The ultimate result of the match in Twickenham was England 23, Ireland 22. Johnny Watterson, in his analysis post-game, evaluated the performance of the Irish players following the loss. The team asserted that they did not misjudge England, a team they had previously observed during the World Cup. Despite feeling that England had launched many attacks in the initial half of the game, the Irish team found themselves leading at this point. However, England did not back down in the second half.
This Eduardo Doris emphasised the need for the Irish team to recover promptly. A conversation discussing the match will be hosted on Twitter in due course. Eduardo Doris, Gordon D’Arcy, and John O’Sullivan will be our representatives in Twickenham.
Marcus Smith’s drop-goal, although not without nerves particularly with England’s penalty advantage still being valid from a scoreable slot, deserves praise for his off-balance slotting.
Today’s game was undeniably one of England’s excellence performance in the Steve Borthwick era. Notable performances came from player Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and George Martin from the English pack, justifying their pick by the coach.
England deserved their victory, after successfully weathering the onslaught from their own team to be ahead and in a good position to win. In the end, no one disputes the final outcome. TWICKENHAM ENGLAND WINS AGAINST IRELAND
The game ended with a surprising victory for England! In the final moments, Marcus Smith scored a drop-goal. This score dashed Ireland’s hopes for a Grand Slam. Despite the shocking night and stunning performance by England, Ireland is still predicted to take the trophy next weekend. Nonetheless, this has been a crushing defeat for Andy Farrell’s crew.
With only a minute remaining in the game, Ireland secured the line-out, skilfully going for the tail. Murray was successful in finding touch with the clearance. England had one final opportunity to attack from the 10m line on the Irish side.
Jack Conan sustained what appeared to be a shoulder injury, which was attended to during the match. However, he recovered and rejoined the line-out.
At the 78th minute, Danny Care made a quite puzzling move. The classic run from Marcus Smith abruptly ended inside the 22. Care initiated his run on the retreating line, but his kick hit an Irish player instead. Though Ireland could evacuate, Lowe decided to maintain the ball on the pitch.
An impromptu shift from Gibson-Park, Conan and Murray pushed England directly into touch. Despite ominous circumstances, England had less than a couple of minutes to salvage the situation…
Three minutes prior, England had a crucial decision to make. Henderson’s failure to make a sufficient roll posed a challenge and it was clear that the penalty was beyond Marcus Smith’s striking range. Nevertheless, Elliot Daly was present on the pitch with his hallmark long-range boot. He made the ambitious decision to attempt it. A pivotal instance…
It was a miss! Daly fell 15m short of touch, and his overly forceful kick resulted in its wide trajectory. It was a fortunate escape for Ireland.
TRY JAMES LOWE
Ireland secured another try at the corner. The maul from the lineout succeeded in drawing out enough defenders for an opening once the ball was thrown wide. Aki’s excellently timed tip pass and the swift ball movement facilitated a quick pass from Gibson-Park. Lowe versus Smith towards the corner turned out to be no competition at all, and Ireland reclaimed the lead.
The touchline conversion from Crowley ended wide, making Ireland the leaders by a narrow two points!
Ireland was in desperate need of an ignition at the 71st minute, and they received just that. Smith was taken out by Baird and Porter while Kelleher managed to seize control over the ball, earning a penalty at the breakdown. Crowley’s beautiful kick found the touch 10m from England’s line.
Another shift was made, with Porter being replaced by Healy.
On the 69th minute, Gibson-Park declared a mark after a rapid Care overhit and successfully found a superb touch past halfway. For Ireland, O’Mahony was out of his card’s time limit and was substituted by Ryan Baird.
With two minutes to go, Ben Earl took command of the match for England. A potential opportunity for Ireland appeared with Aki’s strong position, however, the ball was soon lost. Keenan found himself alone with the ball and Earl effortlessly acquired the penalty.
With four minutes remaining, a late call indicated Keenan’s knock-on. Earlier, Itoje had managed to wrench the ball from Gibson-Park’s grasp, earning England a scrum.
“Elliot Daly replaces Slade in a strategic home-side adjustment, with Alex Dombrandt joining the game following Chessum’s exit. It becomes a landmark game for Danny Care as he steps in for Mitchell, marking his 100th cap.
