Munster player and Irish international Simon Zebo has given us his England v Ireland prediction ahead of the big Six Nations match this Saturday evening.
Zebo feels Ireland have all the attributes to overcome the hostile atmosphere at Twickenham and record their biggest-ever win against England as they continue their march towards historic back-to-back Grand Slams in the Six Nations.
Ireland Can Overcome Twickenham Factor
Speaking exclusively to BoyleSports, Zebo said:
Twickenham is an incredibly dangerous place to go when you’re such big favourites for a game, but you just can’t deny the form of Ireland at the moment.
Everybody seems to be singing from the same hymn sheet and there’s no dip in performance when players come in and out of the team.
In the past, England would get the ball rolling at Twickenham, they’d build momentum and have that 20-minute spell where the crowd would be behind them and they’d be incredibly difficult to stop.
You could feel all of the noise drowning you out. Talking to your teammates and communication was very difficult. It can be an incredibly daunting place to play rugby, but this current Irish squad have much different experiences going to Twickenham.
Ireland have that confidence and belief and some of the results they’ve picked up on the road in incredibly hostile environments like France and New Zealand have been brilliant.
They stick together and are used to going on the road and winning incredibly tough games.
England v Ireland Betting Odds
| Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| England | 10/3 | 23.1% |
| Ireland | 2/9 | 81.8% |
| Draw | 25/1 | 3.8% |
Simon Zebo's England v Ireland Prediction
It was hard to go to Twickenham in the past when England really had an identity and were hard to stop, but I don’t think the atmosphere this weekend will unsettle the Irish team at all. They’ll be too strong mentally and too cohesive in what they’re doing.
Prediction: I think it’s going to be a big, big win for Ireland, by around 35 points.
The intensity and positivity that Ireland are playing with, they’re an incredibly efficient and well-oiled team at the moment.
They haven’t pressed pause since the World Cup and are fully on the accelerator.
*You can back Ireland to win by 21+ points at 2/1 with the latest Six Nations odds at BoyleSports.
England Need New Blood
From an English point of view, they seem to have strung together half-decent performances in drips and drabs in periods of games. It’s disappointing not to see some younger faces getting a chance in the team.
If there is a Six Nations to blood through the younger talent, it’s the one immediately after a World Cup. You can see where your future is going to take you and after that you can make adjustments.
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