Ireland vs England – 2025 Six Nations: Live rating, workforce information and updates as Steve Borthwick’s males face daunting opening take a look at towards the defending champions

England would have taken this kind of interval score all day long. Five points up despite losing Marcus Smith for ten minutes and Ireland all over the place defensively at times and very much second-best.

The gamble for Borthwick has worked so far. A game plan superbly executed. Ireland have been bullied so far here.

Never in doubt.

Marcus Smith hammers the ball between the posts with relative ease to give England a five-point lead heading into the break.

A nice little lead, and it’s deserved.

Now that is brilliant play from England.

They work the ball well and then Marcus Smith offloads to Ben Earl who breaks through a gaping gap in the Ireland defence.

Hugo Keenan does brilliantly to get low and take down Earl before England win a penalty.

Marcus Smith to kick…

Oh boy, Ireland needed that.

Marcus Smith is back on the pitch straight after that try, so they took advantage just in time.

The Aviva Stadium is really alive and kicking now.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

That is just filthy from Jameson Gibson-Park to pull Ireland back into this match.

James Lowe powers his way through before offloading to Gibson-Park who then shows his skills.

The scrum-half lets Freddie Steward commit and steps to the right before racing away to score.

Sam Prendergast misses the conversion, though.

Ireland have two more minutes with an extra man, they need to make this count.

But my word, the amount of loose passes is getting ridiculous. Every time you think the Irish are in, a mistake is forced.

Hugo Keenan the culprit this time.

Ooooh, hello… this is what you want to see, a bit of needle.

Ben Curry gives away another penalty and then there are a bit of afters between the two sides.

Shirts are being held, shoves are being traded. This is what Six Nations rugby is all about.

Not that I advocate violence, of course…

This is a bit of a worry for England.

Maro Itoje and Ben Cury are both down receiving treatment and it gives the two teams a chance for a breather.

Just as I type this though, both are up on their feet again and we are ready to go again.

This is beautiful rugby from Ireland.

The hosts are really finding their rhythm and they pull England from left to right as they gain territory.

It feels like a matter of time until they get across that line.

Marcus Smith’s yellow card was an inevitable consequence of desperate spoiling tactics to keep Ireland out, but England’s defence has been good so far.

After the calamitous efforts to maintain the blitz strategy in November, the visitors have been more joined-up here, with good line-speed, big hits and plenty of scrambling intensity.

Well, momentum lost for Ireland.

It seemed like a matter of time until a try was coming from the boys in green, but the Aviva is silenced as England turn the ball over.

Henry Slade can only kick the penalty to the 22 though and the pressure is back on the visitors.

The noise levels just keep fluctuating as anxiety rises, it’s a brilliant watch.

Oh, this is so much better from Ireland!

Mack Hansen beats two men and finds Baird who looks like he is away.

England manage to get the men back to get on Baird, but the penalty is given away.

It’s Marcus Smith who is then sent to the sin bin.

Oh, that is brilliant from Tadhg Beirne!

The second row does brilliantly to turn the ball over in the ruck and there is a huge roar from the Aviva.

That could be massive.

England’s plan is working a real treat at the moment.

They are kicking really well and attacking down the flanks., It’s causing Ireland all sorts of problems.

Steve Borthwick’s side are applying all the pressure, and it’s paying off.

Incredible line speed here from England. Immense pressure they’re putting on Ireland in midfield. Dictating the tempo of the game. Borthwick must be delighted by the way they’ve carried the fight to Ireland

Ohhhhhh…

Ireland can consider themselves a lucky bunch, they should be two tries down.

Maro Itoje knocks the ball out with a monster tackle and Henry Slade looks like he is away.

But nope, his forearm touches the ball and the knock-on is called.

That is just so unlucky.

It’s the return of the Mack!

Somewhat surprisingly, Hansen has come off the medical table and he is back on the pitch.

I thought he was done, I really did.

Oh, wait a minute…

Boos ring around the Aviva Stadium as the try is disallowed, but when they watch the replay they will learn why.

Tadhg Beirne wouldn’t let go of Maro Itpoje in the ruck which allowed Kelleher to break through the barrier.

You aren’t allowed to do that anymore.

It’s been coming!

The reigning champions have been knocking at the door and Ronan Kelleher is the player to burst through it from two yards.

That’s just the response they needed.

Maro Itoje is getting a talking-to from the referee now.

England are starting to get a little ill-disciplined and the referee wants them to calm down.

I just love how polite the conversations are in this sport compared to football.

It’s all hands to the pump defensively for England now.

Ireland have them right back on their line with Caelon Doris driving the charge toward the line.

But England are starting to push them back, this is brilliant stuff from the visitors.

There were justified concerns raised repeatedly during the autumn about England’s misfiring midfield but the centres were both involved in that opening try.

Ollie Lawrence showed real power and tenacity to burst through an attempted tackle by Tadhg Beirne and Henry Slade’s kick to set up Murley was deft and deadly.

