England and Ireland come face-to-face at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday, with both sides eyeing up a chance to lay down a marker.
Both teams have seen their Grand Slam hopes go up in flames in the opening rounds of the Championship, with England losing last weekend to Scotland and Ireland tasting defeat against France in round one, but that doesn’t mean the end of their title chances.
The defeat at Murrayfield has potentially brought home some ugly truths for Steve Borthwick’s side. England were comfortably second-best in the breakdown, conceding eight turnovers and winning just two, while posting a 78% tackle success rate across the 80 minutes compared to Scotland’s 88%. Their attack also came under a harsh spotlight. Despite making more entries into the 22 than their opposition and posting 56% territory and 52% possession, England scored just two tries compared to Scotland’s four.
As a result, Borthwick has made several changes to his side. Henry Pollock has been named in the starting XV for the first time in his Test career, coming in at number eight, while Tom Curry also packs down at six after featuring off the bench in the past two outings this Championship. Elsewhere, Ollie Lawrence comes back into the run-on group at outside centre, with Tommy Freeman moving over the wing.
Ireland do head to the English capital on the back of a win, but flattered to deceive against Italy as their slow start to the Championship continued. Andy Farrell’s men found themselves trailing 10-5 at half-time, while the introduction of Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park was also key in them taking the game away from the Azzurri in the final quarter.
That improved performance in the final 20 minutes has also seen several changes within their 23 heading to Twickenham, too. Gibson-Park and Crowley have taken the places of Craig Casey and Sam Prendergast this weekend, with the Munster number nine named on the bench while the Leinster fly-half drops out of the squad altogether. Elsewhere, Josh van der Flier and Tadhg Beirne come into the back-row, replacing Jack Conan and Cormac Izuchukwu in the process, while Tadhg Furlong also slots in at tighthead. Farrell has also opted for a 5/3 bench, with Finlay Bealham, Ciaran Frawley and Tommy O’Brien earning recalls.
Where the game will be won
It seems to be the case with a lot of Test match rugby, but this weekend in particular, the set-piece will define the outcome of the game.
The sides come into this one at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the scrum. Ireland were systematically torn apart by the impressive Italian pack last time out, with both Dan Sheehan and Furlong forced into the upper atmosphere as a result, and this isn’t the first time either.
The Springboks toyed with them like Orcas hunting a Seal back in November, sending both Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy to the sin-bin in the process, in a performance so dominant it led to conversations about the very nature of the scrum. France also dominated the scrum battle against the men in Green in the Six Nations opener, winning a handful of penalties in the process.
England could look to target this. Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Joe Heyes are all incredibly attack-minded scrummagers, with Genge in particular driving that intent with his aggressive style. It’s not so much that they dominate every moment of the scrum, but rather just wait for the right moment to properly go for the jugular, and it’s incredibly effective.
Furlong’s return to the starting XV, even after his airtime against Italy, and the reintroduction of Bealham on the bench are clear signs that Ireland are taking steps to change the tune at the scrum this weekend, so this will be a huge part in the overall outcome of the Test.
The lineout will also likely be a key battleground, given the platform it can provide.
Both sides use it in slightly different ways, with Ireland focusing on clean ball to then get into shape, while England use it more as a base for their rolling maul, but retaining possession at the lineout plays a major part in both sides’ gameplan.
The return of Beirne also points to this being a focus point for Ireland, while England have also kept their key lineout runners in Ollie Chessum and Maro Itoje together, which will only make this area more intriguing.
Last time they met
What they said
Speaking ahead of the Test, Borthwick said: “We’re expecting a huge contest at Allianz Stadium and we’re excited for it.”
“We know the challenge Ireland will bring and we’ve selected a side that we believe has the right balance to meet it.”
Captain Itoje will also win his 100th Test cap this weekend, and the England boss was full of praise for the Saracens lock.
“To reach 100 caps for England is a remarkable achievement and speaks volumes about Maro’s consistency and professionalism over many years, he added.
“He leads through his actions every day, sets the standard for others and cares deeply about representing his country. We’re all incredibly proud of what he has achieved, and I know it will be a special day for him and his family.”
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Ireland counterpart Farrell was also aware of the challenge facing his side this weekend.
“Games between the two sides have been nip and tuck over recent times and there’s great familiarity and respect across both camps,” he said.
“We know their strengths and our aim is to deliver the best version of ourselves to put us in a position to get the performance that we want.
“Backed by thousands of travelling Irish supporters who travel from all over the world whenever we play in Twickenham, it will be another special occasion and a challenge we’re excited to face.”
