6 Nations
PREVIEW: Ireland Make Three Changes for Welsh Showdown
Ireland have made three changes to their stating line-up for their visit to Wales
Ireland have made three alterations for their final Six Nations game against Wales at the Principality Stadium at 14 45 on Saturday.
The visitors know that a win coupled with anything less than a win for England against Scotland will see them retain their title but will face an unchanged Welsh side searching for a Grand Slam.
Ireland’s front-three remains the same as last week with Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong knuckling down alongside captain Rory Best, who will make his 64th and last Six Nations appearance for Ireland.
Tadhg Beirne replaces Iain Henderson in the second-row to make his debut in the competition, with Henderson dropping out of the 23, while last weekend’s man of the match James Ryan retains his place.
There is one change in the back-row too as Sean O’Brien comes in to replace the injured Josh Van Der Flier. He is joined by Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander.
Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton line-up in the half-backs once more, with Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose outside them in the centre.
Jacob Stockdale and Keith Earls continue on the wings, as a fit again Rob Kearney takes the place of Jordan Larmour to complete the XV.
There is a huge amount of strength for the men in green on the bench too with Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Quinn Roux, Jack Conan, Kieran Marmion, Jack Carty and Larmour all ready to go.
#GuinnessSixNations
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 14, 2019
Here's the Ireland team for the final round of the @SixNationsRugby Championship.#TeamOfUs #WALvIRE #ShoulderToShoulder pic.twitter.com/Y1KZDYfb7Y
Speaking ahead of the clash head coach Joe Schmidt described Ireland’s unfortunate run of injuries as a positive as he has got to try out other players.
“It’s just a case of slotting people in and as I’ve said all through the Six Nations, it’s been a really positive challenge for us to see if we can mix and match players and still try to get some cohesion,” he said.
The hosts have named an unchanged squad to the one that defeated Scotland 18-11 last Saturday.
That means that it’s Rob Evans, Ken Owens and Tomas Francais in the front-row, with Adam Beard and captain Alun Wyn Jones pairing up behind them in the second-row.
Josh Navidi, Justin Tupuric and Ross Moriarty complete the pack from the back-row.
Gareth Davies is at scrum-half, with Gareth Anscombe at 10. Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies continue in the centre, with Josh Adams and George North on the wings and Liam Williams at 15.
The replacements are Elliot Dee, Dillion Lewis, Nicky Smith, Jake Ball, Aaron Wainwright, Aled Davies, Dan Biggar and Owen Watkin.
Head coach Warren Gatland explained that he hasn’t made any changes as he believes these players have earned their place.
“We’ve named an unchanged squad and rewarded the players for the last couple of outings and the last couple of victories. These players are on a very good run, they are a hugely impressive group and they deserve to be going into the final weekend with everything to play for,” he said.
Wales will be looking to seal a grand slam when the reigning champions come to town on Saturday but will face a rejuvenated Irish side holding on to the slim hope of retaining their title.
For both teams it will be their final Six Nations match under their respective coaches with both seeking to end on a high. Especially Schmidt, who is aiming to win his first game against the Welsh in Cardiff on his third and final attempt for Ireland.
The stakes couldn’t be higher heading into the last round of fixtures and with things coming to an end on more than one front it should be a cracker of a game.
6 Nations
Hot stepper could put Davies & Parkes under pressure for Welsh centre positions #Residency
Cardiff Blues HR team have had a busy week. At the start of the
They then announced the capture of Amos from their Welsh rivals, Dragons.
However, sandwhiched between these 2 new signings was one very important annoucment for Cardiff and Wales.
Willis Halaholo (28) this week quietly committed his long term future to Cardiff Blues. The hot stepping centre grew up in Auckland and represented Tonga at youth level. Since joining the Blues in 2016 he has used his electric footwork to form an exciting partnership with former Hurricanes teammate Rey Lee-Lo in.
He has quickly
“I’m really happy to sign a new contract at Cardiff. The welcome I have received since I arrived here has been awesome and my family absolutely love it.
