, while Ross Byrne is handed a big chance in the number 10 jersey.
Should England — currently fifth — beat Ireland by 15 points at Twickenham, they will jump into third, while a win of any kind for the hosts will see them leapfrog South Africa into fourth.
Murray joins Bernard and Gavan with all the latest from training camp in Portugal, including a concerning update on Joey Carbery’s fitness. Plus, BBC Scotland’s Tom English explains why the Scots have a negative perception of Joe Schmidt’s Ireland team.
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