Players to watch
While he might be deployed back on the wing, Tommy Freeman should play a key role within England’s attack once again. Even when out wide, the Northampton Saint likes to pop up in different pockets of space where he can get his hands on the ball, but putting him back on the wing should also free him up to make those powerful breaks he is capable of and not have to worry about distribution.
The man replacing him in midfield, Ollie Lawrence, should also play a crucial role for his side upon his return. The Bath back is such a powerful and dynamic runner with the ball, and while it’s not the outright strike and punch that Freeman gave, his ability to kick on the outside and change his speed allows him to burst through the gainline.
Henry Pollock also has a big game ahead of him, with the youngster making his first Test start, but you’d back him to deliver. The Northampton ace has been a real live wire off the bench is his Test outings thus far, notably last weekend, where he made the third-most metres of any England player in just 24 minutes of action, and should have a similar effect right from the start. Pollock’s raw pace and genuine power in the contact will also add a fresh dynamic to this back-row in attack, with him able to float between the wide channels and areas of heavy traffic, so it’ll be interesting to see how England use him in the starting side.
Jack Crowley’s return to the starting side has dominated headlines in recent days, but he should live up to the hype around him. His entry off the bench last weekend just seemed to spark Ireland’s attack back into life after a sluggish start, adding a layer of stability across their backline and injecting genuine tempo and fluidity, and that should carry over nicely this weekend. It’s also a huge chance for him to nail down his spot as the starting 10, after biding his time behind Sam Prendergast in recent times.
Stuart McCloskey has been Ireland’s best player thus far this Six Nations, and should again be a focal point in their side this weekend. His direct, straight-line running just offers consistent punch within their attack, generating front-foot ball in the process, but also adds a touch of ball-playing into the mix too. It’s far from the Fraser Dingwall-esque style of playmaking, but it’s more offloading either just before the point of contact or just after, which then allows the likes of Jamie Osborne to crash through the spaces either side of the tackle and carry on the attack.
Tadhg Beirne will likely need a big game. His return to the back-row points to him being given that little bit more freedom to roam around in the tight and properly inject himself into proceedings rather than when he’s at lock. That slightly freer role, and it is only a slight change, is something he relishes as well and just keeps him fresh to have those big moments he is capable of. Crucially, it could also be a move to neutralise England’s jackal threat from the flanker duo of Ben Earl and Curry. He will also need a big game in the lineout.
Main head-to-head
It’s hard to overlook the battle between British and Irish Lions tourists Alex Mitchell and Jamison Gibson-Park at nine, given the effect they have on their side’s respective attacks. It’s actually really interesting to see how they compare at Test level, because they offer an eerily similar game compared to their respective club displays. They both enjoy toying with the tempo around the ruck depending on where they are on the pitch, what shape their sides want to run and even what options are at first receiver, but also blend that with pinpoint distribution ball-in-hand and with the boot too.
Crucially, they also offer a real threat around the fringes of the ruck, often taking just two or three steps ball-in-hand before passing just in case a defender bolts out and creates a gap for them to run through. It’s small, but it just adds that little bit of doubt in the defence and therefore creates space around them for others to pile through.
Prediction
This is a huge Test for both sides, who will both be keen to get their title hunt back on track against a major rival, but you would think England will bounce back from their Murrayfield misery and take the spoils. There really won’t be much in it, and even with last weekend fresh in their memories, England still know what it takes to get over the line on big occasions, and particularly at home.
On their 12-win run, eight came on the hallowed Twickenham turf, and they have also not tasted defeat at home since the Springboks beat them in November 2024. That muscle memory of winning at home should just about get them over the line.
As with any Test, it could go either way, but England should just about have enough to take the spoils; but defeat will only make the lingering questions grow louder for Ireland as they face the prospect of going one for three in the opening rounds of the Championship. England by five.
Previous results
2025: Ireland won 27-22 in Dublin
2024: England won 23-22 in London
2023: Ireland won 29-10 in Dublin
2023: Ireland won 29-16 in Dublin
2022: Ireland won 32-15 in London
2021: Ireland won 32-18 in Dublin
2020: England won 18-7 in London
2020: England won 24-12 in London
2019: England won 57-15 in London
2019: England won 32-20 in Dublin
The teams
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Sam Underhill, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith
Starting XV: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris (c), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Jeremy Loughman
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Tom O’Toole, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Nick Timoney, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Tommy O’Brien
Date: Saturday, 21 February, 2026
Kick-off: 14:10 GMT
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
TV: ITV, TF1, RTE Sport, SuperSport, Sky Italia, Sky NZ, Stan Sports, Peacock
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson
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