Dubai: Ireland can beat England to win the Six Nations and the way the fixtures have panned out will make it easier, according to Shamrocks legend Brian O’Driscoll.
This year, Ireland, who have won 13 championships and two grand slams [1948 and 2009] with their last title coming in 2015, play both France and England at home.
The final game of the tournament, which is held annually every February and March, even sees the Shamrocks, who have recently beaten South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, take on England, who are unbeaten in 13 matches, in Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
And it’s that home factor on such a raucous occasion as Ireland’s national day that will put the odds in green favour according to 37-year-old O’Driscoll, who was at the Dubai Rugby Sevens on Thursday as a HSBC ambassador.
“Unlike last year when we finished third, this year we have France and England at home, so it’s an easier year,” said the former captain who scored 245 points in 133 appearances for his country from 1999 to 2014.
“Judging on form, Ireland and England have to be front runners. And there’s a mouth-watering prospect of Ireland playing England in Dublin on St. Patrick’s weekend in the last game of the championship.
“If there’s a trophy at stake in that match then it will be fantastic, but if there are two [with the grand slam as well as the championship] then even better.
“I’ll hold onto my tickets for that one and won’t be giving them away just yet. The prospect of having a great England team playing against a rejuvenated Ireland squad in a possible championship decider is an eye catching one.”
So can Ireland beat England in that game even if the Red Roses stay unbeaten?
“Yes, I think they can, and in Dublin on St. Patrick’s weekend it will be easier.
“But there’s always a spanner in the works. France will come to town and we will be expected to beat them but it’s tough. Wales never make it easy for us in Cardiff, and Scotland are sticky at Murrayfield.”
O’Driscoll credited coaching for Ireland’s revival, having gone on to stun South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in recent games to bounce back from a squad beleaguered by injury and retirement after the World Cup.
“Joe Schmidt is getting a lot of the credit and rightly so but for me there have been two other fundamental changes. Simon Easterby has got our pack well drilled, our set pieces have improved no end and along with Greg Feek our scrum is now a weapon, which it never was in the past. Our line out is incredibly proficient.
“Our defence has also been an attacking weapon, and that’s the difference, we have aggression that we haven’t had before, and I think Andy Farrell has really come in and inspired the guys and got them excited about defending and he’s a huge component in the success at the back end of the year, and he’s only been in the job six months.”
