"The airborne Furlong footage has certainly caught the eye of England's front-rowers and a quick dip into the archives will also remind both teams of what can happen when things up front go pear-shaped. In 2012, Ireland were left badly exposed when Mike Ross injured his neck at the first scrum and ended up conceding a penalty try, six scrum penalties and three scrums against the head as they subsided to a humbling 30-9 defeat."
"As recently as 2022 Ireland conceded six scrum penalties against England at Twickenham, but were bailed out by Charlie Ewels's early red card. So little wonder there is a slight hint of green foreboding this time, particularly bearing in mind the pack's torrid scrummaging examination at the hands of South Africa in Dublin in November. England are not yet as formidable a scrummaging unit as the Boks, but are steadily advancing in that area."
"We were disappointed with the result on Saturday, but from a scrum perspective the front row were quite happy with how we went. The scrum is becoming increasingly more powerful in games. You see it in World Cups. Even if you've made a 50-metre break through the middle I'd still feel I'd had a bad day if the scrum doesn't go well."
Two recent images frame concerns heading into the match: Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan were lifted by Italy's power in the set scrums, and the memory of a 2012 Anglo-Irish contest where Mike Ross injured his neck at the first scrum remains acute. In 2012 Ireland conceded a penalty try, six scrum penalties and three scrums against the head in a 30-9 defeat. In 2022 Ireland again conceded six scrum penalties to England, rescued only by an early red card. South Africa exposed Ireland's pack in Dublin. England's scrum is improving and Joe Heyes emphasizes the importance of a solid set piece. Heyes is a 26-year-old who served a lengthy apprenticeship at Leicester.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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