England defence coach John Mitchell expects Ireland to adopt a boring game plan for their Six Nations clash in Dublin on Saturday.
‘Ireland are arguably the best in the world, and for me are a side who – through their process being well-coached – are resilient,’ Mitchell told BBC Sport.
‘They will try to bore the s**t out of us basically. Ultimately, it will come down to a small piece of possession when you’re not focused that can hurt you, in a contest like this.’
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Ireland have won three of their last five Tests against England and are the No 2-ranked side in the world behind the All Blacks. But Mitchell believes England can beat Ireland.
‘If you’re going to play the best team in the world, you might as well get into them straight away. They’ve deserved all the honours that came their way in 2018.
‘Having them first up makes the challenge even more exciting for us. It’s a challenge that you don’t over-think, instead you walk towards it and embrace it.
‘It’s always been tough playing there, but it’s even harder now because they’re a well-coached side. They’re very consistent and have a process they’re very confident in.’
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