Former England full-back Ben Foden has spoken exclusively to BOYLE Sports ahead of England vs Ireland, explaining how to beat Steve Borthwick's structured but less physically dominant side lacking South Africa's collision edge while forecasting a strong England bounce-back after their defeat to Scotland .
Foden rejected talk of Ireland's decline despite injuries, insisting their depth, talent and style will see them rebound quickly but favoured Jack Crowley at 10 over the defensively vulnerable Sam Prendergast , praised Ireland's rugby passion and feeder systems, and tipped England to win by around 10 points if they get it right.
England vs Ireland
How To Beat England
England do play a structured game. We're blessed with individuals who can do some magic, but England do lean on the structured side of things. It’s very much a game plan: we have to execute our game plan, lean on our forwards, win set piece and play in the right areas of the field.
Another team that’s very like that and is the best in the world at the moment is South Africa . But the difference between England and South Africa in that context is that the Springboks are so physical. They're so dominant in the collisions and so dominant in any kind of area where it's "them against us." They're just so dominant, and they rely completely on their structures, but their physicality wins them the game every time.
England don't have that edge to their game that South Africa has. So, they have to find something else to add to the structure. Yes, it will keep you alive and win you games, but you've got to have more to it. You've always got to be a double-edged sword now in international rugby because people figure it out. We were found out against Scotland . I expect England to bounce back.
I expect Ireland to be very hungry against England . Ireland didn't get a bonus point against Italy . They scraped the win, but they're probably not that happy with the performance. They're still umming and aahing over selection in their team, especially at half-back. But I expect a big reaction from England .
Are Ireland In Decline?
I don't think Ireland are going anywhere. They have got six or seven injuries. And because Ireland doesn't have the depth of the likes of South Africa , France , England and New Zealand, it really does hurt them.
Saying that, although they did get dismantled by France , it was away in Paris , and France are arguably one or two in the world at the moment. It’s a very good French team, and Ireland hung on, and they did better in the second half. They're still trying to figure out their guys at 10 with either Prendergast or Crowley . Lowe didn't play the first week. If you get six or seven injuries to your starting 15, it makes a big difference. Those guys are starting to come back now.
England-Ireland has always got a bit of extra spice. I expect England to really bounce back into this game because the players will be disappointed with how it went in Scotland . They were never in the game; it didn't feel like we ever got a foothold. I know Borthwick and Wigglesworth and everyone in the England camp will be banging their heads against the wall all week, and I'm sure they'll be coming out firing against a strong Irish side.
Ireland #10 Debate
My Pick For Ireland #10
I like Prendergast as a footballer. I like him when they go forward. He’s definitely not there, especially for international rugby. Whether that's a mindset thing or whether it's a technique thing, I’m not sure. But his head coach is Andy Farrell , who notoriously was one of the hardest-hitting 12s in Union and League. Farrell is a very defensively driven man. So, whether Farrell can spring some magic, who knows?
Prendergast is only a young lad. But the thing is, the game's changed. You used to be able to carry 10s who couldn’t tackle. You could move them around the field and hide them. But you get found out for that now. Prendergast has got to go and work on his defence, purely and simply. He’s good with the ball in hand. In France , you saw bits of magic. But if you're missing tackles and slipping off tackles, especially at the international level, there's only so long you're going to last.
Crowley’s Credentials
They should. And give Crowley a crack and see how he runs the team. And it's never a bad thing having competition, either. Crowley's probably been sitting there waiting patiently. He's come off the bench a few times, but Prendergast hasn't played well enough to make the shirt his own. Crowley's got to be thinking my opportunity is coming very soon. And if it does, you know, I expect him to step up and have a big game as well.
Irish Rugby's Problems
Club Competition Issue
There are two sides to that argument. I remember when Northampton made the final of the Heineken Cup , and they did a comparison on how many minutes their team had played compared to ours, including international rugby. We played like ten more games than they had. But what I would say is that they're probably a bit more rested.
But there are only four provinces in Ireland , so they don't have the depth or the luxury of having 12 feeder teams into their international squad. It's just the four provinces. But you look at rugby in Ireland , and it's flourishing. Look at Blackrock , who is one of the biggest feeders into the Leicester squad. I was speaking to Sam Moore , who's the director of rugby at Sedbergh this year, and Blackrock sent over an A & B team under 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s and then sent a first, second, third, fourth and fifth team to play against Sedbergh .
It built up to 2,000 kids watching the final. Blackrock won that game as well by three points. I saw the Sedbergh team play in a fixture this year and thought they could never be beaten. Probably the next thing for Irish rugby is to find another Blackrock and set one up in Limerick !! The passion for rugby is still definitely there in Ireland.
Ireland Changes
I’d be surprised if Tadhg Beirne wasn't picked. It was an interesting selection not to go with him against Italy . I thought he did play well in that French game. Gibson-Park , I've always rated. If Dupont wasn't around, everyone would be saying Gibson-Park is one of the best players in the world. Unfortunately, he's in the same era as Dupont !
I'm not worried about Ireland . I think they'll bounce back. They've got injuries. I don't think they'll ever be like Wales in terms of having a complete reset and restructure, which could take years. Ireland might dip for a year, but they'll be back pretty quickly. Their talent pool's pretty good. I like the way they play rugby; I like the way they approach the game. It might not be there this year, but I fully expect them to bounce back next. My message is, ‘Don’t write Ireland off.’
Prediction: England vs Ireland
Prediction: England vs Ireland
The big thing he's going to be saying is that Ireland are not out of the title race. They've got to believe that they can go to Twickenham and put themselves in the running. England have got to go to France and get a result, but France have still got to go to Scotland . Scotland is always a tough place to go. They've shown that they're capable of beating good teams like they did at the weekend. Ireland are just thinking, ‘We've got to control what we can control, and that's win all our games and hope that France mess up.’
It's going to come down to selection, whether Ireland do pick their tried and tested or whether they mix it up and bring in Crowley . Twickenham is a hard place to go and win for Ireland , and I do think England have got such a talented bunch that we're going to see a bit of a reaction. If England approaches it right and gets things right on the day, they'll win by 10 points or so.
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