Lawrence Dallaglio drops British & Irish Lions ultimatum on England as they hunt ‘statement’ Six Nations victory against Ireland
Lawrence Dallaglio on the British & Irish Lions subplot to the Ireland v England clash.
Lawrence Dallaglio has told England players an all-expenses trip to Australia is up for grabs as the prize for winning their Six Nations opener in Dublin.
The Red Rose brigade are given little chance by bookmakers of beating back-to-back champions Ireland at the Aviva Stadium for the first time since 2019.
They have not finished higher than third since 2020, have lost more games than they have won in three of the past four championships and are coming off a nightmare 2024 in which they were beaten seven times in 12 outings.
Lions carrot
A British and Irish Lions team named today would contain precious few England players, with Ireland and Scotland dominating selection.
But the squad for this summer’s tour Down Under is not picked until after the Six Nations and Dallaglio insists a big performance this weekend will have a major bearing on head coach Andy Farrell’s thinking.
“This is a humdinger of a game, isn’t it?” said the former England captain and three-time Lions tourist. “Win in Dublin and you’re off to the races, aren’t you.
“All of a sudden a lot of the seats on the [Lions] airplane turn white, don’t they. There’s no bigger statement to make as a player than going to the champions’ backyard and winning.”
England contributed only three players – Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes and Tom Curry – to the team that started the last Test played by the Lions, the 19-16 series deciding loss to South Africa in Cape Town four years ago.
Itoje now captains his national team and Dallaglio is in no doubt England’s senior players will find additional motivation in the upcoming tour to Australia.
“Players like Maro are going to want to go to Australia, you can be sure of that,” he said. “And the way you get there is to go to Dublin and lead your team to victory.
“Do that and the autumn is forgiven, those three England defeats in four games, it’s firmly in the rear view mirror.
“But if England don’t turn that form around, instead of packing for Australia they’ll be going down the travel agents and booking holidays elsewhere. And they may be looking for a different coaching group.”
Former Ireland star Simon Zebo agrees with Dallaglio that the Lions tour looms large over the whole championship.
“I don’t care what anyone says you’re thinking about the Lions, for sure,” he told Planet Rugby. “You’re leaving no stone unturned.
“If there’s any 50-50 you do it to make sure you’ve prepared best. Nothing is left out on the training pitch.
Back of your mind
“There’s an intensity around every fixture, club and international. Every opportunity you get out on the pitch you’re thinking ‘Lions’ in the back of your head.
“That’s the way you have to be because you can’t afford to slip off your form. One performance could be detrimental to you if you take your eye off the ball.
“Everything around the whole year has to be geared around making that plane. I guarantee you that is the mindset of those who will be on that plane.”
As for the prospects of a sizeable English contingent Down Under, Zebo added: “Win in Dublin and there’s every chance. There’s a lot of those England guys who will back themselves.
“If they sort out their style of play, their identity, the direction they’re going as a team and start the tournament well, they could feature very heavily on that Lions squad.”