“This has definitely become our home and I’m really excited about what the future holds for Cardiff. We showed our potential last season by winning the European Challenge Cup and with so many exciting young players we can continue building and improving.
Cardiff boss John Mulvihill was delighted to retain his services. “Willis is such an exciting player, who has shown what he is capable of with big moments in big matches.
“He qualifies for Wales in the autumn and is looking forward to a massive off-season to take himself to the next level and put himself in the frame for selection.
“He has become a really important member of the group and compliments the young players coming through our system and thrives upon that competition.
If you’re not familiar with his name, below are just a few clips from his time to date with Cardiff. Come the Autumn, he could become a very handy addition to the Welsh squad!
6 Nations
England’s Six Nations campaign in review: Just a big anticlimax?
What happened, best and worst moments, and who stood out for England at the 2019 Six Nations.
The dramatic draw against Scotland in the final game of the 2019 Six Nations rather summed up England’s campaign – loads of tries, a brilliant start, and then a disappointing second half.
When Eddie Jones’ side visited majority favorites Ireland back at the start of February, and departed with a bonus point victory, there was a confidence among England fans that no one could beat them.
Fast forward to the 75th minute of the Scotland game and those same English fans are watching their side hurtle towards a second defeat of the tournament, against a team second-bottom of the table.
It took a George Ford overtime try to prevent one of the most sensational slip-ups of recent times, and spared the blushes of England players, fans and head coach Jones.
What happened?
Ireland 20-32 England
England’s Six Nations campaign got off to cracking start at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin – a venue where they had previously failed to win at in six years.
Last years Grand Slam champions were left stunned as England ran in four tries to claim a 32-20 victory.
Joe Schmidt’s side were dissected by England’s pacey and intelligent backline, with two-try hero Henry Slade starring at centre.
Jonny May and Elliot Daly both scored as Ireland capitulated under England’s relentless kicking game – Daly’s try came courtesy of Jacob Stockdale fumbling the fullbacks kick.
The only setback for England was the loss of the influential Maro Itoje to injury. Itoje wouldn’t feature again for England in the competition.
England 44-8 France
England’s attack carried it’s scintillating form back to Twickenham, as Jones’ men ripped a woeful France side to shreds.
May scored a hat-trick of tries in the same corner before the half hour mark, before Slade bagged his third score in two games before halftime.
A penalty try followed as France disintegrated after the break, before Owen Farrell crossed for England’s 10th try of the competition already.
The intensity dropped as Jones introduced his ‘finishers’, but the head coach will be happy his side were clinical enough to see the game out – but that would become an issue in weeks to come.
Wales 21-13 England
As England slumped to defeat in Cardiff, it seemed all the good work from the first two games had been undone.
As the game approached the interval, with England leading 10-3 thanks to Tom Curry’s first international try, there was a sense that Jones’ men would rumble on to a third consecutive victory.
But what happened just before the break typified the deep-lying mental issues this England side is plagued with.
A 12-man maul was threatening to reach the Welsh line, but the ball was slung out to Farrell, who opted for a cross-kick which was ultimately ineffective.
There was acres of space for the England backs outside Farrell, and it was a uncharacteristically reckless decision to go to the boot. Another try before halftime would’ve put Wales at arms length; instead, they were right in the game.
A Warren Gatland masterclass ensued in the second period, with Dan Biggar coming off the bench to orchestrate wave after wave of Welsh attack, as England were starved of possession.
Cory Hill and Josh Adams both went over for Wales as England’s defence finally succumbed to the endless pressure, completing a memorable turnaround.
This result abruptly ended English Grand Slam hopes, and reiterated their inability to retain leads in big games.
England 57-14
This result put half-hearted smiles back on English faces, but there was still a lingering hangover from the defeat at the Millenium Stadium.
There was an element of anger in Englands play, as they took the frustration of the Welsh loss out on a sorry Italian side.
Jones’ men ran in eight tries in a largely entertaining game, with Manu Tuilagi and Brad Shields both scoring braces.
Jonny May scored his fifth try of the competition, and was joined on the scoresheet by Jamie George, Dan Robson and George Kruis.
