Ireland v England: Facts & Figures
It will be a ‘Super Saturday’ of RBS 6 Nations rugby for Ireland and England fans as their senior men’s, women’s and Under-20 teams all go head-to-head within the space of four hours.
RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, February 22
ENGLAND (3rd) v IRELAND (1st), Twickenham, 4pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC One/RTÉ Radio 1)
STATS & FACTS
– England have won their last four games at Twickenham in the RBS 6 Nations since Wales were victorious there in round 3 of the 2012 tournament
– England’s record in round 3 encounters over the last ten seasons has seen them win on just three occasions, all against France
– Ireland have begun their campaign with victories over Scotland and Wales but have not won in the first three rounds of the Championship since they claimed the Grand Slam in 2009
– Ireland’s only victory in their last six away games in the Championship was 30-22 against Wales in Cardiff in the opening round last year
– England have won their last three games against Ireland in all competitions, while the men in green have won on three of their last five visits to Twickenham
ON THE PITCH
– Mike Brown has made the most metres so far in this season’s RBS 6 Nations with 183 metres. Rob Kearney is in third spot with 154 metres
– Mike Brown and Luther Burrell have made the most clean breaks in the first two rounds, along with France’s Yoann Huget (they have all made four clean breaks each)
– Conor Murray has thrown the most passes with 138, while Danny Care is in third with 128
– Peter O’Mahony has won more turnovers than anyone else with five, Jack Nowell is in second spot with 4
– Courtney Lawes has won 50% more lineouts than any other forward with 18. Devin Toner is equal second with 12
– Ireland have conceded just two tries in their last six RBS 6 Nations matches – by Louis Picamoles and Giovanbattista Venditti
– The last England forward to score a try in the Championship was Geoff Parling against Scotland in last season’s opening round, while the most recent pack member to score a try against England in the tournament was Fabio Ongaro for Italy at Twickenham in 2011
RBS 6 Nations Results/Fixtures
ENGLAND: Mike Brown (Harlequins); Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Jonny May (Gloucester); Owen Farrell (Saracens), Danny Care (Harlequins); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), David Wilson (Bath), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) (capt), Billy Vunipola (Saracens).
Replacements: Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), Dave Attwood (Bath), Ben Morgan (Gloucester), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), George Ford (Bath), Alex Goode (Saracens).
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Romain Poite (France), Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Television Match Official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
RBS UNDER-20 6 NATIONS: Saturday, February 22
ENGLAND UNDER-20s (3rd) v IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th), Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, 6.15pm (live Sky Sports 2 HD)
– The England Under-20s’ only defeat in their last five matches was in France in round 1, however they have won their last eight home matches since their loss to Ireland in Gloucester in 2010
– The Ireland Under-20s have won just one of their last five matches, but their16-0 defeat at home to Wales in round 2 ended a three-match unbeaten run in the Six Nations
– The England Under-20s have played two previous matches at Franklin’s Gardens, losing to France there in 2007 and beating Italy in round 4 last season
– The Ireland Under-20s have won their last two contests with England and overall have won five of the eleven previous meetings at this level
– Ireland out-half Ross Byrne is the joint-third top points scorer in the 2014 tournament so far with 14 points (four conversions and two penalties), level with England’s Billy Burns
– Ireland number 8 Jack O’Donoghue – the man-of-the-match against Scotland – is the joint-top try scorer thanks to his brace in the opening round
Match Ticket Info: Tickets for Saturday’s Under-20 match are on general sale, with prices starting at £5. Book online now by clicking here and following the instructions. By using Print@Home you will save yourself the admin fees and beat the matchday queues.
RBS U-20 6 Nations Results/Fixtures
ENGLAND U-20: Nathan Earle (Saracens); Zach Kibirige (Newcastle Falcons), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Harry Sloan (Harlequins), Howard Packman (Northampton Saints); Billy Burns (Gloucester), Callum Braley (Bristol) (capt); Alex Lundberg (London Wasps), Harry Thacker (Leicester Tigers), Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Charlie Ewels (Bath), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester), Joel Conlon (Exeter Chiefs), James Chisholm (Harlequins).
Replacements: Jack Walker (Leeds Carnegie), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints), Paul Hill (Leeds Carnegie), Tom Ellis (Bath), Gus Jones (London Wasps), Henry Taylor (Loughborough University), Sam Olver (Northampton Saints), Henry Purdy (Leicester Tigers).
IRELAND U-20: David Busby (Queen’s University/Ulster); Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster), Peter Robb (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster); Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (Galwegians/Connacht), Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster), Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster), Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Frankie Taggart (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster).
Replacements: Sean McNulty (UCD/Munster), Denis Coulson (Lansdowne/Leinster), Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Joe Joyce (Bristol/Exiles), Michael Triggs (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jack Cullen (Bruff/Munster), Conor McKeon (Lansdowne/Leinster), Harrison Brewer (Terenure College/Leinster).
Referee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
WOMEN’S RBS 6 NATIONS: Saturday, February 22
ENGLAND WOMEN (3rd) v IRELAND WOMEN (1st), Twickenham, 6.20pm (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (worldwide)/’Game On’ RTÉ 2fm/BBC Red Button)
– The England Women’s team have won three of their last four matches. Their only home defeat in their last 11 fixtures came against France at Twickenham in round 3 last season, which was their only previous loss in eleven matches at English rugby’s headquarters
– Defending champions Ireland have won ten of their last 11 Six Nations matches: their only reversal during that run being a 23-6 loss to England at Esher in 2012
– England won their first 17 encounters with Ireland until their 25-0 defeat at Ashbourne in last year’s Championship –
– The Ireland Women’s side have played at Twickenham just once before, losing 51-10 in 2004
– Current players Fiona Coghlan, the team captain, and Lynne Cantwell are the only survivors from that day, while the recently retired Joy Neville scored one of Ireland’s two tries and provided the assist for the other
– Irish lock Sophie Spence remains top of the try scoring charts thanks to her hat-trick of tries in the record-breaking 59-0 defeat of Scotland in round 1. England captain Katy Mclean is the top points scorer with 19 points
Match Ticket Info: Free entry into stadium after men’s Six Nations match.
Women’s RBS 6 Nations Results/Fixtures
ENGLAND WOMEN: Emily Scarratt (Lichfield); Katherine Merchant (Worcester), Amber Reed (Bristol), Rachael Burford (Thurrock), Kay Wilson (Bristol); Katy Mclean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks) (capt), Natasha Hunt (Lichfield); Rochelle Clark (Worcester), Emma Croker (Richmond), Sophie Hemming (Bristol), Rebecca Essex (Richmond), Joanne McGilchrist (Wasps), Hannah Gallagher (Saracens), Maggie Alphonsi (Saracens), Sarah Hunter (Lichfield).
Replacements: Victoria Fleetwood (Lichfield), Laura Keates (Worcester), Sasha Acheson (Bristol), Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Marlie Packer (Wasps), La Toya Mason (Wasps), Ceri Large (Worcester), Lydia Thompson (Worcester).
IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster); Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exile), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/UCC/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (Bristol/Exile); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht), Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster).
Replacements: Stacey-Lea Kennedy (Cooke/Ulster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Kerrie-Ann Craddock (Saracens/Exile), Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster), Amy Davis (Blackrock /Ulster), Hannah Casey (Saracens/Exile), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Exile).
Referee: Sherry Trumbull (Canada)
Assistant Referees: Claire Hodnett, Tracey Pettingale (both England)
Television Match Official: Graham Hughes (England)
– Compiled by SFMS Limited (Stuart Farmer Media Services)
