England are 'far from dead and buried', warns Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt

Joe Schmidt, whose Ireland team are chasing a Grand Slam triumph at Twickenham on Saturday, insists England are not “dead and buried”, despite successive Six Nations defeats.

Ireland denied England a second successive Slam last season and Eddie Jones’s men will be seeking revenge — especially after losses to Scotland and France saw their hopes of winning the title disappear.

“I think they [England] are going to be really dangerous,” said Schmidt. “I’ve seen them play often enough but I actually watched some of the England players train with the Lions. They have an exceptional level, and they have extreme pace.

“They’re wounded but far from dead and buried. They will certainly have huge resolve to bounce back and beat us.”

Schmidt believes Ireland boast a crop of players to stand comparison with their Grand Slam-winning team of 2009, claiming his current squad has stars to merit the same company as greats such as Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell.

“Three titles in five years; there are some very consistent personnel through that period,” said the Kiwi.

“And then there’s this young crew. James Ryan doesn’t know what it’s like to lose a Six Nations.”