Ugo Monye’s run down of Ireland’s defensive stats:
Since the beginning of 2022, based on games played against the world’s top-10 sides, Monye pointed to Ireland having:
- Won the most breakdown turnovers
- Conceded the fewest linebreaks of any team
- Conceded the fewest points per 22 entry
- Conceded the fewest tries of any team
- Conceded the fewest 22 entries
- Conceded the fewest points
Just an awesome team.
Van de Merve vs Ireland’s defence is a real-life unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. The only way to stop the man scoring tries is to make sure he doesn’t get the ball, which probably means trying to smother Finn Russell.
England tried that last week…
Sexton had our number for so long, I just want to see us be closer this year, some sort of glimpse of us unlocking Ireland (and by extension the top 4)
England tried, but England’s defence is pathetic compared with Ireland’s. And I say this as an Englishman!