Ireland look to respond straight away.

That try was exactly what they needed to spring into life and James Lowe nearly finds himself through.

But as he runs out of room he misplaced a pass. No bother though, they in a penalty.

They are going to kick to touch.

That will do nicely for England!

The visitors stun the Aviva Stadium as Henry Slade threads through Cadan Murley to finish brilliantly.

It all starts after a brilliant run from Ollie Lawrence to break the lines, after that Ireland couldn’t get their shape.

They then rack up the seven points with Marcus Smith adding a lovely conversion.

The perfect start.

This has been carnage so far, it really has.

Neither side can really get going, there are a lot of little errors. I mean, I’m not complaining but I do like a game to flow.

This is a proper scrap.

Oh no, an early blow for Ireland.

Maclk Hansen has picked up an injury early doors and he can no longer continue. He is replaced by Robbie Henshaw.

That’s not what Simon Easterby would have wanted to see.

Oh, Marcus Smith, he is some player.

The fly-half skips through into space to get England on their way, but Ireland stands strong to keep England at bay.

Smith then plays an audacious cross-field kick and he slightly overcooks it.

SA good start for the visitors.

England have started brightly here.

They are applying pressure but Ireland are trying to rise to it, this is feisty.

England may want to calm things down here.

A welcome improvement to the pre-match routine here – no tedious delay while the teams are presented to the Irish president. The formalities always acted as an atmosphere-killer in the past and they have done away with them. Good.

Right then, the time for talking is over.

‘The Fields of Athenry’ is belted out before kick-off, which is new.

England then get this game underway with a short kick!

Erm… are we sure this game is being played in Ireland?

The national anthems have just been sung and I’d argue that the England fans sung louder than the Irish.

The Soldier’s Song is belted out by the players, but you can barely hear the Irish fans in the crowd.

Not great, really.

Oh, I am excited now!

The music is blaring out of the speakers as the two teams arise from the tunnel and past the Six Nations trophy.

You can feel the importance of this game, it’s a huge occasion and the atmosphere is trying to show that.

Maro Itoje leads the England side out with a calm expression on his face before the national anthems.

I love this part, let’s see who wins the anthem-off. I’m guessing Ireland.

Are you OK, Steve?

Borthwick is not exactly cutting a happy chap during warm-up, it looks like there is a lot on his mind.

Well, I’m sure there will be because we are now less than 10 minutes until kick-off.

The two teams have completed their warm-ups and are now going through their final preparations in the dressing room.

I bet the nerves are jangling now.

England have just been practising their lineouts here at the Aviva Stadium and that will be an area of intrigue during today’s match against Ireland, giving the lack of a third specialist jumper in the visitors’ line-up.

Interestingly, Ben Curry appeared to be the designated part-time jumper among the back-rowers. For those who may struggle to tell England’s identical twins apart, openside Ben is wearing black boots – as his father, David, had told Mail Sport readers to look out for as an identification clue – whereas brother Tom has orange footwear on.

I think it’s fair to call the Aviva Stadium a fortress.

Most teams that come onto Ireland’s patch leave with their tails between their legs.

Ireland have only lost two of their last 29 home fixtures in the Six Nations. That is an incredible record.

If England are going to get something from today, it will take a mammoth effort.

Do you think they can?

Irish efforts to create a better atmosphere in the Aviva Stadium show no signs of working yet. The atmosphere at the Aviva Stadium has been consistently flat for years, and the IRFU had encouraged supporters to get into the ground early today and watch the Scotland-Italy match on big screens.

But while the PA system is blaring out dance music, the stands remain largely empty with 20 minutes to go to kick-off. They might just have to get supporters cheering the old-fashioned way, and rely on the action.

Ireland have a new man at the helm, and he is ready to carry on the good work of Andy Farrell.

Simon Easterby has been tasked with taking over Farrell while he does his thing at the Lions.

It’s kind of like having a babysitter while your parents are away if you get me.

Anyway, my colleague Alex Bywater has done a brilliant deep dive into the life of Easterby.

If you want to polish up your knowledge of the new man at the helm, then this is a perfect read for you.

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Looking at Maro Itoje as the sides go through warm-ups here at the Aviva, it’s striking how relaxed he looks. I mean, genuinely relaxed. He’s spoken of is faith in colleague Chris Foy’s piece with him today and does seems to carry that kind of conviction before him.

Lions coach Andy Farrell currently taking his seat here. So much for him to assess during these championships, not least who will lead his Lions team. Itoje and Ireland skipper Caelan Doris will both be contenders.

It feels like it’s make or break for England head coach Steve Borthwick.

It’s fair to say, Borthwick has not been the most popular of Red Rose coaches. He has got his fair share of criticism.

England have arguably gone backward since he took the reigns, and now he has to prove to the world that England are still to be taken seriously.

Ireland may not be the easiest way to open up a Six Nations campaign, especially away from home.

But if they manage to get a victory at the Aviva, the tide may start to turn for Borthwick and his side.