At 63 minutes, Ireland is awarded a penalty stemming from an incident involving Itjoe during a lineout. Crowley shows smart thinking, booting the ball to place within the 22, but Ireland fails to capitalise and in an unfortunate turn of events, Henshaw botches a potential line break leading England to clear.
At 61 minutes, fresh substitutions are made by Ireland’s coach, Andy Farrell; ushering Kelleher, Bealham, Henderson and Conan in to replace Sheehan, Furlong, McCarthy and van der Flier.
TRY for England comes in force as Ben Earl scores and the nation takes the lead – taking advantage of the fact O’Mahony, due to bad sportsmanship, had been given a yellow card for an easy penalty decision and sent off the pitch for a 10-minute breather by the referee. England exploits his absence, bringing Marcus Smith on for Ford at 10.
At 57 minutes, Ireland is shaken with an unfruitful lineout attempt that finds its way into touch due to intervention from an England hand. A cross communication between Gibson-Park and Aki only exacerbates the situation by letting the ball slip forward. Following a few kicks from both sides, the momentum favours Ireland gaining a lineout beyond the halfway mark.
At 56 minutes, Ireland gets a breather, Ford’s dreadful clearance granting them a lineout within the England 22. Despite the ordeal, news filters through that Frawley won’t be back in the match, Gibson-Park will be covering on the wing for what remains of the game.”
Feyi-Waboso’s hasty actions have been admonished by the referee, Amashukeli. Regardless of his hands being on the ground, he proceeds to compete for the ball at the ruck, despite being told not to. The referee had already warned him before deciding to give the penalty, however, examining the replay, it’s uncertain if it was the correct decision. Crowley then propels the game towards the 22, substituting their entire front row with Dann, Marler, and Stuart, replacing George, Genge, and Cole.
Around the 50-minute mark, Ireland reacts well at the restart, causing Itoje to fumble mid-air. A few phase attempts occur by Ireland but Crowley is caught in the blitz, navigating back for the scrum, which is ideally located near the England 22.
Complications are arising for Ireland as Frawley is required to undergo a HIA. Gibson-Park relocates to the wing, Murray steps in at 9 and Keenan reverts to fullback. As Ireland fouled with an early engagement at the scrum, this provides England with a free-kick.
George Furbank lands a fantastic try for England, a swift counter to Ireland’s performance. Initially, Freeman comes close but is blocked by Frawley. The game continues with Ireland clearing, but fails to find touch. Martin and Itoje unite and run at Ireland’s frontrow, and with the defence grounded, Furbank seizes the space to dart off. Ford botches a conversion attempt from a reasonably side position, contributing to his third missed kick.
James Lowe scores a sensational try for Ireland. The action starts with Keenan grasping a high ball, leading to Crowley dummying to evade the rush immaculately, opening a gap for Doris. Aki collects it, passes to Frawley who in turn sends Lowe through, who then dives into the corner marking the opening of the half. Despite Crowley’s failed conversion from the touchline, the energy remains high.
Following the 42-minute mark, the lack of urgency in Ireland’s defensive line is notable. Despite England making significant advancement, they fail to utilise it. Lawrence’s violation of side entry results in a penalty, initially attempting to clear out van der Flier who was purposely lingering to obtain the ball.
Kicking off the second half of the match, George Ford lobs the ball into the 22, which Aki retrieves after a pressured fumble from Feyi-Waboso. The teams swap kicks back and forth, but a blunder in mid-air from Crowley while trying to seize a Ford high bomb provides a momentary break in play.
Amidst the game’s dynamics, there was a heated dialogue between coaches Andy Farrell and Steve Borthwick at the interval. No doubt, further insight into this exchange will be discovered later on. In the meantime, the teams have made their return onto the pitch for the second half.
The lone successful try of the match thus this far came early on with a dose of luck. Nash, coming off his wing at a rapid pace, injures himself, leaving Ireland outnumbered as England targets his side. It could be debated whether Doris should have stayed in the line for support instead of taking on Mitchell. However, the bottom line is that England made a successful sweep into the gap left in Nash’s wake.
