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\n James Lowe was excellent on his return. \u00a9INPHO<\/p>\n
IT HAS NEVER been the case before that Andy Farrell has to pick a Six Nations team for the third weekend in a row.<\/p>\n
The novelty and the challenge of this year\u2019s championship is that it\u2019s a week shorter, so the opening three rounds are on consecutive weekends, followed by a rest week, then the final two rounds.<\/p>\n
So after a torrid defeat in Paris and a tense victory against Italy on Saturday, Ireland immediately switch their focus to causing an upset against England at Twickenham.<\/p>\n
Despite England\u2019s defeat to Scotland on Saturday, Farrell\u2019s men will travel as underdogs, with the English being given 11-point favouritism in some quarters.<\/p>\n
As Steve Borthwick\u2019s men will undoubtedly be fired up to rebound and get their Six Nations title bid back on track at home, it is likely to take a high-quality performance from Ireland this Saturday.<\/p>\n
As ever, selection will be key. Farrell indicated that Garry Ringrose was the only new injury concern from the Italy game, with the outside centre needing medical attention on his right knee after getting his leg trapped awkwardly in a tackle in the closing stages.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he felt fine with strapping or whatever, so I don\u2019t know, we\u2019ll see,\u201d said Farrell.<\/p>\n
After a fine outing for the Irish outside backs against Italy, you sense that Farrell would like continuity there for the England clash.<\/p>\n
Jamie Osborne had one of his best games at fullback for Ireland, showing confidence and skill in equal measure, while the recalled James Lowe underlined that he is still an excellent power wing with a brilliant performance.<\/p>\n
Lowe was omitted for the France game, with Jacob Stockdale preferred, but he proved a point on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, people write him off,\u201d said Farrell. \u201cThese lads, it matters to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought that he was outstanding today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n James Lowe was excellent on his return. \u00a9INPHO<\/p>\n
\u00a9INPHO\n<\/p>\n
Robert Baloucoune took his chance on the right wing with aplomb, beginning his Six Nations debut with a good aerial win and going on to show his class on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n
His finish in the second half was thrillingly athletic and backing him against England seems like a no-brainer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s huge,\u201d said Farrell of Baloucoune seizing his opportunity. \u201cWe don\u2019t take these things lightly by swapping the team around. We swap it for all sorts of reasons and one of them is to give people an opportunity to show what they can do at this level.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose it\u2019s tough for anyone when their international career is stop-start, and there\u2019s reasons for that with injury and so on. It can be frustrating, you can lose confidence and so on.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd for him to have not played that much rugby this year, but to come into camp and show us he\u2019s worthy of a start like that, and to back it up, is really pleasing.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a similar vein, blindside flanker Cormac Izuchukwu impressed as he also made his Six Nations debut.<\/p>\n
Izuchukwu carried well seven times and did some excellent work in defence, claimed a team-leading four Irish lineout throws, while an important second-half lineout steal in the Irish 22 was probably the highlight moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s his point of difference,\u201d said Farrell. \u201cHe would have led the defensive lineout stuff for us all week. He\u2019s a fantastic lineout forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Caelan Doris muscular at openside and Jack Conan providing momentum from number eight, there will surely be strong temptation to crack on with that trio again in London.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Caelan was fighting hard to show with his leadership of \u2018follow me\u2019 by how he acts. We know he\u2019s a world-class player,\u201d said Farrell.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been trying to fight back to his best form. I thought today he went a long way to get it back to that. I thought he was outstandingly strong in his carry.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took some stopping and he\u2019s always going to be a threat over the ball as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n Cormac Izuchukwu wins a lineout for Ireland. \u00a9INPHO<\/p>\n
\u00a9INPHO\n<\/p>\n
However, Nick Timoney shone off the bench once again and Farrell will also consider a recall for Josh van der Flier, who started against France but was left out of the matchday 23 for the Italy game.<\/p>\n
Lowe\u2019s response to being dropped for Paris shows what even a brief stint on the outside can do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a few people that were disappointed not to play today and they\u2019ll certainly be hoping that they can put the handle for selection this week,\u201d said Farrell.<\/p>\n
Second row James Ryan was superb for Ireland on Saturday, having excelled off the bench against France, so he looks like a certain starter this weekend.<\/p>\n
Joe McCarthy had some good involvements in contact and will hope to have done enough to go again versus the English, although Farrell may be keen to bring Tadhg Beirne back into the starting XV after he was used off the bench against Italy.<\/p>\n
Beirne can play at blindside flanker too, which would potentially see Izuchukwu going to the impact role from the bench. So there are a few ways that Farrell could go with the back five of his scrum.<\/p>\n
The front row will be of chief concern, given how Italy dismantled the Irish scrum for a large part of Saturday\u2019s game, winning four penalties and a free-kick in that area. Some of their wins involved total dominance of the Irish pack.<\/p>\n
Farrell praised Tom O\u2019Toole heavily for his impact off the bench at loosehead, as he helped Ireland to steady the ship in the final two scrums of the game. Despite his lack of experience there, the Ulster man is a live option to start in the number one shirt, which Jeremy Loughman has worn in the opening two rounds.<\/p>\n
R\u00f3nan Kelleher is considered a stronger scrummager than Dan Sheehan, so he will be in firm consideration for a start too, while Tadhg Furlong was always likely to start against England having made his return off the bench on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very different, isn\u2019t it, for a good number of those front rows who have had to come in because of the injuries and it\u2019s new experiences for them,\u201d said Farrell of the pressure Ireland were under at the scrum, with firm echoes of the Springboks defeat in November.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut also today, I think it\u2019s good learning for the experienced ones like Tadhg and Dan and R\u00f3nan, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the overriding part of it for me is that we was obviously under pressure against an excellent, dynamic, powerful Italian scrum but Tom O\u2019Toole came through with flying colours and that was a fantastic story.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Tom O’Toole will be in contention to start at loosehead. Ben Brady \/ INPHO<\/p>\n
Ben Brady \/ INPHO \/ INPHO\n<\/p>\n
Farrell said he was delighted to have given Edwin Edogbo his debut, with the Munster lock making his power felt on the tighthead side in those last two scrums.<\/p>\n
The Ireland boss felt the penalty against Edogbo late on at the breakdown was tough.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s frustrating,\u201d said Farrell. \u201cHe was told to get off the ball. And he did and he still got penalised. So I don\u2019t know what he\u2019s supposed to do, but anyway, we\u2019ll look at that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the Irish midfield, the outstanding Stuart McCloskey will continue at number 12 after another whopper of a display against Italy, while Farrell will hope to have Ringrose available after a subtly influential performance on Saturday. McCloskey stole the show, but Ringrose made lots of positive contributions.<\/p>\n
Jamison Gibson-Park will be back at number nine after a lively, composed impact off the bench against the Italians. Craig Casey was handed a start on Saturday but he was left with a broken nose, as well as a yellow card.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll say that it\u2019s his duty to get lower, but sometimes it shocks you, you know, when somebody steps back into you or whatever,\u201d said Farrell of that high tackle incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt needs cleaning up in my opinion, because you get a broken nose and you didn\u2019t even know that it happened. It\u2019s hard to take, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jack Crowley put his hand up for a start at out-half after making a clear impact upon replacing Sam Prendergast on Saturday.<\/p>\n