Ireland manager Andy Farrell will today announce his squad for Saturday’s Grand Slam decider against England.
The Irish are just a game away from another seismic performance that will also be Johnny Sexton’s swansong in the league.
After a stunning 10-53 defeat by France at Twickenham last weekend, England came into the game fourth and in desperate need of a strong performance.
Ireland’s last Grand Slam victory was in 2009 and they look forward to their replacements against an inconsistent England side at the Aviva Stadium.
It has been reported that the England team will be released at 5pm. However, the team may be announced earlier, so we will keep you updated throughout the day.
Ireland are expected to announce their selection around midday, while Andy Farrell will address the media at 4pm.
Check out our updates (below) courtesy of The Irish Mirror.
England’s line-up for Saturday’s game against Ireland
1. Ellis Genge
2. Jamie George
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. Maro Itoje
5.David Ribbans
6. Lewis Ludlam (VC)
7. Jack Willis
8. Alex Dombrandt
9. Jack van Poortvliet
10. Owen Farrell (C)
11.Henry Arundell
12. Manu Tuilagi
13.Henry Slade
14. Anthony Watson
15. Freddie Stewart
Ireland’s line-up for Saturday’s game against England
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 52 caps
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 16 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 64 caps
4. Ryan Baird (University of Leinster/Dublin) 10 internationals
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 52 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 93 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 49 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St. Mary’s College) 27 caps
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 24 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 112 Capsules (c)
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 19 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galweger) 45 capsules
13. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 61 caps
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians) 13 caps
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 29 caps
England’s Freddie Steward says he will be ready to take on the world number one on Saturday
Freddie Steward welcomes Ireland’s challenge after a disappointing season so far.
“Saturday was pretty dark and I’d like to think the only way is from there and we’re going to improve,” said Steward.
“Hardness is a pretty good way to describe it. Losing is never fun, but losing by such a margin is pretty painful.
“The most frustrating thing is that we blame ourselves and we can’t help it.
“Its times like this you don’t want to splinter because the wheels will fall off. We are in a good position now because we were close.
“As (defensive line coach) Kevin Sinfield told us, these weeks define teams. If you go as deep as we do, challenge yourself to collaborate and find out.”
Ireland’s injuries
With both Ronan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan injured in the game against Scotland, all eyes will be on the front-row squad.
Robbie Henshaw is expected to start in place of the absent Garry Ringrose.
Caelan Doris is out injured and has a touch-and-go lead on Saturday, while Jamison Gibson-Park is expected to start in place of Conor Murray.
Johnny Sexton farewell to Six Nations
Johnny Sexton insists this week is about something bigger than himself as he hopes to bid farewell to the Six Nations in a Grand Slam.
“I think what I’ve done is surround myself with good people,” said the Dubliner. “I am very blessed with my coaches who put their trust in me after the last World Cup.
“A lot of other coaches would have said, ‘There’s no way he’s going to get there’.” So yes, these are the people you rely on, your teammates.
“It’s very difficult to sit here all the time and talk about myself. This week isn’t about me, it’s about something bigger. It’s about the Grand Slam, it’s about the championship.
“But we also have to try to get rid of it. We have to give our best performance because it will be necessary.”
injury doubt
All eyes will be on the front row after Ronan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan picked up injuries against Scotland.
Garry Ringrose will miss out and Robbie Henshaw is likely to be included in the starting line-up.
Caelan Doris is also out injured and is a doubt, while Jamison Gibson-Park is expected to start in place of Conor Murray
Munster’s Ben Healy made his Scotland debut against Italy
Munster’s Ben Healy will make his Scotland debut in Saturday’s Six Nations match against Italy.
Healy is named as one of the substitutes to assist Blair Kinghorn at half-time.
With Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg both injured in the 7-22 defeat to Ireland, Kinghorn was rumored to start at full-back and Healy on the outside, but Gregor Townsend decided to keep Healy in reserve.
The 23-year-old hails from Tipperary but qualified for Scotland through his grandparents.
game details
The Aviva Stadium will host the game on Saturday March 18 with kick-off at 5pm.
In Ireland, you can watch the game on Virgin Media from 4.30pm as they prepare for kick-off.
You can stream Ireland v England for free on the ITVX app provided you have a valid TV licence. Virgin Media Player is also streaming the game.
Ireland’s last Grand Slam in 2009
In the first game of the Six Nations, Ireland defeated France 30–21 at Croke Park before beating Italy 9–38 the following week.
Two weeks later it was back to Croke Park to take on England. Ireland narrowly won 14-13 thanks to perseverance and a drop goal from Brian O’Driscoll. Scotland were up next and a 15-22 win over Murrayfield was enough to qualify for the Grand Slam match against Wales.
The ensuing match, one of the most iconic moments in Irish rugby history, cemented their place in the history books alongside the famous 1948 Grand Slam side.
Ellis Genge says England will swing on Saturday
Ellis Genge insists England are determined to regain their fighting form against Ireland this weekend.
“We’ve been beaten, we’re going to the world number one on St. Patrick’s Day – literally a day made for them – and they can win a Grand Slam,” Genge said.
“All the odds are against us, but I have real confidence in the group that we will come out with momentum.”
Johnny Sexton’s mission is to inspire the nation
Stressing before kick-off that the main motivation this week is to inspire the country, Sexton thanked supporters for the messages and support the team had received throughout the campaign.
“During the big weeks, the news comes in. The amount of support we received throughout the championship was incredible,” Sexton said.
“It did not escape our attention. We recognize it and we talk about it.
“The number one thing for us is to inspire the country. That’s number one. This is the first thing we have on the list.
“Everything else comes afterwards: performance, winning – but trying to make everyone proud is definitely, and the support we’ve had these weeks makes you understand why you value it so much.”
Good morning!
Hello and welcome to our live blog for the announcement of the Ireland-England squad ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations clash at the Aviva Stadium.
We focus on the home team who are expected to announce their team at 16:00. However, England would announce their squad at 5pm.
Andy Farrell’s men are in form as they are unbeaten in the tournament so far. They can win their first Grand Slam since 2009 if they can beat England on home soil in Dublin.
The Irish have picked up three bonus points from four games and could be crowned champions as early as 5pm if France are defeated by Wales.
Coverage of the match begins on Saturday afternoon at 4.30pm on Virgin Media.
Source: Bel Fast Live