The first half sees England 8, Ireland 12, with England holding 56 per cent of the possession and commanding 66 per cent of the territory. England also surpasses Ireland in defenders beaten and successful line breaks, making it an impressive performance. However, if not for several mishandlings, they could have scored further. Nevertheless, Ireland defended brilliantly, securing four substantial turnovers. Despite England’s formidable pressure, Andy Farrell’s defence holds out.
Being four points ahead at half-time, given England’s impressive assault, is a vital advantage to Ireland. The crucial question now is whether England can reboot that intensity as they’ve been held at bay up until now.
As the 40-minute mark hits, Ireland keeps it minimalistic off the lineout and it pays off winningly. Aki pushes up, followed by Sheehan’s nimble footwork and a shrewd pass from Doris opening a chink in the armour. Following three swift breakdowns, Ford and Martin are caught offside, leading to Ireland earning a penalty. Getting into half-time with a score of 8-12 in favour of Ireland, considering England’s game so far, is a delightful turn of events for the Irish team.
Furbank has been struggling for the past few minutes. Lowe’s attempts to clear have been subpar throughout, but this time his kick shows some strength. Unfortunately, after gathering on his own 22, Furbank steps onto the touchline, presenting Ireland with a promising opportunity for a lineout.
England, however, retaliates with 37 minutes on the clock. An expertly executed pullback pass from Slade to Feyi-Waboso leaves Ireland scrambling, with Keenan rushing in to put pressure on Furbank. He reaches too late, but Furbank fumbles the opportunity due to handling errors, an issue from their last match.
At 35 minutes, Ireland takes the lead. Crowley’s kick from just beyond midfield isn’t elegant but it is effective, going over the bar.
Aki shows his worth at 34 minutes, halting Chessum’s relentless progress. After stopping him, he’s quickly on the ball and earns a penalty, despite a determined opposition. This sets the stage for Crowley’s long-range penalty, which gives Ireland the lead. So far, Ireland has four turnovers while England has none.
In the 33rd minute, Frawley effortlessly takes Ford’s consecutive high bombs. On the second instance, he successfully calls a mark before finding a good touch beyond halfway.
At the 30 minutes mark, Ireland is penalised, Aki is found culpable. Once again Ford is presented a kickable opportunity. Nevertheless, his shot from 40m out falls short, letting Ireland off the hook.
28 minutes in, a strong push by Ireland on Porter’s side of the scrum falters due to Doris’s inability to control the ball. Although Gibson-Park’s grubber kick finds touch inside the 22, Ireland’s early closure of the gap at the lineout awards a penalty to England, who have no trouble clearing from their territory.
At 26 minutes, Gibson-Park delivers a remarkable clearing kick, followed by good touch out of the scrum and into halfway.
With a lineout off the pitch, Ireland finally picks up their pace. Though Slade attempts to carry wide, he’s quickly encapsulated by Henshaw and van der Flier. Ireland prevails with a scrum when Amashukeli declares a maul.
25 minutes in: Ollie Lawrence breaks through again! Lowe’s attempted shot is intercepted, giving England room to manoeuvre. Frawley stumbles trying to wrangle a grubber through, and Lawrence collects and places it down. But it appears Furbank knocked it on in the frenzied chase for the ball and this move is now under review.
NO GOAL! Luckily for Ireland, Furbank fumbled the ball in his effort to gather it before Lawrence, ending up in Ireland’s hands with a scrum near their line.
24 minutes in: In a remarkable move, Beirne gains a turnover right on the edge of the line. A short lineout to Earl takes Ireland by surprise, but Sheehan rushes in for a potentially game-saving tackle. Beirne keenly sees the ball slip out and retrieves it for Ireland.
22 minutes in: Ford makes an unexpected try for a drop goal but is stopped in his tracks by van der Flier. Keeping hold of the ball, England earn a penalty as Doris moves offside. Bypassing the points, England heads for the corner!
21 minutes in: A poor judgement call by Aki as he tries to exit the 22 with a kick-off, getting tackled out of bounds by Chessum. This didn’t come without a price, however, as England’s back row now requires medical attention for a shoulder issue.
20 minutes in: Ireland wins yet another penalty. With Aki’s sturdy carry on the initial phase creating momentum, Doris takes the ball—and Lawrence illegally attempts to seize it from the ground. Crowley has an easy kick coming up.
