Time to make a statement – Cole

Editor

England prop Dan Cole is eager to put their loss to France to one side when they face off with Ireland in their final Rugby World Cup warm-up match.

Cole and his team-mates enter the international at Twickenham on the back of a 25-20 defeat to les Bleus in Paris, with Ireland having fallen to Wales in Dublin.

That sets up a mouth-watering game on Saturday as the pair are desperate not to go into the tournament on successive losses, as tighthead Cole explains.

"Ireland are in a similar boat to us," he told the England Rugby podcast.

"They are coming off the back of a defeat [to Wales] and they want to set the record straight.

"We want an 80-minute performance to tee us up for the tournament. France is done and dusted and it’s time to make a statement, I guess."

England wing Jonny May added: "The thing with Ireland is that they definitely have a set DNA in terms of aspects of their game that they bring hard.

"Their breakdown, their driving maul and – most importantly for me – their kicking game are very good. The aerial battle is going to be huge. As a back three, we’re going to have to be on the money."