Ireland v England: Facts & Figures
The Ireland Women are the only team in green left in title contention as they chase a second Grand Slam, while Joe Schmidt’s men and the Under-20s are both hoping to deny their English counterparts a Championship clean sweep.
UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS: Friday, March 17
IRELAND UNDER-20s (3rd) v ENGLAND UNDER-20s (1st), Donnybrook, 6pm (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (island of Ireland only)/Sky Sports Mix)
– Ireland’s six-match winning run in the U-20 Six Nations came to an end against Wales in Colwyn Bay in round 4
– Ireland have scored exactly 27 points with three tries, three conversions and two penalties in each of the last three rounds
– The Ireland Under-20s have won their last three games at Donnybrook since Wales won there in round 1 last year
– England have already secured their sixth U-20 Six Nations Championship but are going for their first Grand Slam since 2011
– The England Under-20s have recorded four maximum point victories in their 2017 Six Nations campaign so far, extending their winning run to nine games at this level
– England have had three previous opportunities to win an U-20 Grand Slam and have won their decisive round 5 encounter every time
– England’s only defeat in their last five fixtures with Ireland was 26-20 at Newcastle in round 3 last year. The two then went on to meet in the final of the World Rugby U-20 Championship in Manchester last June with England victorious, 45-21
– Ireland have faced an opponent going for a Grand Slam in round 5 three times before and lost them all (to England in 2008 and 2011 and to France in 2014)
RECENT SIX NATIONS MEETINGS:
Friday, March 18, 2011 – Ireland U-20s 15 England U-20s 46, Dubarry Park
Friday, March 16, 2012 – England U-20s 20 Ireland U-20s 9, Adams Park
Friday, February 8, 2013 – Ireland U-20s 16 England U-20s 15, Dubarry Park
Saturday, February 22, 2014 – England U-20s 33 Ireland U-20s 9, Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Friday, February 27, 2015 – Ireland U-20s 14 England U-20s 19, Donnybrook
Friday, February 26, 2016 – England U-20s 20 Ireland U-20s 26, Kingston Park, Newcastle
Match Ticket Information: Limited tickets for the Under-20s & Women’s Donnybrook double header are available to buy online here.
IRELAND U-20: Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster); Tommy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Gavin Mullin (UCD/Leinster), Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster), Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster) (capt); Bill Johnston (Garryowen/Munster), Jonny Stewart (Queen’s University/Ulster); Joey Conway (UL Bohemians/Munster), Tadgh McElroy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Charlie Connolly (Dublin University/Leinster), Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster), Oisin Dowling (Lansdowne/Leinster), John Foley (Shannon/Munster), Paul Boyle (Lansdowne/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (UCD/Leinster), Greg McGrath (Lansdowne/Leinster), Matthew Burke (Corinthians/Connacht), Jack Regan (UCD/Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster), Jack Stafford (Shannon/Munster), Conor Fitzgerald (Shannon/Munster), Colm Hogan (Dublin University/Munster).
ENGLAND U-20: Tom Parton (London Irish); Joe Cokanasiga (London Irish), Dominic Morris (Saracens), Will Butler (Worcester Warriors), Sam Aspland-Robinson (Harlequins); Max Malins (Saracens), Harry Randall (Gloucester); Ollie Dawe (Bristol), Henry Walker (Gloucester), Ciaran Knight (Gloucester), Jack Nay (Saracens), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Zach Mercer (Bath) (capt).
Replacements: Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons), Ralph Adams-Hale (Saracens), Joseph Morris (Worcester Warriors), Justin Clegg (Worcester Warriors), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Theo Brophy Clews (London Irish), Max Wright (Yorkshire Carnegie).