It’s a massive ask, though.

England fans, you are going to enjoy this one…

We are going to do our best David Tennant impression and travel back in time back to March of last year.

Ireland were fighting for a second consecutive grand slam and were just moments away from beating England at Twickenham to go one win closer to their goal.

England were trailing by two points after a dramatic late try from James Lowe seemingly broke their hearts.

But up step Marcus Smith…

Withe the final act of the game, England’s fly-half produced a stunning drop-goal secure a dramatic victory for his side.It was the definition of winning it at the death.

England fans will remember that moment for the rest of their lives, it was truly special.

They won’t want to cut out that close today though.

Sir Clive Woodward, former England Rugby head coach, for Mail Sport:

Garry Ringrose vs Ollie Lawrence

The centre pairing has been holding England back. Henry Slade and Lawrence are fine players, but for some reason their partnership hasn’t quite been working. It will have to in Dublin if England are to have any chance of success. Lawrence – whose new deal with Bath was confirmed this week – has everything you want in a midfielder. He’s got pace, power and great ball skills. He impressed on his last visit to the Aviva Stadium in the Champions Cup against many of the players he’ll face today (SAT) so that should give him confidence. Ringrose played on the wing for Leinster against Bath in Europe so didn’t go up against Lawrence directly then, but he’s a very experienced centre who takes some stopping.

Sam Prendergast vs Marcus Smith

Two brilliant young fly-halves. Prendergast came from nowhere to steal the Ireland No 10 shirt from Jack Crowley in the autumn. What’s fascinating about his battle with Smith is that they are two playmakers with a real running threat. You don’t see that often these days. If you give either of them even half a yard of space, they will make the most of it so both defences will have to be very tight. Smith will have to be perfect from the tee if England are to stand a chance. I think it’s right he’s kept his place for the Six Nations and not been moved to full-back because my view is he had an excellent autumn. Smith’s dramatic late drop goal sealed victory for England over Ireland last year. A repeat would do just nicely!

Josh van der Flier vs Ben Curry

It’s a fantastic story that Ben and Tom Curry are the first twin brothers to play for England! Their selection on either flank is a bold move by Steve Borthwick. It suggests England will look to play a quick game – which I’ve long advocated for – and compete hard for possession at the breakdown because both siblings are natural opensides. Ben starts at No 7 with Tom at No 6. The latter is very experienced internationally, so we know what to expect from him. Ben only has six caps, so this will be his biggest test yet. Time will tell if playing the Curry twins hinders England at the line-out, but you can bet your bottom dollar Ireland will look to exploit their opposition’s lack of jumpers.

When you have won two Six Nations titles in a row, you may be forgiven for thinking motivation has been lost.

That is simply not the case with this Ireland side though.

If anything, Simon Easterby’s side will be more motivated than ever to lift the trophy again this year.

No side has ever won three successive Six Nations titles, so Ireland will make history if they do so this year.

I’d say that is enough to motivate a team, right?

As you know in rugby, they release the line-ups a lot earlier than in football. Days in fact.

So, without further ado, here is how both teams line up for this monster clash.

Ireland XV: 15-Keenan, 14-Hansen, 13-Ringrose, 12-Aki, 11-Lowe, 10-Prendergast, 9-Gibson-Park; 1-Porter, 2-Kelleher, 3-Bealham, 4-Ryan, 5-Beirne, 6-Baird, 7-van der Flier, 8-Doris (capt)

Replacements: 16-Sheehan, 17-Healy, 18-Clarkson, 19-Henderson, 20-Conan, 21-Murray, 22-Crowley, 23-Henshaw

England XV: 15-Steward, 14-Freeman, 13-Lawrence, 12-Slade, 11-Murley, 10-Smith, 9-Mitchell; 1- Genge, 2-Cowan-Dickie, 3-Stuart, 4-Itoje (capt), 5-Martin, 6-Curry, 7-Curry, 8-Earl

Replacements: 16-Dan, 17-Baxter, 18-Heyes, 19-Chessum, 20-Cunningham-South, 21-Willis, 22-Randall, 23-Smith

For me, this is the biggest match of the Six Nations.

Well, these days it is anyway. Don’t get me wrong, England’s rivalry with Wales is arguably bigger, but with their form, the importance has lessened.

The Red Roses’ rivalry with Ireland spans back 150 years… they really don’t like each other.

It’s a match that has produced dramatic moments, like what happened in this competition last year (will get to that later).

With France looking the real deal this year, these two teams know that they need to get off to a winning start if they are to win the Six Nations.

A loss could already take them out of the race…

Oh, it doesn’t get much bigger than this!

When Ireland and England lock horns at the Six Nations there are usually fireworks.

We often don’t get treated to watching this rivalry until the latter stages of the competition, but it’s early in the menu this year.

Ireland are the champions most would put their money on the boys in green starting with a bang, but as history tells us, England often cause them a problem or two.

I am absolutely itching for this game to get going, so let’s get this show on the road, eh?