ENGLAND MUST ATTACK the Irish lineout on Saturday if they are to cause an upset, Murray Kinsella, rugby journalist with The 42, said on today’s Rugby Weekly Extra. 

Areas of possible vulnerability for the defending Six Nations champions were up for discussion on the podcast for subscribers to The 42, with the lineout deemed a likely target for the home side at Twickenham.   

“England have to go at source, and the lineout is going to be another crucial battleground,” Kinsella said. “We know that England are going to go into the air.” 

He added: “In the first two games of the Six Nations, Ireland had a perfect record, 100%, but they didn’t come under massive pressure in the air. France obviously had the (Paul) Willemse red card to adapt to and Italy just never got off the ground at all really. 

“When Wales did compete, that’s where we saw those wobbles from Ireland. I think there were five lineouts were it wasn’t cleanly won or indeed it was actually lost so you have to presume that England, with (Steve) Borthwick being so expert in that area … you’d imagine they put a massive focus on that. 

“Because if they can stop it at source, you’re just taking away that superpower from Ireland.

“You’re going to take away so many of those phase attacks that they break people down on. I think Ireland’s launch, their set-play strikes, have been really brilliant. It might not be a first-phase line break and try but they are teeing themselves up for damage they do on subsequent phases. So I think England have to be ultra aggressive there.”  

In today’s pod, Kinsella, Gavan Casey and former Ireland analyst Eoin Toolan also look ahead to Italy-Scotland and Wales-France, as well as discussing a thrilling Super Rugby round in Melbourne.

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