Ireland predicted team v England: Jack Crowley ‘handed the keys’ after Italy ‘rescue act’ as Andy Farrell deploys the enforcers
Andy Farrell (left) coud make changes to his 23-man squad, with Tadhg Beirne (centre) and Jack Crowley (right) primed to come into the run-on side
Ahead of Ireland’s pivotal Six Nations clash with England at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, here is how we think Andy Farrell’s side will line up.
The visitors have been far from convincing in their opening two Tests of this year’s Championship, but come to the English capital with a chance to kick-start their campaign.
Ireland slumped to a tough 36-14 defeat to France in the opening round, before a gritty win against a vastly improved Italy last time out. That victory did not do much to dispel some of the question marks looming over Farrell’s side, with the Azzurri taking a deserved lead into half-time and later seeing a pivotal second-half try chalked off, while the scrum was also systematically dismantled.
But, within that performance, there were a few bright sparks. The introduction of Jamison Gibson-Park and Jack Crowley seemed to get their attack humming after a poor opening period, while the rest of the bench also made a decent impact as well.
Ireland have also reported no fresh injuries ahead of this round three clash, meaning Farrell will have his full squad to pick from this weekend.
Headline changes
The talk around this Irish side continues to be dominated by the Sam Prendergast-Crowley debate, but the head coach could hand the Munsterman the keys this weekend.
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As mentioned above, Crowley’s introduction lit the touchpaper for Ireland’s second-half rescue act. His ability to inject pace and creativity into their attack, which was otherwise missing with Prendergast at the helm, was crucial in their turnaround, but he also added a sense of calmness to it.
Ireland’s attacking shape seemed staggered and confused for much of the Test, with players either overrunning lines, being too close in support or standing that little bit too flat, but Crowley seemed to position his troops far better and crucially in slightly different areas where they could cause damage. Bringing him back into the starting XV could get that on the pitch from the very start.
That also suggests Jamison Gibson-Park will also retake his starting shirt from Craig Casey, with the Leinster ace also doing his part in that second-half effort. His control around the ruck, be it with his toying around of the speed depending on the shape Ireland wanted to run, kicking or just general distribution, contributed a lot to their vast improvement come the latter stages, and he also brings heaps of experience to the mix.
Prendergast and Casey should, however, take up spots on the bench.
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There are potentially some question marks over Garry Ringrose this weekend after a slow start to the Championship by his usually classy standards, but he should retain his place. Elsewhere, Jamie Osborne, Rob Baloucoune, Stuart McCloskey and James Lowe should also remain in the starting group.
Enforces deployed
England have made some changes within their pack, and you think Farrell will follow suit as he turns to his enforcers. Tadhg Beirne seems to be a certainty to come back into the starting XV after a strong display off the bench last weekend, but that in itself throws up a question elsewhere.
Cormack Izuchukwu enjoyed a pretty solid day’s work against Italy while James Ryan and Joe McCarthy struggled, but Beinre’s best position is on the blindside and he should come into the back-row alongside Jack Conan and skipper Caelan Doris.
Ryan and McCarthy will also bring that bit of extra bulk into the pack, which will be crucial against their English counterparts.
Tadhg Furlong could also be set for a return to the starting XV this weekend to add some more security to their scrum, albeit this coming after he was sent into orbit by the Italian pack, with Dan Sheehan and Jeremy Loughman keeping their places in the front-row.
There could also be some new faces on the bench, in the form of prop duo Michael Milne and Finlay Bealham, again in an effort to sure up the scrum, while Ronan Kelleher, Edwin Edogbo and Nick Timoney should continue among the replacements.
Ireland predicted team in full
Starting XV: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Caelan Doris (c), 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Jeremy Loughman
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Michael Milne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Edwin Edogbo, 20 Cormac Izuchukwu, 21 Nick Timoney, 22 Craig Casey, 23 Sam Prendergast
Date: Saturday, 21 February, 2026
Kick-off: 14:10 GMT
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
TV: ITV, TF1, RTE Sport, SuperSport, Sky Italia, Sky NZ, Stan Sports, Peacock
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson
