Coach: Steve Borthwick.
Captain: Maro Itoje.
Overview
Steve Borthwick had rolled the dice in handing the captaincy to Maro Itoje before injury ruled the 34-year-old Jamie George, the previous incumbent in the role, out of the tournament.
Itoje, the 30-year-old secondrow, is an outstanding player with a pedigree for being at his best in the big matches whether at Saracens, England or the Lions. The new captain’s mission statement is uncomplicated and if he can foster that clarity and focus among his team-mates then it will augur well for England’s prospects.
Ireland v England preview: First game will be crucial in turbo-charged race for Grand Slam
Ireland thankful to be able to call on three centres of excellence
Six Nations guide to England: Fixtures, prospects and who to watch
Paul Howard and Gordon D’Arcy: ‘Football has rules, but rugby has laws because they were drawn up by solicitors charging by the hour’
He said: “This Six Nations is huge for us. It’s not necessarily about silencing critics or anything like that, it’s about achieving what we want to achieve as a team. To succeed you need to win. We want to grow, develop and progress. To do those things we need to get the right results. We want to fulfil our potential and take a step in the right direction. That will be judged by how successful we are.
“We need to work harder in almost all aspects because we are not where we want to be. To get to where we want to get to, we need to do more.”
While England have lost five of their last six Test matches, two of those were by one (16-15) and seven points (24-17) in New Zealand, two points (24-22) when the All Blacks visited Twickenham and then a couple of other close tussles in the Autumn Nations Series, a 42-37 defeat to the Wallabies and then 29-20 to the double world champions South Africa.
Who will start at 10 for Ireland during the Six Nations?
They have been gritty and competitive, showing plenty of character in those games, but they’ve played with the handbrake on, a little conservatively and often relying on individual cameos, so the next step now is to win those tight matches just as they did in last season’s Six Nations against Ireland when Marcus Smith’s late drop goal allowed them to sneak home, 23-22.
Smith is a pivotal performer and needs to remove any doubt that he has the game management skills to drive his team through sticky patches in games and occasionally be pragmatic in his outlook. No one would dispute his talent or flair but there are times when being prosaic has its virtue.
Borthwick’s penchant for shifting the Harlequins pivot to fullback, while underlining the player’s quality and versatility, only happens, barring injury, when a coach is looking for something else other than what he sees at that particular time. Northampton Saints outhalf Fin Smith has his supporters.
The absence of the injured Immanuel Feyi Waboso and George Furbank removes two top-class and potentially game-changing backs. There is an element of going back to the future – Luke Cowan Dickie over Theo Dan at hooker, 31-year-olds Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence in the centre – but there is also a nod to the present in giving Cadan Murley his debut.
[ Six Nations preview: France can win Grand Slam if they don’t lose their headsOpens in new window ]
[ Six Nations guide to Scotland: Fixtures, prospects and who to watchOpens in new window ]
[ Six Nations guide to Italy: Fixtures, prospects and who to watchOpens in new window ]
[ Six Nations guide to Wales: Fixtures, prospects and who to watchOpens in new window ]
There’s some youthful talent in the squad, but the key for England is having the courage to implement a style that allows it to breathe. England finished last year’s Six Nations with a win over Ireland and it took a late Thomas Ramos penalty to deny them against France.
In a brutal start to this year’s tournament Six Nations, they face the same two countries back to back. How they fare in these two games, performance and outcome, will either release or ratchet up the pressure. They have been dogged and doughty for the most part since Borthwick took over and this tournament feels like a watershed moment, when the head coach has had the time to decide on the route ahead.
Player to watch: If there is a manifestation of England coach Steve Borthwick then it is hard to argue against it being number eight, Ben Earl, albeit a little bit more demonstrative on a pitch than his boss, in celebrating ‘wins’ in games, big or little. The Saracens player has been a consistent and excellent performer for the national side. His poaching threat is a menace to the opposition at the breakdown, while his athleticism and speed when the game opens up mark him as a threat in that capacity.
Title odds: 4/1
Last three finishes: third, fourth, third.
Fixtures (all times Irish): Saturday, February 1st: Ireland v England, Aviva Stadium (4.45). Saturday, February 8th: England v France, Twickenham (4.45). Saturday, February 22nd: England v Scotland, Twickenham (4.45). Sunday, March 9th: England v Italy, Twickenham (3.00); Saturday, March 15th: Wales v England, Principality Stadium (4.45).
Prospects: The first two matches in the Six Nations will inform England’s chances of outright success, starting with today’s game against the defending champions in Dublin. If they can back up last year’s one-point win over Ireland at Twickenham with another victory, then they’ll have huge momentum and confidence to take into next weekend’s home game against France. Two home games against Italy and Scotland are eminently winnable, while the trip over the Severn Bridge won’t hold too many fears. A good start is more than half the battle for Borthwick’s charges in terms of their title ambitions.
