Jamie George has warned history-chasing Ireland that his England team are ready to "defend our home" when the rivals clash in the Guinness Six Nations on Saturday.
Ireland boss Andy Farrell insists under-fire England remain capable of representing one of the ultimate tests in world rugby ahead of a tantalising Twickenham showdown.
England head coach Steve Borthwick admitted the camp has taken steps to relieve the pressure on their under-performing stars.
Springbok great Joel Stransky reckons this year's two-match Test series between the Springboks and Ireland will go a long way towards identifying who the best side in the world is.
The Springbok Sevens team were slow out of the blocks in their opening match of the HSBC SVNS Los Angeles as Ireland kept them scoreless on the way to a 17-0 victory.
Ireland kept their quest for successive Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam titles on track by easily dispatching a spirited Wales side 31-7 in Dublin.