England 38-38 Scotland
With Wales’ victory over Ireland earlier in the day eliminating the prospect of England catching Gatland’s side, it seemed the Calcutta Cup match would be a forgotten game in the Six Nation archives.
However, it was anything but.
England flew out the blocks, scoring 30 points in as many minutes, looking to give Twickenham with something to cheer about despite the earlier result.
A fancy pass from Slade sending May over for his 6th try of the competition was the pick of five first half tries, as England set about proving the Wales result as an anomaly among their other brilliant attacking performances.
Their display over the next 40 minutes did nothing to prove that however.
Scotland ran in six unanswered tries, with Sam Johnson scoring five minutes from time to complete an astonishing comeback.
With Scotland now leading 38-31, an England side playing to save themselves from embarrassment managed to reach the Scottish five-metre line. Ford received the ball midfield, then threw a dummy to send himself under the posts, and send Twickenham into relieved pandemonium.
Where did it go wrong?
Eddie Jones heavily criticised his player’s mentality following the Wales defeat, as well as after the draw with Scotland in the final round of the Six Nations.
In both games, England were leading comfortably at half time – more so in the Scotland game admittedly – and ended up giving up their advantage before the end of the match.
He said: “It’s like we have some hand grenades in the back of a jeep and sometimes they go off when there’s a lot of pressure. We have a few of them and we’ve got to get rid of them.”
He revealed that he would seek expert help before the World Cup, to help tackle his sides mental weakness in big games.
Jones said: “Well, it’s a combination of personnel, but I’ve got one person that’s going to help us that’s a bit of an expert. I’m not sharing that name with you now. I haven’t used her before.
The Australian reiterated that this wasn’t a freak occurrence, and is something that has prevented his side from reaching elite status for some time.
“It is a recurring thing. It is not a one off,” Jones told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“When you want to be the best side in the world you have to put sides like Scotland away. We had the opportunity to do it and we didn’t.”
Best Moment
Two in 10 minutes for Henry Slade vs Ireland
The best moment of England’s campaign would obviously come before the Wales defeat, as everything since that loss seemed slightly hollow.
Slade’s two scores in Dublin encapsulated English fans reason to be optimistic – they demonstrated a confidence and excitement to Jones’ side.
It also showed that England could compete with – and beat – the very best.
The first came from a scrum on halfway, with Ben Youngs slinging the ball to the right wing, where Jonny May found space and kicked forward.
Slade, on exactly the same wavelength, ran onto the loose ball to score and put England 12 points clear of the reigning champions with 15 minutes to go.
The second, scored with five minutes left to play, allowed England to properly celebrate. It was the icing on the cake.
Slade picked off a pass from World Player of the Year, Johnny Sexton, and kept hold of the ball superbly to score England’s fourth and final try.
Honorable mention: George Ford try vs Scotland. Was a terrific moment of relief for English support after an astonishing game of rugby, but England should never have been in the position in the first place. There was also nothing left to play for other than pride (and the Calcutta Cup).
Worst Moment
Josh Adams try in 21-13 loss to Wales
When Josh Adams rose above Elliot Daly to claim Dan Biggar’s pinpoint cross-field kick, it epitomised the game itself.
Wales simply rose to the occasion – most notably in the second half – and England, like Daly, didn’t.
Not only did it end England’s Grand Slam hopes, it provided the Welsh with a springboard to go on and win the title, as well as handing them a record 12th consecutive Test win.
It was the final nail in the coffin on a hugely disappointing day for English rugby.
Honorable mention: Sam Johnson try to make it 38-31 to Scotland with five minutes to go. Had Ford not scored in overtime, this would be unquestionably the worst moment of the campaign – nothing could be more sickening for England than throwing away a 31-point lead, against Scotland of all teams.
Best player
Tom Curry
It easy to forget this man is just 20 years of age. His sin-bin against Ireland perhaps highlighted his over-eagerness, but he will only learn from mistakes such as this.
Just watching the workload the flanker gets through makes you feel tired – he made a staggering 86 tackles across the five games, more than any other player.