To steady their nerves, Ireland needs to score—and they do, with Crowley neatly popping it over from inside the 22.
18 minutes in: Ireland breathes a sigh of relief with a much-needed penalty. England’s kick chase is commendable, as they crowd Jack Crowley, but George Martin disregards the referee’s instructions not to play the ball. The kick is too distant, but Ireland manages to secure a lineout inside the 22.
In the meantime, Nash doesn’t pass his HIA. Frawley replaces him for the remainder of the match, with Keenan taking up fullback.
At 16 minutes, England secures a penalty when Aki fails to retreat. Amashukeli signals for a penalty in a very kickable zone. There is no error as it’s kicked from the central location just outside the 22, boosting England’s lead to five.
At 14 minutes, Beirne masterfully intercepts a lineout, with both teams engaging in a game of ‘kick-tennis’ without much territory gain. Feyi-Waboso attempts a long breakthrough. Earl makes a stunning offload allowing George to scramble into the Ireland half. England now has possession near the 22.
At 12 minutes, Ireland is in troubles. The lineout is ruined as Sheehan’s throw overshoots O’Mahony’s jump. England is consistently gaining quick ball phase, applying pressure on the defence. Keenan ends up retrieving an attempted grubber, but gets pushed out of play. England throws in near the 22. Mitchell makes a break but loses the ball while attempting an offload.
At 10 minutes, Ireland has a penalty. They manage a strong defensive set. Genge performs a substantial carry in the midfield, launching a threatening first phase attack from England. Henshaw executes a strong tackle on Furbank preventing a possible try, while van der Flier secures a valuable penalty for holding on.
At 9 minutes, England wins a penalty. The first scrum doesn’t go well for Ireland as Porter and Furlong collapse, earning England the decision. Slade manages an excellent touch inside the Irish 22.
At 7 minutes, the game take off. Aki’s skillful handling allows Ireland to break halfway. Lowe rushes into the 22, offloading inside. Ireland attempts to push a loose ball forward but Sheehan throws it forward, ensuing recovery and error forcing by England although Ireland manipulated their rush quite easily.
Ollie Lawrence scores a try. England immediately makes a counterattack when Lowe’s kick doesn’t connect and England counters. Nash’s injury leaves room on his wing and England takes maximum advantage, Slade sends Lawrence down the flank resulting in a corner score.
Ford is unsuccessful in his attempt to convert from the touchline, and unfortunately for Ireland, Nash has to depart for a HIA. Frawley comes on to fill the fullback position and Keenan transitions to wing.
The game commences positively for Ireland within the first 2 minutes. England’s tactic to blitz off the line is countered by Ireland’s narrow carries. As Van der Flier initiates a break with a pick and go, England is caught being offside. Post the penalty for England’s offside play, Crowley is given an opportunity to execute a kick under the posts. Crowley delivers it successfully, placing the first points on the board for Ireland.
As the anthems wrap up, the game kicks off. NIka Amashukeli blows the whistle initiating the contest. Jack Crowley sets the game in motion with a long kickoff into the 22. Mitchell retrieves the ball and locates his touch, offering Ireland an early lineout halfway through.
Even ahead of the game commence, understanding the gaming permutations leaves one’s mind scrambled. However, we are just a stone’s throw away from the start, with the teams in place for their anthems.
Now, let’s understand the implications for Ireland’s victory in the championship. Initially, it was believed that Ireland required a bonus point win, presuming a bonus point win for Scotland against Italy, which did not turn out as expected.
Currently, Ireland stands at 15 points, Scotland at 11 and England at 8. An outcome of either a draw or a win for Ireland will put them ahead, regardless of next week’s results. If England secures a win without a try bonus point moving to 12 points and Ireland loses by less than 7 and scores four tries, they float to 17 points. Given their points difference superiority, they are likely to secure the title even if England manages to reach the same total points.
Therefore, even if Ireland loses today, they can remain virtually unstoppable if they gain any two points. Simultaneously, John O’Sullivan shares an insightful analysis of England’s often used and highly effective kicking strategy, which continues to be in use albeit not as frequently as during the World Cup.
Although it is not a certainty, Ireland appears to have the upper hand in dealing with Borthwick’s strategy for the game.
