The Fields of Athenry rang out around Twickenham more than once on a glorious day for this Irish team, who announced to everyone that rumours of their demise and decline have been greatly exaggerated.
The Irish support in London had a riotously fun afternoon as Farrell’s men notched a bonus-point win that launches their Triple Crown bid with home games against Wales and Scotland to come. This big victory also leaves them positioned to try and take advantage of any slip-ups by Grand Slam favourites France.
Farrell’s selection of an experienced team full of nous was utterly vindicated as Ireland delivered perhaps their best performance since winning the second Test in South Africa in the summer of 2024. Indeed, this is right up there as one of Ireland’s greatest wins under Farrell.
This was a resounding hammering of the English, who have now lost two games in a row to leave head coach Steve Borthwick with much to ponder.
Their 42 points scored is a new record for Ireland at Twickenham, and they took complete delight in scorching over for five tries as the peerless Jamison Gibson-Park, powerful hooker Dan Sheehan, and the sensational wing pair of Robert Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien, and fullback Jamie Osborne all scored tries. This is also Ireland’s biggest ever winning margin in London.
Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Jack Crowley proved a point at out-half with a composed showing as he notched 17 points, but scrum-half Gibson-Park stole the show with a sensational performance. He was one of a few senior men who had their best games for Ireland in a long time, with the likes of Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, and Caelan Doris in the same boat.
Once again, inside centre Stuart McCloskey was totemic on both sides of the ball as he produced a masterclass in midfield.
This was a serious performance from Ireland to remind everyone of their ability after all of the negativity surrounding the team in recent seasons. Farrell’s emotion was clear in the coaching box as he and his assistants celebrated every score and big defensive moment with pure passion.
The Irish supporters will continue in that manner tonight in London after storming Twickenham to watch their team shred England.
And a reminder that all of this happened without the likes of Jack Conan, ruled out before kick-off, Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Ryan Baird, and a host of loosehead props. But they weren’t missed as Ireland delivered a spectacular win.
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Joe McCarthy after a Tadhg Beirne turnover on the Irish line. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
England were cursing themselves after a first quarter when they really should have started building a lead, out-half George Ford missing two kicks to touch from penalties, while two extensive passages of attack in the Irish 22 yielded nothing as Freddie Steward and then Ellis Genge knocked on within sight of the tryline.
Ireland were struggling at the scrum too, with Ellis Genge getting some early dominance against Tadhg Furlong, but Farrell’s men had the only points after Jack Crowley nailed an eighth-minute penalty to reward Joe McCarthy’s maul turnover and McCloskey’s classy offload.
Ireland lost James Lowe to injury in the second big defensive grandstand in their 22, one that ran to 18 phases, but his replacement Tommy O’Brien was involved as a cracking Irish try changed the momentum.
They struck from a left-hand-side scrum in their own half, McCloskey sending the ball wide right to Baloucoune, who accelerated outside Henry Arundell and offloaded inside to O’Brien, who was stopped at the English 22. Ireland shifted the ball wide left where Tommy Freeman came in from the side of the breakdown.
Without hesitation, Gibson-Park quick-tapped the penalty and darted over.
Crowley converted that try for 10-0 but missed a penalty attempt soon after, yet Ireland were feeling good about themselves now.
Robert Baloucoune celebrates his try. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Just minutes after O’Brien had been controversially penalised for making contact with Freeman in the air, the Irish left wing soared to retain a Gibson-Park box kick, sparking a sweeping transition score.
McCloskey scorched through the English midfield, fending his way past Ollie Lawrence and only being hauled down a few metres out. Gibson-Park was under intense and illegal pressure from Steward at the breakdown, but he stayed calm to readjust and float a pass out for Baloucoune to score on the right.
Steward went to the bin and Ireland led 15-0.
There was a pause in the game on the half-hour mark as referee Andrea Piardi was forced off injured, Frenchman Pierre Brousset replacing him, but Ireland simply picked up where they left off upon the resumption.
