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Dingwall (40'), Lawrence (53'), Underhill (75')
Tries
Gibson-Park (19'), Baloucoune (26'), O'Brien (29'), Sheehan (42'), Osborne (69')
Ford (40+1', 53', 76')
Conversions
Crowley (20', 30', 43', 70')
Penalties
Crowley (8', 58', 65')
Never has a feed of humble pie tasted so, so good. Ireland marched into Twickenham, to make up the numbers but left with the maximum numbers on the championship table. 5 tries, 7 kicks, 42 points; and 20,000 cheerful Irish fans serenading the Twickers’ prawn sandwich faithful with songs about famine times.
Nice!
Andy Farrell and his gallant troops will basque in the pride and ecstasy ahead of this break week, but this cannot be a once off. Do not copy Scotland’s mantra of peaking for the old rival; but use the map of this board game to set them on a new journey ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Emphatic and Ruthless
For the first time since the opening Six Nations game in 2024, when Ireland inflicted a similar uppercut on France in Marseille, they looked as clinical as a team can in a test match. 9 entries to the English 22 for a points per entry of 4.3. Exceptional.
This came from a few factors of Ireland’s doing. Lightning quick ruck ball, winning collisions, squeezing and compressing England’s defensive line, and so on. How do you live with a team who play with such a manic intensity, as Ireland did? You don’t; and England definitely could not match it.
So after a fortnight where Ireland looked overpowered in contact by both France and Italy; it all clicked. Emotionally, physically, tactically, mentally. The whole nine yards, in one foul swoop.
Tale of Tens
In the days preceeding Ireland’s crushing of England, there was enough mileage to scale the country around the number 10 chat. Crowley v Prendergast. Munster v Leinster. Older v Younger. Runner v Kicker. It became as stale and boring as we (wrongly) assumed Ireland to be.
In response, the Munster incumbent laid down a marker with a stellar display with ball in hand, tactical kicking and a decent 7/9 off the tee. His partner-in-crime, Jamison Ginson-Park also put together a tremdous performance on the inside channel; winning Player of the Match.
Multiple player ratings, including our own (spoilers!) gave the Leinster man a 10/10 rating. The same could have been said for Ulster duo Stuart McCloskey and Robert Baloucoune, who became the power and speed fulcrum of Ireland’s attacking proficiency.
England Context?
It should be added, that although Ireland were excellent; England were woeful. They were blown off contact both in possession and in defence, kicked with a haphazardness you would find at underage levels, and had a sheer lack of urgency as they fell 22-0 behind.
The challenge for Steve Borthwick now will be to reflect on one of the worst English losses in recent memory, as they once again got knocked off their stride; and never bouncing back up.
What next?
Ireland head into a rest week now with the following players returning to their respective provinces for URC minutes:
Michael Milne, Tom Stewart, Darragh Murray, Edwin Edogbo, Cormac Izuchukwu, Cian Prendergast, Bryn Ward, Nathan Doak, Harry Byrne, Tom Farrell and Jude Postlethwaite.
When the squad all assemble again, most of those above will return while they may also re-integrate Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw ahead of the home clash with Wales.
Irish Player Ratings:
Jamie Osborne - 8; Robert Baloucoune - 10, Garry Ringrose - 8, Stuart McCloskey - 10, James Lowe - 7; Jack Crowley - 9, Jamison Gibson-Park - 10; Jeremy Loughman - 7, Dan Sheehan - 7.5, Tadhg Furlong - 7.5; Joe McCarthy - 8, James Ryan - 7.5; Tadhg Beirne - 9; Josh van der Flier - 8, Caelan Doris - 8.5.
R. Kelleher – 7, T. O’Toole - 7, F. Bealham - 6.5, C. Prendergast - 7, N. Timoney - 8, C. Casey - 7.5, C. Frawley - 7, T. O’Brien - 8.5.
Coaches - 8
