Eve Higgins excited about first crack at Red Roses

Analysing results in the Guinness Women's Six Nations requires more than a black and white outlook.

The first three rounds of the 2024 championship give the impression that what we thought was a two-tier tournament has probably splintered into three.

England have moved up a gear with the arrival of head coach John Mitchell, and now look a level above France, who have been unconvincing at times, in spite of their 100% record.

The third tier, however, looks very competitive, and with two weeks left to go Ireland, Italy and Scotland all harbour realistic hopes of a third-place finish.

Ireland currently sit third in the table after last week's impressive win against Wales, but face the daunting prospect of England away tomorrow afternoon, in front of more than 45,000 people at Twickenham. Mercifully for Scotland and Italy, they've both taken their medicine against England earlier in the competition.

It's nine years since Ireland last beat England, and with a combined scoreline of 117-0 across their last two meetings, the reality is that Scott Bemand's (below) side will almost certainly lose on Saturday.

At times it will probably be hard to sit through Saturday's game, which will serve as an 80-minute reminder of what could have been had the IRFU not dropped the ball so badly in the women's game since their 2015 title win.

There's no changing the past though. While the current Irish team are building their way back up from the bottom, it appears that the right foundations are bring put in place, better late than never.

With hopes of a third-place finish, there's still plenty for Ireland to play for at Twickenham.

Points difference may well prove crucial in the race for third place, while keeping some level of momentum is also vital