Ireland vs England 19/08/23 Tips:
Ireland welcome England to Dublin for a World Cup warm-up friendly as the world number one side looks to make a pre-tournament statement.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
World Cup warm-up, Saturday 19 August, Kick-off 17.30, live on Amazon Prime
Predicted score
Ireland 24-19 England
Suggested bets
Ireland to win
England -17 handicap
Ireland to score the first try
Verdict
In a few short years, England have gone from Grand Slam winners to one of the most inconsistent teams on the international stage.
Despite this, a strong performance against the Irish would certainly go a long way in restoring confidence on the eve of this autumn’s World Cup.
During the most recent Six Nations campaign, England finished fourth after bagging just two victories against Italy and Wales.
Steve Borthwick and his men quickly turned their attention to World Cup warm-up games, though their first encounter with Wales ended in a hugely disappointing 20-9 defeat.
While England restored some pride a week later with a 19-17 victory, it’s clear that the 2020 Six Nations winners are still some distance away from hitting their peak.
Ireland, meanwhile, are arguably the strongest they have ever been. Last March, for instance, head coach Andy Farrell orchestrated a Grand Slam winning campaign, finishing the job with a comfortable win over England in Dublin.
When beating Italy in a warm-up clash earlier this month, Ireland fielded a largely experimental side. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop them from putting on a clinic and enjoying a 33-7 victory.
The Irish are expected to field a far stronger team for the warm-up clash against England, however one man who is expected to miss out is Jack Conan.
The Red Rose, on the other hand, will have Owen Farrell at their disposal after his red card against Wales was controversially overturned.
Owen, who is the son of Ireland coach Andy, has been subject to criticism not only for the red card incident but also his form. Nevertheless, England’s second highest points scorer offers plenty of quality and experience to a Red Rose side in desperate need of momentum.
Ireland are favourites according to the bookmakers. That shouldn’t come as a surprise considering they’ve won their last three outings against England and are unbeaten against them since 2020.
While Ireland are expected to win, we’re still backing England to mount a credible challenge and keep the score close.
