Ireland begin there 2025 6 Nations campaign with a game against England in Dublin on Saturday at 4.45pm. They will wrap up their week long training camp that has taken place in Portugal in the coming days. Tadgh Furlong has already returned to Dublin for treatment on a calf injury with Connacht tight head Jack Aungier travelling out to take his place.
Furlong is rated doubtful for Saturday’s opener vs England, the smart money will be on Finlay Bealham to take the no.3 shirt with Thomas Clarkson to come off the bench. Simon Easterby has taken the reins from Andy Farrell who will be on British and Irish Lions duty for the duration of the 6 Nations this year.
Ireland will face a different type of challenge as well as being defending champions they will be without their head coach which will be new territory for all in the Irish camp. Simon Easterby was best placed to take on the role once it was confirmed that Farrell would be the 2025 Lions head coach.
Ireland were three from four last November winning two games in extremely tight contests against Australia and Argentina. Losing on the opening night to New Zealand by 10 points stung but over the following few weeks, Ireland began to repair the damage from that New Zealand game.
Andrew Goodman has had more time with the Irish coaching set up and one hopes that the week in Portugal has been used well and we will see improvements and steps forward in attack and that the discipline in defence will be as resolute as previously. I know you can give away certain penalties but I am sure that has been a focus for the coaches while away over the past week.
They will be a large target on Irish backs as champions and with England and France to travel to Dublin with tricky away games against Scotland, Wales and Italy on the final day. Ireland will know that it was a late Marcus Smith drop goal that stole the win in Twickenham last March while they were under penalty advantage after Tadgh Beirne had infringed.
England will come to Dublin looking to kick start things under Steve Borthwick who has seen two members of his original coaching set up leave with Aled Walters now working with the IRFU and Felix Jones still looking for his next opportunity.
Jones may yet be involved with Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions coaching team but nothing has been confirmed either way so it is one to keep an eye on.
Ireland will be on home soil in week 1 against England with the Under 20s playing down in Irish Independent Park on Thursday night against their English counterparts.
So the fun of the 6 Nations are about to kick off and for the next 7 or so weeks the 6 Nations will take centre stage and will get people watching the oval ball that don’t normally watch.
The 6 Nations is a flagship tournament for rugby union and will have large audiences watching over the next couple of weeks. Let’s hope the rugby served up will keep people interested….