#ireland-v-england-2006

#ireland-v-england-2006

Brian Cody's views on the media at large, or at least that wretched part of it tasked with covering hurling, were dim. Roughly similar in wattage to Bobby Knight.

The team has good resilience because at the end of the day, as much as we sat deep and it was difficult for us to get out in the last 20 minutes, we still had an opportunity to win the game.

"It's the first time in 18 games that I had to have a go. I didn't like that I had to do that. We were passive in the first half, passing side to side, that was not us."

However, according to the FAI, Gardai (Irish police) have advised that the game can be "staged safely at the Aviva Stadium". The teams are also scheduled to face each other in a return fixture on 27 September. The Israeli FA has said it hopes to host the Republic of Ireland in Tel Aviv, but a venue is yet to be confirmed.

Finn Russell is one of the players of his generation and debates are already ongoing in Scotland as to whether the out-half is the greatest player his country has produced. What his CV lacks is silverware and, while he's making up for lost time on that front after winning a series with the Lions and with a Bath team that looks like it can compete for the Champions Cup this season, he has plenty of unfinished business with Scotland.

Changes galore, and notable ones at that, across both matchday squads. Steve Borthwick hands fan and media darling (and bloody good player) Henry Pollock his first start in the back row, where he will be joined by the returning Tom Curry. In the backs Tommy Freeman returns to a wing berth at the expense of Tom Roebuck, which brings Ollie Lawrence back into the centres. The bench is a 6:2, with Jack Van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith as the backs options.

The template for beating England in their own backyard was laid out by head coach Andrew Browne and his Irish U-20 charges as they stunned their fancied hosts in front of 13,000 at the Rec in Bath.

Tony Ward, voted the first European Player of the Year two months earlier, was dropped. He had won the award largely for his dazzling form in that season's Five Nations Championship. Then, ahead of the First Test on Ireland's tour of Australia, he was canned. It made the six o'clock news. Ward was a gifted footballer. He would go on to play in the League of Ireland for Limerick United FC, starring for them against Southampton in the Uefa Cup.

I'd like to say skills, but that has to be a wider project at provincial level where the standard of handling has dropped to an alarming level.

Our rugby jury answer the key questions ahead of Andy Farrell naming his team to face France