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Referees: Tual Trainini, Stephane Boyer (both France)
Television Match Official: Arnaud Blondel (France)
WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS: Friday, March 17
IRELAND WOMEN (2nd) v ENGLAND WOMEN (1st), Donnybrook, 8pm (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (island of Ireland only)/Sky Sports Mix/’Game On’ 2fm/Six Nations Facebook Live Stream)
– This is only the second time in the history of the Women’s Six Nations that both sides are going for a Grand Slam in round 5. On the previous occasion, France beat England 13-12 in Bourg-en-Bresse to take the 2004 Grand Slam
– The Ireland Women have won the title twice in the past four years, 2013 with a Grand Slam beating Italy in round 5
– Ireland have won their last six Women’s Six Nations matches since losing 13-9 to England at Twickenham in round 3 last year
– The Ireland Women have played seven previous matches at Donnybrook with their only defeat there being to Wales in 2006
– The England Women have not won the Six Nations title since 2012 with their success that year being a third successive Grand Slam and a seventh successive title win
– England have had a chance of winning a Grand Slam on nine previous occasions in the Women’s Six Nations and only failed twice, both away to France in round 5, in 2004 and 2016. Five of those encounters have been against Ireland (2003, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2012)
– The England Women have won their last five Test matches since losing to New Zealand at the Twickenham Stoop last November
– England have won their last three matches against Ireland since the girls in green’s 11-8 victory at Ashbourne in the 2015 Women’s Six Nations
– The England Women have never played at Donnybrook before
RECENT SIX NATIONS MEETINGS:
Friday, March 18, 2011 – Ireland Women 0 England Women 31, Ashbourne RFC
Saturday, March 17, 2012 – England Women 23 Ireland Women 6, Moseley Road
Saturday, February 9, 2013 – Ireland Women 25 England Women 0, Ashbourne RFC
Saturday, February 22, 2014 – England Women 17 Ireland Women 10, Twickenham
Friday, February 27, 2015 – Ireland Women 11 England Women 8, Ashbourne RFC
Saturday, February 27, 2016 – England Women 13 Ireland Women 9, Twickenham
Match Ticket Information: Limited tickets for the Under-20s & Women’s Donnybrook double header are available to buy online here.
IRELAND WOMEN: Kim Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Aylesford Bulls), Alison Miller (Old Belvedere/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Leah Lyons (Highfield/Munster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster) (capt).
Replacements: Ciara O’Connor (Galwegians/Connacht), Ilse van Staden (Cooke/Ulster), Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Tullamore/Connacht), Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht), Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Ulster), Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht).
ENGLAND WOMEN: Danielle Waterman (Bristol); Amy Wilson Hardy (Bristol), Emily Scarratt (Lichfield), Amber Reed (Bristol), Kay Wilson (Richmond); Emily Scott (Saracens), La Toya Mason (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks); Rochelle Clark (Worcester Valkyries), Amy Cokayne (Lichfield), Justine Lucas (Lichfield), Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield), Alex Matthews (Richmond), Marlie Packer (Bristol), Sarah Hunter (Bristol) (capt).
Replacements: Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens), Vickii Cornborough (Aylesford Bulls), Laura Keates (Worcester Valkyries), Poppy Cleall (Bristol), Izzy Noel-Smith (Bristol), Bianca Blackburn (Worcester Valkyries), Rachael Burford (Aylesford Bulls), Lydia Thompson (Worcester Valkyries).
Referee: Alhambra Nievas (Spain)
Assistant Referees: Sean Gallagher, Paul Haycock (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Neil Patterson (Scotland)
RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 18
IRELAND (2nd) v ENGLAND (1st), Aviva Stadium, 5pm (live RTÉ Two/UTV/ITV/DMAX/FR2/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
STATS & FACTS
– Ireland’s only defeat in their last seven matches at the Aviva Stadium was to New Zealand in November
– Ireland have not been beaten in Dublin in the RBS 6 Nations since England visited in 2013
– The Irishmen have been victorious in their round 5 match for the past three seasons
– England are bidding to become the first team to win successive RBS 6 Nations Grand Slams (the last side to achieve it in the old Five Nations was France in 1997 and 1998
– A win for England would see them overtake New Zealand’s record of 18 successive tier one Test victories, set between 2015 and 2016
– England have won their round 5 encounter for the past three seasons
– This is England’s 22nd opportunity to win a Grand Slam, having previously been successful on 13 of those occasions. Three of those matches were played in Dublin, winning in 2003 (when Ireland also had the chance of a Grand Slam) but losing in 2001 and 2011
– England’s only defeat in their last seven fixtures with Ireland was 19-9 on their most recent visit to the Aviva Stadium two years ago
RECENT SIX NATIONS MEETINGS:
Saturday, March 19, 2011 – Ireland 24 England 8, Aviva Stadium
Saturday, March 17, 2012 – England 30 Ireland 9, Twickenham
Sunday, February 10, 2013 – Ireland 6 England 12, Aviva Stadium
Saturday, February 22, 2014 – England 13 Ireland 10, Twickenham
Sunday, March 1, 2015 – Ireland 19 England 9, Aviva Stadium
Saturday, February 27, 2016 – England 21 Ireland 10, Twickenham
IRELAND: Jared Payne (Ulster); Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster).
ENGLAND: Mike Brown (Harlequins); Anthony Watson (Bath), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Owen Farrell (Saracens); Elliot Daly (Wasps), George Ford (Bath), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) (capt), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Maro Itoje (Saracens), James Haskell (Wasps), Billy Vunipola (Saracens).
Replacements: Jamie George (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs).
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant Referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television Match Official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
– Compiled by SFMS Limited (Stuart Farmer Media Services)