Reflecting on a game he once watched with a friend, Gearóid Prendergast, manager of the Munster academy, couldn’t help but express his fascination with player Calvin Nash’s outstanding mobility, quickness, and footwork. Upon seizing the opportunity to manage Young Munster, Prendergast was filled with enthusiasm. With an injury to Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien, Irish rugby player, Calvin Nash, earned a spot in the Six Nations tournament. Since then, he has proven himself a worthy contender, performing excellently in the recent showdown at Twickenham.
In an exciting development for Italian rugby, Scotland was defeated by Italy with a final score of 31-29. With Scotland’s title prospects now significantly slashed because of this and one other defeat, it’s apparent that this was a major victory for Italy after their unfulfilled encounter with France.
This multifaceted situation could favour Ireland, who initially required a bonus point win to clinch the championship, but now just needs to stave off a victory from England. A tied game or a loss – providing they score four tries and maintain a losing bonus point – would be sufficient.
Adding to the suspense, Italy once again found the net, courtesy of Stephen Varney, placing them in the lead against Scotland with a 28-22 score and 20 minutes of gameplay left. The intriguing game between Scotland and Italy saw Louis Lynagh helping his team narrow the margin to just one point, with the score at 21-22. However, Italy missed an opportunity to take the lead due to Garbisi’s missed conversion.
With England boasting of players like Itoje well-known for lineout threats, Ireland, remembering their five scrum penalties from two years ago, are likely to be targeted in today’s set pieces. Strategies and tactics on how Ireland can triumph at Twickenham are explored in-depth below.
Jack Crowley’s decision-making abilities will be considerably tested today, as Felix Jones’s aggressive defence strives to crank up the pressure — a sentiment echoed by Gerry Thornley. Today’s happenings at Twickenham are highly anticipated, with Thornley offering a glimpse into the potential challenges that may be faced by the English squad.
Should the England side manage to secure a victory, complete with a bonus-point, in the England vs Ireland match, the Six Nations title will be theirs. Meanwhile, Ireland has made a singular alteration to their winning team against Italy, with Hugo Keenan now fully fit and set to replace Ciarán Frawley as fullback. Frawley will play the role of substitute.
In the replacement line-up, Finlay Bealham overtakes Oli Jager to claim the tighthead position, and Frawley is the only outside back due to a 6-2 split. Consequently, despite being fully fit, Garry Ringrose doesn’t make the cut, and neither does Stuart McCloskey, notwithstanding his recent striking performances off the bench.
Next year’s tournament fixtures have also been disclosed prior to the heart of today’s match. The initial round of the 2025 tournament will see today’s teams face off in Dublin, with Ireland finalising their competition in Rome for the St Patrick’s weekend. It could be an optimal city for Ireland to possibly rejoice in, should they once more be vying for the title.
England, the hosting side, have introduced numerous amendments to the team that was defeated by Scotland previously. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is chosen to start on the wing, replacing Elliot Daly. This strategic change should complement Felix Jones’ defence line, as Feyi-Waboso’s faster speed and familiarity with the system from his club, Exeter, will prove advantageous.
Alex Mitchell is back in form and equipped to set off at scrumhalf, as George Martin contributes substantial bulkiness to the second row. Ollie Chessum is assigned as the blindside flanker while Ethan Roots is removed from the squad completely.
The final stretch of the Six Nations is underway, following another quiet week. Over the upcoming two weekends, Ireland will return to the field, with their eyes on the all-coveted Grand Slam.
Greetings everyone, and thank you for joining us for real-time reporting of the much-anticipated match between Ireland and England at Twickenham. I am Nathan Johns and I will be your guide as we navigate through this thrilling game. If Ireland pulls off a bonus point victory today, it would secure their championship title ahead of the Grand Slam and Triple Crown challenges next weekend against Scotland in Dublin.
However, if victory tips towards England, it could drastically change the course of the competition. It would keep Steve Borthwick’s team and Scotland in contention going into the final phase of the tournament.
Ireland is leading the favorites, yet defeating England on their home turf at Twickenham is undoubtedly a challenging task. The game is set to begin at 4:45pm, but feel free to engage on Twitter (@nathanrjohns) whilst we anticipate the commencement of this exciting match.