In addition, the Sale Sharks man managed five turnovers across the course of the campaign, which is no mean feat at international level.
His try against Wales also showed an intelligent side to his game that not many players his age possess.
Honorable mention: Henry Slade. Re-earned his place in the squad after impressing in the Autumn internationals, and fully justified his inclusion with some big performances in big games. His brace against Ireland will be one to remember. England look a better side with the Sale man in the team.
What next?
England will play four Test Matches in the summer, as preparation for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
In August, they will play Grand Slam winners Wales home and away, before Ireland visit Twickenham.
Then, at the start of September, they will host Italy at St. James’ Park.
The World Cup will then kick off mid-September. England have been drawn in pool C, along with France, USA, Argentina and Tonga.
Their first match will be against Tonga on September 22nd at the Sapporo Dome.
6 Nations
Ireland’s Six Nations: The Verdict
Here is the verdict we have on Ireland’s Six Nations and what it means for the future
Disappointment, anger, debates, a team in turmoil, these are what we have been hearing over the past few days since Ireland’s third-place finish in the Six Nations, but what is the reality?
A tournament that started and ended on sour notes, with a flourish in-between. It wasn’t the prettiest of sights, but it has taught us a few things.
The defeats that Ireland suffered, were not so much due to poor quality within the team, however, a lack of motivation. Against England they were smashed in every aspect, conceding an early try, something they also did against Wales in the final round.
The lack of motivation was present throughout the tournament bar the round four game against the French. Nobody will find out the reality of what happened behind the scenes any time soon, but there are some obvious reasons.
Firstly, the team’s half-back partnership where arguably rushed back from injury on the test stage. Conor Murray looked a shadow of himself all tournament, while Johnny Sexton came alive against the French, only to be found wanting against Wales once more.
Without that cog in the wheel, any team would fail to be at 100%. The solution could be simple, give them time to rest, or drop them and allow someone else to impress while giving them motivation to get back in form.
Injuries were a constant headache for Joe Schmidt and his backroom staff throughout meaning there was a lack of consistency on the team sheet, which didn’t help matters.
A lack of leadership occurred, with the usual motivators dropping off in their approach. Peter O’Mahony was man of the match on two occasions, but when he failed to turn up, nobody picked up the pieces.
The one real positive from the tournament is that it has been confirmed that Ireland have possibly the best lock in the game for years to come in James Ryan.
Memories of Paul O’Connell came to mind as 22-year-old Ryan showed his never say die attitude throughout and was definitely Ireland’s player of the Six Nations.
The worry is that the team spirit seen last year was missing, it looked like a group of individuals rather than a team effort at times.
Individual brilliance was what Ireland relied on for a spark, such as the return of Garry Ringrose and CJ Stander against France.
The positive is that Ireland have all the same players that featured last year as they dominated games, they have the same management and most importantly they have time.
The buzz of last season’s Grand Slam was incredible, but such high standards are hard to replicate week in, week out. This proved that while handing Ireland a reality check.
The negativity shown while the team played poorly was awful. When they were winning people hopped on the bandwagon, but when they have a bad time of it suddenly, they are the worst team around?
The reality is, this was a forgettable Six Nations, but the men in green have still come out as the third-best team in the world rankings and can only improve on their performances.
Lessons have been learned, Schmidt and Rory Best may not have got their fairy-tale endings, but instead of dwelling on a single poor tournament Ireland must now push on.
The quality is there. A quick list of names such as Sexton, Murray, Stockdale, Ryan, Ringrose, Henshaw, Best, Furlong, O’Mahony, to name a few shows the world-class group Ireland are fortunate to have.
This Six Nations was not what people had hoped for, but it has knocked any sense of invincibility out of this team, a team that demolished all they faced a year ago. How this team bounces back is what they should be judged on and all this has done has shown a nation how hard it is at the top, but it’s a challenge Schmidt and Co will grasp with both hands to rectify.
This team is far from done, a new era dawns, before then there is some unfinished business to deal with and Japan could be where Ireland flourish once more.
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