Some nice phase play attack led to them attacking down the left, where skipper Caelan Doris did very well to draw in two defenders and send the roaming Baloucoune into space. The Ulster man accelerated, drew the last defender, and sent O’Brien scorching clear.
Ireland were in dreamland with a 22-0 lead as Crowley converted, sparking a huge rendition of The Fields of Athenry.
But England finally struck just before the break. Tadhg Beirne initially denied them with a turnover penalty on his own tryline, pouncing over a vital tackle by Baloucoune and Tadhg Furlong on Jamie George.
A minute later, Joe McCarthy scooped up an English spill by Lawrence and surged downfield into the English half, but play was called back for a knock-on by McCarthy that skipper Doris strongly disputed.
It was a swing moment as England scored a converted try off the scrum with the clock in the red, centre Fraser Dingwall getting over off a short Ford pass after some excellent Irish tryline defence had denied a few of his team-mates.
Still, a 15-point half-time lead was Ireland’s third biggest ever against England, according to Opta, so they were well positioned for a second half that promised plenty of intrigue.
It started beautifully for Ireland as fullback Jamie Osborne soared to brilliantly claim a high ball near the halfway line, allowing Doris to surge onto the ball and break the England line. McCloskey followed suit. Gibson-Park darted at the line again.
Although they were denied, English number eight Henry Pollock was binned for his illegal part in stopping them. Ireland tapped the penalty and hooker Dan Sheehan smashed over for the bonus-point try in just the 43rd minute.
Stuart McCloskey was brilliant for Ireland. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Farrell was soon calling on his bench to inject another layer of energy, with Finlay Bealham, Tom O’Toole, then Nick Timoney sent into the fray, and Ireland came up with yet another defensive win on their tryline with 30 to go.
Yet the English were soon back on the hunt as Pollock made an explosive return from the sin bin, doing damage with ball in hand off a lineout in the Irish 22. England’s ball was slowed by Osborne, who would be yellow-carded for his effort, but they recycled and shifted it left for Lawrence to cross for their second try.
Now it was time for ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ to boom out as the English fans willed their men to build on that score against the 14 Irishmen.
Yet it was the visitors who struck next, Crowley adding his second penalty shot at goal after England replacement prop Bevan Rodd was over-eager at the breakdown. Tadhg Beirne and Bealham followed that up with a smothering choke tackle turnover on Ford.
When Freeman broke away down the right soon after, wing duo Baloucoune and O’Brien scrambled brilliantly to put him in touch in the corner.
With Osborne back on the pitch, Ireland were now hounding the English down. Doris and Beirne swarmed Freeman down the other end, with England off their feet at the breakdown, and Crowley adding three more points.
Jack Crowley impressed at 10 for Ireland. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
More smothering kick chase from Gibson-Park and replacement Ciarán Frawley earned another penalty for Ireland and this time they went to the corner. From there, they battered away until Crowley sent Osborne thundering at the line for an emphatic fifth try.
Marcus Smith appeared to have broken away for a consolation try with seven minutes to go but the brilliant McCloskey sprinted back to smash him into touch in a moment that Farrell celebrated wildly.
Replacement back row Sam Underhill did get over for England soon after but that wasn’t going to stop the Irish celebrations.
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This was as comprehensive a hammering as Ireland have ever given the old enemy.
England scorers:
Tries: Fraser Dingwall, Ollie Lawrence, Sam Underhill
Conversions: George Ford [3 from 3]
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Jamison Gibson-Park, Robert Baloucoune, Tommy O’Brien, Dan Sheehan, Jamie Osborne
Conversions: Jack Crowley [4 from 5]
Penalties: Jack Crowley [3 from 4]
ENGLAND: Freddie Steward (yellow card ’28) (Marcus Smith ’40); Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell; George Ford, Alex Mitchell (Jack van Poortvliet ’26); Ellis Genge (Bevan Rodd ’52), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Jamie George ’30), Joe Heyes (Trevor Davison ’72); Maro Itoje (captain) (Alex Coles ’55), Ollie Chessum; Tom Curry (Guy Pepper ’52), Ben Earl (Sam Underhill ’71), Henry Pollock (yellow card ’42).
