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England vs Ireland Preview & Tips - England to bounce back in the Six Nations with win over troubled Ireland

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Ben Darvill
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  • Both sides have won once and lost once in the Six Nations this year 
  • Henry Arundell has scored in both of his Six Nations appearances (four tries in two games)
  • Preview, stats & head to head 
Henry Pollock of England (Getty Images)
Henry Pollock of England (Getty Images)

England vs Ireland Preview & Tips


England were outplayed by Scotland last week as a 20-minute red card for Henry Arundell cost his side any chance of winning the Calcutta Cup in 2026. 

Ireland may have beaten Italy in their last match, but they looked anything but comfortable against a spirited Italian side. 

  • England beat Ireland 23-22 the last time the pair played at Twickenham 
  • Henry Arundell has scored tries in both matches for England at the tournament 

Head To Head


England have won five of their last 10 against Ireland, with the Irish winning the other five meetings. 

England Form 


England saw their 12-game winning run brought to an end last week as they were beaten by their fiercest rivals at Murrayfield. 

Scotland brought the energy in the first 15 minutes with two converted tries and a penalty as they stormed into a 17-0 lead. Despite scoring in the 22nd minute, Henry Arundell was shown yellow cards either side of his effort as he was sent off. 

While Arundell's 20-minute red card seriously hurt England, they were poor across the park, with this merely the headline for a squad that struggled. Their game plan to attack Scotland with the high-ball backfired as England consistently coughed up possession. They also saw momentum continually curtailed with poor decision making and knock-ons ensuring they could not put Scotland under sustained pressure that told. 

This week, I predict that England will be far better. Scotland really got themselves up for their 'cup final' match against England, but the Irish have been a fading force in recent years. If England can attack with pace and intent and cut out the poor mistakes they were plagued by last week then they will win this match. 

I am backing Henry Arundell to keep up his impressive run of scoring with another try this week. The temptation is to pick him to score anytime, but four tries in two matches means he is already short in the betting. Instead, I am backing him to score the first try of the match, which is something he managed against Wales, while he scored England's first try against Scotland. 

Ireland Form 


Ireland are in need of a statement performance as they try to shake off the cobwebs that have started to gather of late. 

Their clash with France ended in a 36-14 loss on the opening night as they were outplayed both with and without the ball. While losing to France on the road is hardly an embarrassing outcome, it was the manner of their defeat that will worry them. With the ball, they lacked direction and bite, with their forwards struggling to make post-contact meters, while their backs were completely outdone by the opposition. 

Without the ball, they were shunted backwards, while the pace and flair of their opponents threatened to open Ireland up again and again. Against Italy, Ireland were teetering on the edge of an embarrassing defeat as they ground out a 20-13 win. Once again, a lack of attacking edge cost them as they struggled to the win. 

This week, Ireland will likely be better, but will it be enough to beat England? The travelling side need to ensure England do not get a fast start, with Ireland scoring 20 points or less in each of their last three. If England get up ahead of steam, it will be a long afternoon for the Irish. 

Verdict

I am backing England to win by 1-12 points as Henry Arundell goes over for the first try of the game. 

Best Bet1: England 1-12 Winning Margin @160.00 at Shuffle - 1 Unit
Best Bet2: Henry Arundell First Try Scorer @800.00 at Shuffle - 1 Unit
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