Can Ireland win the 6 Nations?
Photo
It’s been a challenging first two matches of the championship, and although we looked a little shaky in the win over Scotland, that impressive win over Wales has hopefully set the tone for the remaining games.
Next up, it’s England, and the very real chance of setting up a Grand Slam showdown with France in the final game of the 6 Nations. A punt on Ireland to take the Grand Slam looks like a good bet to us. And if we take a look at comparison site Oddschecker, we see that there are plenty of betting providers offering free bets. Good chance for a shot to nothing.
But can they do it?
The truth is that England have looked shaky from the very first minute of their opener against France. They have seemingly lost the game intelligence that saw them make the World Cup final, and some would even say that they simply lay down for the French.
Against Scotland, we saw with the return of Mako Vinupola, they had at least regained some of the grit and determination that at times makes them an unstoppable force. But Mako is out of the Ireland match for personal reasons, and despite their win over Scotland, there seems to be very little about the England team that should worry Andy Farrell too much.
However, it’s still a tough one to call, and Ireland will certainly miss the skills of Ringrose, who has been ruled out due to a hand injury. They should still have enough in the tank to see off the English though.
It’s then back to Dublin for the clash against the Italians. While there’s no taking the Gli Azzurri lightly, beat England and this could be a chance for Farrell to experiment a little with the lineup to give a few younger players more experience on the field. Ireland to win with a bonus point.
Then it’s the big one. Even if Ireland fail to beat England at Twickenham, this could still be the decider of the 6 Nations. France could enter the match on the verge of a Grand Slam, and Ireland, even with one loss, might still take the title in Paris.
The French are bossing the scrum right now, as are Ireland, and it will be interesting to see how both teams approach the game. Of course, all of that depends on the results of the games leading up to the final day. Hopefully both teams will be aiming for a Grand Slam.
Whatever happens against England, Ireland are still looking good to reclaim the title they last won in 2018.
