Kicking and aerial game

When you lose a 100-capper (or near enough) from your team, as Ireland have with Rob Kearney, it is always going to take a bit of time to find an alternative. Andy Farrell is still very much experimenting with his back three.

He gave Jacob Stockdale a couple of games at full-back last month. Now it is Hugo Keenan’s turn. This is after Joe Schmidt tried Robbie Henshaw there against England last year, a decision that came back to haunt him. And Jordan Larmour, who is now injured.

James Lowe, meanwhile, will be winning only his second Test cap on the wing today. So there is a bit of inexperience back there and I have no doubt England will go after that because it is the way they are playing.

It might be a game which only a mother could love at times, but it is effective. The Jamie George hat-trick try against Georgia last weekend (below) exemplified the sort of returns England can get from a hugely physical game allied to intelligent kicking and strong kick-chase.

It began with a scrum on England’s own try-line and ended a minute or two later with a driving line-out in the opposite corner, taking in a carry from Billy Vunipola, a couple of probing kicks from Ben Youngs (whose box-kicking ensures he remains England’s No 9) and Owen Farrell, and two excellent kick-chases from Jonny May and Joe Marchant.

The former had an average game with ball in hand last weekend but his kick-chase, which no one really talks about, was out of this world.