Ireland back to their best to blitz England in Six Nations rout at Twickenham
Ireland players Garry Ringrose and Tommy O'Brien in Twickenham. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Ireland completely turned over the formbook to dismantle England with a record winning margin at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
Irish rugby had its Bobby Ewing shower moment, as they looked back to their best with Jack Crowley at 10 and Ciaran Frawley backing him up from the bench, and we all got to pretend the last 16 months never happened.
Ireland started brightly and after Joe McCarthy had brilliantly turned over possession at an English line-out Ireland piled on the pressure inside the England 22. When they were awarded a penalty under the posts, Jack Crowley slotted in the eighth minute.
England managed to win a couple of penalties in promising positions only for outhalf George Ford to miss touch with both kicks to the corner, to undermine England’s early efforts.
Ireland then scored a great try in the 20th minute. Wings Robert Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien made huge yards down the right touchline and the hosts were penalised for coming in from the side. The alert Jamison Gibson-Park took a quick tap penalty and dived over in the left corner, with Crowley brilliantly converting from the touchline to measure.
Crowley hooked a penalty wide from 40m in the 23rd minute but Ireland kept on the front foot. After O’Brien collected a Gibson-Park box kick Stuart McCloskey charged up the centre to get within five metres, and the excellent Gibson-Park was on hand to float the ball to Baloucoune to score in the right corner in the 26th minute.
England full back Freddie Steward was sinbinned too due to cynically playing the scrum half as Steve Borthwick’s team looked completely rattled.
The first half rout continued when Baloucoune easily broke down the left-hand touchline and he fed the supporting O’Brien to run it in under the posts to make it 22-0 after half an hour.
England got within a metre of the Irish tryline in the 38th minute only for Tadhg Beirne to turn them over with a trademark jackal, but England gave themselves a lifeline with a try with the last play of the half when centre Fraser Dingwall crashed over after sustained pressure to leave it 22-7 at the break.
Ireland started the second half quickly, and after a huge break up the middle by captain Caelan Doris, Gibson-Park was just short, but England number eight Henry Pollock was sin-binned. Ireland ran the penalty and after a few phases, hooker Dan Sheehan barged his way over in the 43rd minute for the bonus-point try.
In the 54th minute, Ollie Lawrence ran in a try under the posts with Irish full back Jamie Osborne being sent to the bin, but Crowley settled the nerves with a 40m penalty. He clipped over another in the 66th minute, and the game was well and truly put to bed when Osborne crashed over in the 70th minute.
Sam Underhill got a consolation try in the 76th minute for England, but it was Ireland’s day.
G Ford (3 cons), F Dingwall, O Lawrence, S Underhill (1 try each).
J Crowley (3 pens, 4 cons), J Gibson-Park, R Baloucoune, T O’Brien, D Sheehan, J Osborne (1 try each).
F Steward; T Freeman, O Lawrence, F Dingwall, H Arundell; G Ford, A Mitchell; E Genge, L Cowan-Dickie, J Heyes; M Itoje (c), O Chessum; T Curry, B Earl, H Pollock.
J van Poortvliet for A Mitchell (24), J George for L Cowan-Dickie (29), M Smith for F Steward (39), G Pepper and B Rodd for T Curry and E Genge (51), A Coles for M Itoje (54), T Davidson and S Underhill for J Heyes and B Earl (71).
J Osborne; R Baloucoune, G Ringrose, S McCloskey, J Lowe; J Crowley, J Gibson-Park; J Loughman, D Sheehan, T Furlong, J McCarthy, J Ryan, T Beirne, J van der Flier, C Doris (c).
T O’Brien for J Lowe (18), T O'Toole and F Bealham for J Loughman and T Furlong (46), N Timoney for J van der Flier (49), C Frawley for G Ringrose (53), R Kelleher for D Sheehan (55), C Prendergast for J McCarthy (62), C Casey for J Gibson-Park (71).
Andrea Piardi (FIR)
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