Captain Caelan Doris is braced for the “ultimate test” when Ireland begin their quest for an unprecedented third successive Guinness Six Nations title against rivals England.
The back-to-back champions are pre-tournament favourites and have won four of the past five meetings between the sides ahead of Saturday evening’s clash in at Aviva Stadium.
England – World Cup semi-finalists in 2023 – lost seven of 12 Tests in 2024 and are bidding to ease pressure on head coach Steve Borthwick by springing a surprise following an unsuccessful autumn.
Despite that unconvincing record, Borthwick’s men ultimately denied Ireland consecutive Grand Slams thanks to a last-gasp 23-22 Twickenham win in round four of…