A historic third Six Nations championship quest begins at home to England on Saturday, but well-placed optimism can’t give way to complacency.
Ireland haven’t opened their campaign against England since 2019, a fixture that derailed their run into the World Cup in Japan that same year.
It’s difficult to know how England will turn up in this championship.
Despite not hitting their expected heights in the last few Six Nations championships, they can never be ruled out of winning the tournament.
They’ve had plenty of time to devise a plan that can put Ireland out of their comfort zone, and I’d expect a hugely physical and testing game from Steve Borthwick’s team.
Without ever getting a consistent…