England captain Chris Robshaw has insisted his side won’t be intimidated by the stellar career records of several Ireland players when the two countries meet in the Six Nations at Twickenham on Saturday.
Ireland, with the likes of Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell both prominent, boast a team with numerous British and Irish Lions appearances behind them.
And they will arrive in London as Six Nations leaders and Grand Slam contenders following thumping wins over Scotland (28-6) and defending champions Wales (28-3).
But England, who bounced back from a heartbreaking 26-24 loss to France with a 20-0 thrashing of Scotland, have won their last three Tests against Ireland.
“A lot has been spoken about the experience of their players – the O’Driscolls, the O’Connells – but we need to look at the experience we have got,” Robshaw said.
“On the last two occasions we have beaten them home and away. One was a good scoreline here (winning 30-9) the other a great performance in very tough conditions to win in Dublin (winning 12-6),” the flanker added.
“Ireland have come a long way since then, but we are confident. It is our home pitch.
“We’ve been around long enough to play against the best names in world rugby and to be ready for anything.
“Our guys will play what is in front of them and not the reputation
“Hopefully we are establishing our own reputations. That’s what we want.”
Saturday’s match will be the Red Rose’s first at Twickenham this Six Nations, with Robshaw keen they transform the London ground into a home fortress ahead of next year’s World Cup in England.
Until a 30-22 loss to world champions New Zealand in November, England had won six straight matches at Twickenham.
“That feeling after losing to New Zealand has stayed with us. We spoke about it after losing to France – we don’t want to be plucky losers,” Robshaw said.
“It’s all well and good playing well but our industry is a results-based business.
“Of course you want to play well and score lots of tries, but it comes down to winning and we have to make sure we nail that on Saturday.
“Twickenham is our home and the World Cup is here in 18 months’ time. We have to make sure it’s a hard place to come and play.
“Every game is a must-win for us. We know what our situation is – we can’t lose another game in this Championship if we want to win it.”
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll