Ireland and Munster legend Peter Stringer has claimed that England are going to be Ireland's biggest challengers heading into the 2025 Six Nations.
Ireland and England played out a Six Nations classic this month, and it was the unfancied English that beat Ireland 22-23 in a Grand Slam ender. Stringer believes that England's brave win over Ireland was a mark of how good Ireland are as a rugby team. .
"The game against England at Twickenham, which, for me, was the best game of the tournament, was a prime example. England played at an incredibly high intensity for 80 minutes, and Ireland could still have nicked it. It was a disappointing result, but it’s a mark of where Ireland has gotten," he said to Betway
Ireland won the Six Nations anyway after beating Scotland the week after, and England lost narrowly to France the same weekend. There is now a belief that England can kick on.
Marcus Smith of England celebrates scoring the winning drop goal with teammates during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between England and Ireland at Twickenham Stadium on March 9, 2024, in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) )However, Stringer also believes that Ireland will get better under Andy Farrell's leadership despite the loss of key players.
"Without a shadow of a doubt, Ireland would have taken back-to-back championships—albeit without a second consecutive Grand Slam—before the tournament began. The fact they did so without playing particularly well in some of their games just shows what a good place Irish rugby is currently in," they added.
"There’s real continuity on the team, no matter who plays. Johnny Sexton was Andy Farrell’s coach on the field—he was the eyes and the voice that controlled everything—but Jack Crowley has really stepped up to the plate in that key position. There were a few injuries, which is always disruptive, but Calvin Nash, Robbie Henshaw, and Ciaran Frawley just slotted in when required.
"They’re so well-drilled, with real focus and cohesion, that teams have got to be at their very best for 80 minutes to beat them. That’s a very difficult place to get to, and I can only see it growing from here."
Ireland's next game will be against South Africa in July.
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