After what felt like an eternal down-week, the Guinness Six Nations is back, and we're into the business end of the 2024 championship.
It may only be the fourth round of games, but the destination of the title could be sewn up by Saturday evening.
Ireland travel to Twickenham knowing a bonus-point win against England will guarantee their status as Six Nations champions, ahead of a potential shot at back to back Grand Slams at home to Scotland next week.
A bonus-point win may not even be needed to mathematically seal the title. If Scotland were to beat Italy without scoring four tries, Ireland would just need a win of any kind over in England to retain the trophy.
Andy Farrell's side are heavy favourites to win and bring up a fifth consecutive victory over the English, who are coming into the game under a cloud after their chastening defeat to Scotland.
And although Ireland have won four in a row over their neighbours, and all by two scores or more, the last three of those have been caveated by English red cards.
TV
England v Ireland will be live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with coverage under way from 4pm. Wales v France (Sunday) will also be live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 2.30pm. Italy v Scotland (Saturday 2.15pm) is live on Virgin Media.
Get highlights of all of the weekend's games on Against the Head, Monday, 8pm.
RADIO
Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport, with Michael Corcoran and Fiona Coghlan at Twickenham.
ONLINE
Follow a live blog on RTE.ie/sport and the RTÉ News App followed by report, reaction and player ratings.
WEATHER
It's set to be a mild afternoon at Twickenham with temperatures of 10-12C, while there's a chance of some light rain showers during the game.
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
While Ireland have beaten England four times in a row, and each of those comfortably, it still feels odd to see the visitors as such overwhelming favourites for a Six Nations game at Twickenham.
As strange as it feels, that heavy favourites tag is wholly justified. Andy Farrell's side have parked their World Cup disappointment to hit the ground running in 2024, with the likes of Jack Crowley, Joe McCarthy, Calvin Nash and Ciarán Frawley bedding seamlessly into the side, winning three out of three, all with bonus-points, while conceding an average of eight points per game in the process.
On the flip side, England's transition from finishing third at the World Cup to this championship has been laboured, to put it mildly.
Having stripped their game back to the basics ahead of the World Cup, the England head coach is trying to evolve his side's game in 2024, and the teething problems are real.
Former Ireland international Felix Jones (above) has come in as defence coach, and while that defensive system has been effective at times, it's still a work in progress, and the time spent perfecting it has reportedly caused frustration among players, who have seen their attacking game look disjointed as a result. The retirements of key players like Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes has also seen them trying to bed in new faces at a difficult time.
On paper the hosts can still put together a formidable looking side, with exciting Exeter Chiefs wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso included on the left wing for his debut, replacing Elliot Daly. Northampton pair George Furbank and Tommy Freeman also also among the back three, while their Saints team-mate Alex Mitchell returns from injury at scrum-half. Munster supporters can attest to Mitchell's ability to pull something out of nothing.
The experienced George Ford starts at out-half, with Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade in the centre.
In the pack, Borthwick is making clear his intentions to target Ireland's lineout, with George Martin coming into the second row, and Ollie Chessum dropping into the back row, replacing Ethan Roots.
The front row of Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Dan Cole is unchanged, while Sam Underhill and Ben Earls complete the side.
As well as targeting Ireland's lineout, the expectation is England will play a kick-heavy game, similar to the one which caused South Africa big problems at the World Cup. With that in mind, the return of Hugo Keenan from injury couldn't have come at a better time, and he takes his place at full-back in the only change for Ireland from the win against Wales.
James Lowe (above) and Calvin Nash continue on the wings for a fourth game in a row, while the form of Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki in the centre means Garry Ringrose isn't included in the squad, despite being available after his shoulder injury.
A first Twickenham trip will be a major test of out-half Jack Crowley, but the Munster man has been unfazed in this championship, even in the white-hot atmosphere of Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Crowley is joined in the half-backs by Jamison Gibson-Park.
Farrell has named an unchanged pack from the win over Wales, with the now usual front row of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, with Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne at lock, and a back row trio of captain Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris.
On the bench, Finlay Bealham comes back in for Oli Jager as the tighthead replacement, while Iain Henderson takes the place of James Ryan, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the championship with a bicep injury.
TEAMS
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Calvin Nash, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O'Mahony (capt), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Ciarán Frawley.
England: George Furbank; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Tommy Freeman; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Jamie George (capt), Dan Cole; Maro Itoje, George Martin; Ollie Chessum, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Theo Dan, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Chandler Cunningham-South, Alex Dombrandt, Danny Care, Marcus Smith, Elliot Daly.
OFFICIALS
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
WHAT THEY SAID:
Andy Farrell (Ireland head coach): "I've no doubt that England would have loved to have put the best performance out against Scotland and come away with the victory there. But I’ve no doubt now that over the last two weeks that concentrates their mind to have another chance to have a crack at us."
Steve Borthwick (England head coach): "I've made some of changes to the team but I believe in these players. I sense a determination in them to put in a performance this weekend and there has been ever since the end of that Scotland game."
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Ireland 29-10 England (Aviva Stadium) 19 August 2023 - World Cup warm-up
Ireland 29-16 England (Aviva Stadium) 18 March 2023 - Six Nations
England 15-32 Ireland (Twickenham) 12 March 2022 - Six Nations
Ireland 32-18 England (Aviva Stadium) 20 March 2021 - Six Nations
England 18-7 Ireland (Twickenham) 21 November 2020 - Autumn Nations Cup
With England v Ireland taking the prime-time slot in Round 4, Italy and Scotland open up the weekend's action at a sold-out Stadio Olimpico at 2.15pm on Saturday, as the Scots look to cement second place in the table, while keeping some pressure on Ireland. On Sunday, a beleaguered France side travel to Cardiff, as they look to get back on track against Wales (3pm)
