Which players will prove vital if England are to record a much needed win over Ireland?

After a brief week away, the Six Nations returns this weekend and we see England take on Ireland at 16:50 on Saturday - a match that should be the toughest one yet for Eddie Jones and his team. With both teams having now been announced, it is time for another R&M review into the selection of the 23-man squad. The focus of this week's piece will be on those players who will be important for the men in white's chances of grabbing a victory against an under-performing Ireland in the wake of their injury woe's.


The Crucial Players

• Owen Farrell - having already made two impressive starts for England in the 12 position, whilst also taking on certain fly-half duties, the Saracen will need to bring his A-game in what will probably be a tight match where all points scored will be imperative in getting the win. With George Ford not playing at his best currently, Farrell has even more responsibility and pressure on his shoulders to be a play maker and organise the English back line, whilst also scoring as many points from penalty and conversion attempts. His opponent in the 12 shirt is Stuart McCloskey, a big player who has been a menace this season in defence for Ulster, again putting more of the onus on Farrell to continue to be on his game. If he can keep up his rich vain of form, England have a very good chance of coming out on top at Twickenham. 
• Billy Vunipola - arguably one of England's best players so far in the tournament, Vunipola is pivotal as a ball carrier, making a lot of metres by easily carrying into, and running through, a barrage of defenders. Ireland are always very physical up front, and the Saracen will need to use his physical presence at the breakdown to slow down any Ireland ball. The men in green are also very fond of the rolling maul, and Vunipola will be a key player in slowing them down and stopping them in their tracks. When Ireland utilise their back line, comprising of some physical players, the number 8, along with his fellow forwards, will need to be solid in defence, keeping the missed tackle and penalty count as low as possible. In what will be a forward-orientated game, Vunipola will be a very important player in trying to get a victory.
• Mike Brown - considering this weekend's match is going to be a kicking game on the whole, Brown is going to have to be on top of his game in the decisions department, particularly when it comes to kicking the ball away. The Harlequin is very good under the high ball, that must be said, but so is Rob Kearney. Therefore, if Brown decides to use the boot, he must be careful with who he decides to kick it to. If the Irish fullback gets hold of the ball, you can trust that he will attempt to make a break. Positioning is also going to be important, particularly as the ball is going to be kicked away by Ireland throughout the match - Brown's spatial awareness is one particular facet of his game that is very reliable, and he must utilise this as best he can to gain possession for England. If he can do all of these things, Ireland may find it difficult to get a real foothold in the match.
• Dylan Hartley (c) - against Italy the line out was one part of England's game that was well below average. For whatever reason nothing was paying off in that department, and it must be sorted out against Ireland. That kind of possession can not be given away, as it will feed the ball to the opposition in the area of the game where Ireland thrive - on the offensive via the forwards play. But this is not the only vital role that Hartley must play this weekend - he absolutely has to keep morale high amongst his team mates, especially as this game is likely to be tight throughout. England have to stay focused, and the captain has to keep the belief strong throughout that they can come away with a victory. If Hartley maintains the edge and fire, as well as performing strong in the line out and scrum, the rest of the team will follow in his footsteps.

Jones has made two changes to the squad for this weekend's clash - Joe Marler comes back in, replacing Mako Vunipola in the loosehead position, and Maro Itoje makes his first senior start for England, coming in for Courtney Lawes (who now has a bench spot due to the injury suffered by Joe Launchbury). The latter change is a very exciting one, particularly as the Saracen made a very impressive cameo off the bench against Italy, scoring some very good turnovers for the men in white. This weekend he is given a longer period of time on the field to continue showing everybody just what he can do, and why commentators are labelling him as a future England captain.

So there you have it - R&M's take on those players who will prove vital if England are to march to victory against Ireland on Saturday. Don't forget - the match is at 16:50 over on ITV! Let us know how you think the match is going to go in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading ruckers,
Jess and Aaron.

Twitter: @JessKebbell @RuckandMaulBlog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRuckandMaul

Email: theruckandmaul@gmail.com; ruckmegentlyblog@gmail.com
Website: ruckandmaulblog.blogspot.co.uk