Post by Taxigirl on Mar 6, 2004 13:28:46 GMT
Twickenham
Saturday, 6 March
Kick-off: 1600 GMT
England face their biggest RBS Six Nations test so far when they meet Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
The defending champions have made three changes with scrum-half Matt Dawson, lock Steve Borthwick and flanker Joe Worsley all earning their colours.
For Ireland, Malcolm O'Kelly replaces injured lock Donnacha O'Callaghan.
England, who have not lost a Six Nations match at home since 1997 will start the game as firm favourites, despite Ireland's recent good form.
Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan will have to trawl back through rugby history to find evidence of English weakness in west London.
The last Six Nations team to taste success at Twickenham was 'Les Bleus' seven years ago, when Christophe Lamaison converted a late penalty to cap a fantastic 23-20 comeback.
But Ireland will be confident, even if they realise the match represents the greatest current challenge in world rugby.
"Our motivation is to become the first team to beat the world champions and also to stop their exceptional run at Twickenham," said captain Brian O'Driscoll.
"No-one is giving us a fighting chance so all the pressure is on them.
"People believe our job is to keep the scoreline as low as possible and that usually works in our favour."
England will certainly have to find a higher gear than they have displayed thus far in 2004, despite starting the year with two victories.
An unspectacular win over Italy was followed with a stuttering 35-13 victory at Murrayfield.
For large parts of both games, England showed little of the form they displayed down under, but captain Lawrence Dallalgio is expecting a huge improvement on their Twickenham return.
"It's the first time you step onto the field at Twickenham as world champions and that must mean a huge amount to the players and the fans," said Dallaglio.
"I'm getting more and more excited by the day.
"Clearly the atmosphere in some of the games in Australia - particularly the last two - was wildly patriotic and colourful and a lot different from what we were used to.
"It will be interesting to see how much of that is carried over to Twickenham but I think you can expect a different atmosphere to anything any of us have ever seen before," he added.
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England: Balshaw (Bath), Lewsey (Wasps), Robinson (Sale), Greenwood (Harlequins), Cohen (Northampton), Grayson (Northampton), Dawson (Northampton); Woodman (Gloucester), Steve Thompson (Northampton), Vickery (Gloucester), Borthwick (Bath ), Kay (Leicester), Worsley (Wasps), Hill (Saracens), Dallaglio (Wasps, capt).
Replacements: Regan (Leeds Tykes), Stevens (Bath), Jones (Sale), Back (Leicester), Gomarsall (Gloucester), Barkley (Bath), Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester).
Ireland: Dempsey (Leinster), Horgan (Leinster), D'Arcy (Leinster), O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), Howe (Ulster), O'Gara (Munster), Stringer (Munster); Corrigan (Leinster), Byrne (Leinster), Hayes (Munster), O'Kelly (Leinster), O'Connell (Munster), Easterby (Llanelli), Gleeson (Leinster), Foley (Munster).
Replacements: Sheahan (Munster), Best (Ulster), Longwell (Ulster), Costello (Leinster), Humphreys (Ulster), Easterby (Rotherham), Maggs (Bath).
C'MON ;D
Saturday, 6 March
Kick-off: 1600 GMT
England face their biggest RBS Six Nations test so far when they meet Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
The defending champions have made three changes with scrum-half Matt Dawson, lock Steve Borthwick and flanker Joe Worsley all earning their colours.
For Ireland, Malcolm O'Kelly replaces injured lock Donnacha O'Callaghan.
England, who have not lost a Six Nations match at home since 1997 will start the game as firm favourites, despite Ireland's recent good form.
Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan will have to trawl back through rugby history to find evidence of English weakness in west London.
The last Six Nations team to taste success at Twickenham was 'Les Bleus' seven years ago, when Christophe Lamaison converted a late penalty to cap a fantastic 23-20 comeback.
But Ireland will be confident, even if they realise the match represents the greatest current challenge in world rugby.
"Our motivation is to become the first team to beat the world champions and also to stop their exceptional run at Twickenham," said captain Brian O'Driscoll.
"No-one is giving us a fighting chance so all the pressure is on them.
"People believe our job is to keep the scoreline as low as possible and that usually works in our favour."
England will certainly have to find a higher gear than they have displayed thus far in 2004, despite starting the year with two victories.
An unspectacular win over Italy was followed with a stuttering 35-13 victory at Murrayfield.
For large parts of both games, England showed little of the form they displayed down under, but captain Lawrence Dallalgio is expecting a huge improvement on their Twickenham return.
"It's the first time you step onto the field at Twickenham as world champions and that must mean a huge amount to the players and the fans," said Dallaglio.
"I'm getting more and more excited by the day.
"Clearly the atmosphere in some of the games in Australia - particularly the last two - was wildly patriotic and colourful and a lot different from what we were used to.
"It will be interesting to see how much of that is carried over to Twickenham but I think you can expect a different atmosphere to anything any of us have ever seen before," he added.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England: Balshaw (Bath), Lewsey (Wasps), Robinson (Sale), Greenwood (Harlequins), Cohen (Northampton), Grayson (Northampton), Dawson (Northampton); Woodman (Gloucester), Steve Thompson (Northampton), Vickery (Gloucester), Borthwick (Bath ), Kay (Leicester), Worsley (Wasps), Hill (Saracens), Dallaglio (Wasps, capt).
Replacements: Regan (Leeds Tykes), Stevens (Bath), Jones (Sale), Back (Leicester), Gomarsall (Gloucester), Barkley (Bath), Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester).
Ireland: Dempsey (Leinster), Horgan (Leinster), D'Arcy (Leinster), O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), Howe (Ulster), O'Gara (Munster), Stringer (Munster); Corrigan (Leinster), Byrne (Leinster), Hayes (Munster), O'Kelly (Leinster), O'Connell (Munster), Easterby (Llanelli), Gleeson (Leinster), Foley (Munster).
Replacements: Sheahan (Munster), Best (Ulster), Longwell (Ulster), Costello (Leinster), Humphreys (Ulster), Easterby (Rotherham), Maggs (Bath).
C'MON ;D