For Irish rugby people the game against the English is always special. Even allowing for that however, the level of expectation which has preceded this game is quite extraordinary. I can never remember such a demand for tickets. The commitment and competitiveness of the team (and their management) have whetted the appetite of the rugby-going public and indeed the Irish sporting public in general.

It is hard to believe when one looks at our record against England over the past few years, during which time Irish success has come in the most unlikely of circumstances and large defeats have been frequent, that we are suddenly looking forward to the English game with the legitimate hope of an Irish victory.

This change in our position has been the result of a number of factors. The major ones are the realistic approach of management and the admirable manner in which the players in the squad have adapted to the demands of the professional era and have picked themselves up off the floor after a number of defeats which would have broken the spirit of many.

The biggest improvement in their game has been in defence, which is now of such a standard that we can compete against all opposition. One other significant reason, however, is that rugby has reverted to the more traditional type of game.

It happens all the time in all sports. The administrators change the laws to make the game more "attractive" and, in the case of rugby, supposedly safer. For a period, the game definitely became more open, and the number of tries scored increased greatly, as did the scorelines.

Recently, however, the scorelines have dropped considerably, as has the number of tries being scored. The level of kicking that has returned into the game is extraordinary, and teams have now improved their defence to such a level that people are once again becoming cautious and afraid to carry the ball too much in the hand. These changes have definitely suited the Irish style.

I hope we get off to a good start against England. I have no doubt that the Irish team will tear into them from the outset, but we have to make sure that we do not concede early scores.

The English, and in particular their back line, are players who like to play to a pattern and are not at their best if they are unsettled. They have picked their back line very much based on football ability, but I am certainly not convinced of their defensive qualities, particularly across the middle of the park in the persons of Grayson, Guscott and Wilkinson.

The middle of the field in fact will be an interesting place as there is an extraordinary contrast between the centres in both teams. The weather may be vital in this area as it is obvious that the worse the conditions, the more it will suit the Irish centres who are far more suited to the direct barging game plan than their counterparts, who rely more on speed and skill.

Jeremy Guscott is undoubtedly the star in the English back line and has done a lot of damage to Ireland in the past, but he may not be quite as effective if he has to spend a good deal of time tackling the Irish centres. There is a lot of pace in the English back line, but we must hope that the Irish side does not give them the space to use that.

A lot has been said and written about the Irish pack after their performances against South Africa, France and Wales. They are without doubt a world-class pack of forwards at this stage, but this will probably be their biggest test for some time.

There is a lot of experience in the English pack. Their scrum and line-out will be in a different class altogether to the Welsh who were hopelessly inept, particularly, in the latter area. I do not expect either side to concede anything in the set-pieces. The battle here may very well come down to the impact of the back rows in the loose.

I believed all along that Victor Costello would be picked for this game, and while Eric Miller has played very well, I think the decision is the right one. We need Costello's physical presence and he will also keep the English back row busy, which hopefully will limit the impact that they have around the park.

England will try to split up the game against Ireland. I would not be surprised if they use a lot of short line-outs, quick line-outs, fast penalties and such like in the early stages of the game to try to prevent the Irish team from getting among them. They will have noticed too from the Welsh/Irish game that we were at our most uncomfortable when Wales ran at us with the ball in hand, particularly in the third quarter.

As the London Irish coach Dick Best is involved in England's preparation, it will be interesting to see whether or not they kick much ball to the Irish back three, particularly the London Irish pair of Conor O'Shea and Justin Bishop. Ireland, on the other hand, are certainly likely to test the English with plenty of up-and-unders. One of the problems we have had this year is deciding what to do with the ball when we have won a number of successive rucks, as we did in the French game in particular. It is all very well making yards at the time by driving, but it gets harder and harder to make decisions when the pack keeps churning out possession.

It is at this moment that you need people with speed to take advantage of the openings and overlaps that are created and this we have not done to date. We are still far more likely to score through the forwards or through opposition mistakes, as we did in the Welsh game, and drop kicking.

All in all, there is a lot to look forward to, and a lot at stake. The winner of the match this afternoon will have a great chance of lifting the Triple Crown and England are still in line for a Grand Slam.

There is inevitably going to be a lot of tension between the sides, and a lot of aggression, but hopefully it will not go beyond acceptable limits. On this occasion my head as well as my heart goes for an Irish win.