What a final day this would be…
Will Greenwood is a big fan of Joe Schmidt’s Ireland and he believes they have what it takes to break England’s dominant hold on the Six Nations championship.
Eddie Jones’ men have won the 2016 and 2017 titles and are favourites to make it three-in-a-row, despite injuries to a number of key players. If any country can survive such an inordinate amount of injuries, notes Greenwood, it is the champions. He tells us:
“It will certainly test Eddie Jones and his coaching staff… but every time this lot have had a tough question to answer, 22 times out of 23 they seem to have got there.”
Greenwood, who won a World Cup with England in 2003, feels Ireland could do enough before reaching Twickenham – on March 17 – to win the championship.
“Ireland are in great shape,” he tells us.
“You also look at who they’re playing and when they’re playing, and where they are playing, and you go, ‘How are they going to lose before they get to Twickenham?’
“That’s without trying to put pressure on them, and their organisational structure. They’ve got France away in the opening game and France always have the ability to do something different but that seems to be increasingly rare.
“And then they’ve got home games against Wales, Italy and Scotland. Tough, yes, but it’s at the Aviva and you’d 100% back a team that has smashed everyone in the autumn internationals and who has two of the top four seeds in the Champions Cup.
“Then they travel to Twickenham, and while I feel England will beat them, I have a strange feeling – and it’s nothing more than a gut instinct – that England are vulnerable and might lose before they get to the final game.”
6 players to watch
Days out from the championship, Greenwood offered up the names of six players he is excited to see in action. The Ireland player included in his sextet, Bundee Aki, is only two Tests into his Ireland career but hasd already shown signs of promise.
“Bundee is one of the guys to look out for,” he says.
“Henshaw is absolutely nailed on to start. You could look at a Rory Scannell as he could work well with Henshaw but I think it will be Bundee and Robbie. They might decide to bring Bundee off the bench for impact but it’d be pretty exciting to see Sexton, Aki and Henshaw.
“I’d love to see Geoffrey Doumayrou and Dany Priso, two La Rochelle boys, get a run-out. With Wales, I’m looking forward to seeing Aaron Shingler get a run out. He’s top class. Scotland have Jonny Gray, who is on the verge of being world class, and then you look at the diminutive figure of Hamish Watson.”
If Greenwood’s predictions play out, we could yet see Bundee Aki celebrating with the Six Nations trophy on the Twickenham pitch on St Patrick’s Day.
Our full interview with Will Greenwood will feature on The Hard Yards podcast, on Thursday.
Join England’s World Cup 2003 heroes Will Greenwood, Mike Tindall and Neil Back at the award winning Wolf Run obstacle challenge in East Sussex on April 28. Get your pack together with the buy four get one FREE offer – www.thewolfrun.com
