Ireland’s Joe Schmidt prepares to host England in ‘brutal’ Six Nations opener | Robert Kitson

England head to Dublin on the opening weekend for the first time since 1995, with Rory Best expecting a ‘monster’ testThe 2019 Six Nations championship will not conclude until mid-March but rarely has the grand old tournament’s opening weekend been so pivotal. Even Ireland’s usually understated head coach, Joe Schmidt, is warning his players to brace themselves for a “brutal” first-round collision with England, with the visitors intent on easing the hurt of their fifth-placed finish last season. Related: Owen Farrell expects to be fit to face Ireland in England’s Six Nations opener Continue r…