Ireland name Caelan Doris captain and field an unchanged back three as they head to Twickenham to face England in the Six Nations; live on ITV and RTÉ
Andy Farrell has handed the Ireland captaincy to Caelan Doris for Saturday’s Six Nations showdown with England at Twickenham. The squad named after last weekend’s win over Italy feels deliberate: a powerful pack, a quick back three and half-backs picked to control the game’s tempo.
When and where Kick-off is at 2.10pm GMT on Saturday 21 February. The game will be shown live on ITV in the UK and RTÉ in Ireland, with radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1. Check local listings if you need streaming or regional coverage details.
Starting XV and tactical shape Farrell has kept faith with the same back three — Jamie Osborne, Robert Baloucoune and James Lowe — players who bring pace, aerial assurance and counter-attacking bite that should blunt England’s kicking game. In midfield Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose continue as a pairing, blending direct carries with tidy distribution off contact.
At 10 and 9, Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park have the responsibility of managing territory and tempo. Their selection signals a game plan built around controlled phases and intelligent kicking rather than risky, end-to-end exchanges. Expect Ireland to try and force England to earn ground through patient possession.
The pack mixes set-piece solidity with mobility. Jeremy Loughman, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong make up a scrummaging-heavy front row; Joe McCarthy and James Ryan provide lineout security and physicality in close quarters. The loose trio — Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris — are workhorses: relentless at the breakdown, strong in contact and able to carry the ball effectively in open play.
Bench, options and match-day plan The replacements give Farrell options to both protect and alter the platform as the game evolves. Rónan Kelleher, Tom O’Toole and Finlay Bealham offer specialist front-row cover to safeguard scrum stability late on. Nick Timoney and Jack Conan bring additional carrying power in the loose, while Craig Casey, Ciaran Frawley and Tommy O’Brien are versatile backs who can change the tempo or shore up the defence when needed.
Expect substitutions to follow a familiar pattern: early changes to secure set pieces, mid-game introductions to refresh the collision area and late bursts to add speed or close out phases. The bench is as much about tactical adaptability as it is about injury cover.
What the selection reveals A 5-3 split between forwards and backs underlines a priority on platform and set-piece resilience. That balance keeps Ireland’s late-game options open — think scrums, mauls and sustained physical pressure — while still allowing for rapid counter-attacking moments from the back three. With Crowley running the show at 10, look for a blend of structured kicking and measured distribution; with Doris leading the loose trio, Ireland will hunt turnovers and try to generate momentum through direct, fast ruck work.
Final confirmed Ireland team (match-day essentials) Starting XV – 1 Jeremy Loughman – 2 Dan Sheehan – 3 Tadhg Furlong – 4 Joe McCarthy – 5 James Ryan – 6 Tadhg Beirne – 7 Josh van der Flier – 8 Caelan Doris (c) – 9 Jamison Gibson-Park – 10 Jack Crowley – 11 Jamie Osborne – 12 Stuart McCloskey – 13 Garry Ringrose – 14 Robert Baloucoune – 15 James Lowe
Replacements – Rónan Kelleher, Tom O’Toole, Finlay Bealham, Nick Timoney, Jack Conan, Craig Casey, Ciaran Frawley, Tommy O’Brien
When and where Kick-off is at 2.10pm GMT on Saturday 21 February. The game will be shown live on ITV in the UK and RTÉ in Ireland, with radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1. Check local listings if you need streaming or regional coverage details.0
