Former Munster player Peter Stringer believes it will be difficult to look past Ireland winning another Grand Slam in the Six Nations this year. Ireland's current crop of players won their first Grand Slam under Farrell last year and are on course to become the first side ever to win back-to-back Slams in the competition's history.
There was a time when the Slam was a dream for modern-day Irish rugby players, but since 2009, they have won three more, bringing their total to 4. The likely fifth seems like it will take some stopping, and fans of rugby believe that it will take something special to stop this Ireland quest for Six Nations immortality.
This weekend, Ireland and England take on each other in Twickenham in what will be Ireland's toughest test of the campaign. England and Scotland are the only teams that can stop Ireland now.
Stringer, who played for Ireland, does not believe that both teams will be able to stop Ireland from becoming one of the greatest.
"Ireland have been quite comfortable in the Six Nations so far and have only really had to play in fits and starts, but they’ve still shown glimpses of being able to go up a gear if needed. It’s certainly hard to see either England or Scotland stopping them from becoming the first team to win a second consecutive Grand Slam," said Stringer speaking to Betway
"It will be fascinating to see how England approach the game. They tried to mix it up against Scotland but came up with so many errors, turnovers, and spilled balls from poor passing. The threat that Ireland bring on both sides of the ball means England won’t want to get caught in their own half, so I have a feeling that they may go back to the territory-kicking game that worked so well for them in the World Cup. It’s not pretty, but it got them to a semi-final and is very effective."
Ronan Kelleher of Ireland (obscured) scores his team's fifth try during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between France and Ireland at the Orange Velodrome on February 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)After the Rugby World Cup, many felt that Johnny Sexton's retirement would hamper Ireland and that a backward step would suffice. However, Ireland have continued to play the way they have with the likes of Jack Crowley, the young Munster fly-half.
Wins against Wales, France, and Italy have all come without Sexton, and the Irish team has mostly played in second gear throughout the tournament.
Stringer, the former Munster 9, has also praised the way Ireland reacted to their World Cup defeat to New Zealand in October. He described it as "incredible."
"There’s a real feel-good factor around this Ireland team, which is incredible after the heartbreak of the World Cup. People were talking about needing a rebuilding phase while they learned to cope without Johnny Sexton, but they’re still on that upward trajectory," he added.
"When Johnny retired, not only was there the void of the No. 10 jersey to be filled, but also the absence of their captain, which could prove costly from a game management perspective. Peter O’Mahony has filled those boots heroically. He’s also been fortunate to have other leaders emerge within the squad to assist with decision-making, which has meant that the responsibility of captaincy has not detracted from his game, where he is often buried at the bottom of a ruck.
"Jack Crowley has come in and shown a real level of maturity. He’s done the basics well and hasn’t tried to do too much. Yes, he’s got the ability to take the ball to the line and create something through offloads, but getting those fundamentals right is what it takes to be a really good player at the international level. There’s been plenty of pressure on him, but he’s managed things well from that key position."
The game in Twickenham starts at 4.45 on Saturday and will be broadcast ITV (UK) and RTÉ (ROI)
Ireland's team to face England:
Backs:
15. Hugo Keenan fullback 14. Calvin Nash, Wing 11. James Lowe, Wing
13. Robbie Henshaw, Outside Centre 12. Bundee Aki, Inside Centre
10. Jack Crowley fly-half 9. Jamison Gibson-Park, Scrum-half
Forwards:
1. Andrew Porter, Prop 2. Dan Sheehan, Hooker 3. Tadhg Furlong, Prop
4. Joe McCarthy: Lock 5. Tadhg Beirne: Lock
6. Peter O’Mahony, Blindside Flanker (captain) 7. Josh van der Flier, Openside Flanker 8. Caelan Doris, Number Eight
Replacements:
Ronan Kelleher, Replacement Hooker Cian Healy, Replacement Prop Finlay Bealham: Replacement Prop Iain Henderson, Replacement Lock Ryan Baird, Replacement Forward Jack Conan, Replacement Forward Conor Murray, Replacement Scrum-half Ciaran Frawley, Replacement Back
