By Kath 2/3/04
March 2 2004

England v Ireland 6th March 2004 - RBS Six Nations Match Preview. Will of the luck of the Irish thwart the Rugby World Cup Champions at Twickenham the home of Rugby?

England v Ireland RBS Six Nations Championship

Twickenham 6th March, 2004

Once again England Rugby Football Union welcome our Guinness loving Irish Friends and not only do Twickenham serve the Guinness for them, they provide a tent also!

As with most home nations matches the Irish fans produce a colourful spectacle at Twickenham.  I am  looking forward to seeing the jester hats and faux shamrock (as well as some of the real stuff) as it is very near to St. Patrick's Day, 17th March.  A little history for you here....

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

England are suffering this six nations due to the loss of Martin Johnson and many injuries.  Injuries seem to abound at the present time Wilkinson, Tindall, Hodgson, Grewcock, Shaw the list is endless.

Sir Clive Woodward England's Head Coach says he is excited to see Borthwick playing for England again  and that Matt Dawson has just edged it over Andy Gomarsall for a starting place.  No place for Jason Leonard that heroic man not even on the bench.  We shall see come Saturday, just how Sir Clive's changes work out!   England will have the greatest respect for Ireland and will want to put points past them early on in the game. However, knowing how England can sometimes start  matches half asleep - well let us hope they are wide awake at 4pm on Saturday. 

I am sure the Irish will be up for this game, they had a fantastic game against the Welsh and of course 'That Man' Brian O'Driscoll had a great deal to do with that performance.  I accept that one man does not make a team but one man can with his charisma, talent and influence sway games - it can be almost tangible just by his presence on the park.  Brian O'Driscoll is one of those players, he makes things happen and inspires all around him with confidence and he is a demon to defend against.

So Good Luck to the Irish, we welcome them to Twickenham HQ in the Spirit of Rugby

England: Iain Balshaw; Josh Lewsey, Jason Robinson, Will Greenwood, Ben Cohen; Paul Grayson, Matt Dawson; Lawrence Dallaglio (Captain), Richard Hill, Joe Worsley; Ben Kay, Steve Borthwick; Phil Vickery, Steve Thompson, Trevor Woodman. Replacements: Mark Regan, Matt Stevens, Chris Jones, Neil Back, Andy Gomarsall, Olly Barkley, James Simpson-Daniel

Ireland: G Dempsey (Leinster); S Horgan (Leinster), G D'Arcy (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, Captain), T Howe (Ulster); R O'Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster); R Corrigan (Leinster), S Byrne (Leinster), J Hayes (Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli), K Gleeson (Leinster), A Foley (Munster).
Replacements: F Sheahan (Munster), S Best (Ulster), G Longwell (Ulster), V Costello (Leinster), D Humphreys (Ulster), G Easterby (Rotherham), K Maggs (Bath).

Just leaves me to sound my familiar cry:-

The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry "God for Harry! England and Saint George!"

Shakespeare, Henry V (1599) act 3, sc. 1, l. 31