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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

Ireland to face England in pre-Rugby World Cup test as Leinster line up Chile friendly

Ireland will gear up for their latest Rugby World Cup finals assault with an Aviva Stadium warm-up against England just weeks before the finals get underway.

Andy Farrell's side will hope there is a Grand Slam on the line when they host the Red Rose in their final 2023 Six Nations fixture on March 18.

Then, as they build up to their latest attempt to get beyond the last eight for the first time in the World Cup, Ireland will take on Eddie Jones' charges in Dublin on August 17.

Before that, on August 5, they will host Italy at the Lansdowne Road ground before playing one final warm-up in France itself before the finals get underway, possibly against Samoa.

READ MORE: 'Jimmy O'Brien, you're useless...useless!' - Munster derby still means everything says Leinster star

Ireland's full World Cup warm-up schedule is not yet known but England's visit will guarantee a sell-out crowd at Lansdowne Road.

When the sides met before the last World Cup they did so in Twickenham and Ireland were on the wrong end of a 57-15 rout - a result that proved a strong indicator of how they would fare out in Japan.

“It’s a great chance to benchmark ourselves against the current number one team in the world,” said Jones.

“We are looking forward to taking them on in front of a lively Irish crowd and work towards being at our best for when the Rugby World Cup starts.”

Meanwhile, Leinster will take on World Cup debutants Chile in a friendly at Energia Park on Friday, November 18 with a 2pm kick off.

Chile's narrow victory over the USA secured their progress to the finals in France next year.

The South Americans recovered from 19-0 down in the second leg of their final qualifying game in Glendale, Colorado, to beat USA 31-29 and secure qualification with a 52-51 aggregate win.

They are coached by Pablo Lemoine, who played for and coached Uruguay at a Rugby World Cup and Chile will take their place in Pool D and will play England, Japan and Samoa, as well as facing Argentina in the first all-South American match in Rugby World Cup history.

Blues boss Leo Cullen said, "We are always looking for ways to give our players and indeed our coaches opportunities to test themselves and in this window there was an opportunity to look at something different.

"It’s great that we are able to welcome Chile to Energia Park, a team that have qualified for the Rugby World Cup for the first time ever and I know they are using this game as a good run-out for them as they start to prepare for the tournament in France next year.

"With many of our players away with Ireland and with Ireland ‘A’ during the month of November, I’m looking forward to seeing what the players can deliver against an international side."

Admission to the game between Leinster Rugby and Chile will be free of charge at Energia Park.

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