Be prepared: England won't make the same mistake against Ireland again, vows Andy Farrell

England tried to play down the Grad Slam game in 2011 and were roundly beaten by the Irish - they will be better prepared this time

Training day: England players are put through their paces

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England take on Ireland in Dublin today vowing: “We’ll get it right this time.”

The management turned up for the 2011 Grand Slam game having spent the week trying to play down the occasion. The party line was ‘just another game of rugby’.

Ireland disagreed, came out steaming and blew England away 24-8.

Brian Smith and Graham Rowntree were part of Martin Johnson’s coaching set-up then, and both have said this weekend that they got it badly wrong.

England coach Andy Farrell, and captain Chris Robshaw, agree – but insist they won’t make the same costly blunder.

Farrell said: “We are always in the mindset of preparation before performance. We felt before the Scotland game that we had two really good weeks.

“This week has been just as good, if not better. We feel we are really prepared.

“The boys have trained hard, they had a really hard beginning to the week. We have had good spikes of intensity.

“Graham Rowntree was part of that 2011 game, and he said they felt they got it wrong, that having won four from four, they had laid off the players and encouraged a down week.

“On reflection, they got the preparation wrong. It was too low key.

England v Scotland Rugby

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“This is only our second game. Preparation has been intense and we feel that is appropriate.”

Robshaw said: “We know the passion is going to be there and the intensity Irish sides bring. We face these guys in Heineken Cup ties, so we are under no illusions exactly how hard and how intense it is going to be.

“They are the games you want to play. As a squad, we have had spikes of intensity. It hasn’t been 90 minutes of full-on
craziness, it has been short and sharp and at the right times.

“I am in a good place in a good team with a great set of coaches and players around me. What else do I need as captain?”

But Farrell confessed to amusement when asked if this is a ‘Grand Slam eliminator’.

He said: “Every game is important because there are only a handful of them in the Six Nations.

“I will say that this game is as big as any game you get in world rugby. Coming to Dublin is a challenge, and one we are definitely ready for and up for.

“Eliminator? The losers can’t win one, so there’s some logic there. But it’s only round two.”

England v Scotland Rugby

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Ireland continue to be inspired by the genius of Brian O’Driscoll, whose magic moments unlocked Wales like a gentleman safecracker.

Robshaw acknowledges O’Driscoll’s quality and threat. But he believes
England are ready.He said: “You have to be ready for the unexpected. It is about being one step ahead.

“That is what good players do in attack. They try to plan ahead. We have got to be aware of the dangers of that and focus one step ahead defensively.”

Farrell agreed: “Any world class centre will tell you that getting into space, or finding yourself in great positions is about the work put in two or three phases beforehand.

“That lovely, floating, hanging pass O’Driscoll gave to create the try for Simon Zebo [against Wales] was set up two or three phases beforehand. It is a matter of dealing with the processes before, and hopefully no-one gets the space they want. We are prepared.”