IRELAND: Jamie Osborne (yellow card ’54); Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose (Ciarán Frawley ’55), Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe (Tommy O’Brien ’20); Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park (Craig Casey ‘); Jeremy Loughman (Tom O’Toole ’47), Dan Sheehan (Ronán Kelleher ’56), Tadhg Furlong (Finlay Bealham ’47); Joe McCarthy (Cian Prendergast ’63), James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier (Nick Timoney ’50), Caelan Doris (captain).
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Farrell's Ireland hammer England on glorious day at Twickenham
England 21
Ireland 42
ANDY FARRELL’S IRELAND are alive and kicking.
The Fields of Athenry rang out around Twickenham more than once on a glorious day for this Irish team, who announced to everyone that rumours of their demise and decline have been greatly exaggerated.
The Irish support in London had a riotously fun afternoon as Farrell’s men notched a bonus-point win that launches their Triple Crown bid with home games against Wales and Scotland to come. This big victory also leaves them positioned to try and take advantage of any slip-ups by Grand Slam favourites France.
Farrell’s selection of an experienced team full of nous was utterly vindicated as Ireland delivered perhaps their best performance since winning the second Test in South Africa in the summer of 2024. Indeed, this is right up there as one of Ireland’s greatest wins under Farrell.
This was a resounding hammering of the English, who have now lost two games in a row to leave head coach Steve Borthwick with much to ponder.
Their 42 points scored is a new record for Ireland at Twickenham, and they took complete delight in scorching over for five tries as the peerless Jamison Gibson-Park, powerful hooker Dan Sheehan, and the sensational wing pair of Robert Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien, and fullback Jamie Osborne all scored tries. This is also Ireland’s biggest ever winning margin in London.
Jack Crowley proved a point at out-half with a composed showing as he notched 17 points, but scrum-half Gibson-Park stole the show with a sensational performance. He was one of a few senior men who had their best games for Ireland in a long time, with the likes of Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, and Caelan Doris in the same boat.
Once again, inside centre Stuart McCloskey was totemic on both sides of the ball as he produced a masterclass in midfield.
This was a serious performance from Ireland to remind everyone of their ability after all of the negativity surrounding the team in recent seasons. Farrell’s emotion was clear in the coaching box as he and his assistants celebrated every score and big defensive moment with pure passion.
The Irish supporters will continue in that manner tonight in London after storming Twickenham to watch their team shred England.
And a reminder that all of this happened without the likes of Jack Conan, ruled out before kick-off, Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Ryan Baird, and a host of loosehead props. But they weren’t missed as Ireland delivered a spectacular win.
England were cursing themselves after a first quarter when they really should have started building a lead, out-half George Ford missing two kicks to touch from penalties, while two extensive passages of attack in the Irish 22 yielded nothing as Freddie Steward and then Ellis Genge knocked on within sight of the tryline.
Ireland were struggling at the scrum too, with Ellis Genge getting some early dominance against Tadhg Furlong, but Farrell’s men had the only points after Jack Crowley nailed an eighth-minute penalty to reward Joe McCarthy’s maul turnover and McCloskey’s classy offload.
Ireland lost James Lowe to injury in the second big defensive grandstand in their 22, one that ran to 18 phases, but his replacement Tommy O’Brien was involved as a cracking Irish try changed the momentum.
They struck from a left-hand-side scrum in their own half, McCloskey sending the ball wide right to Baloucoune, who accelerated outside Henry Arundell and offloaded inside to O’Brien, who was stopped at the English 22. Ireland shifted the ball wide left where Tommy Freeman came in from the side of the breakdown.
Without hesitation, Gibson-Park quick-tapped the penalty and darted over.
Crowley converted that try for 10-0 but missed a penalty attempt soon after, yet Ireland were feeling good about themselves now.
Just minutes after O’Brien had been controversially penalised for making contact with Freeman in the air, the Irish left wing soared to retain a Gibson-Park box kick, sparking a sweeping transition score.
McCloskey scorched through the English midfield, fending his way past Ollie Lawrence and only being hauled down a few metres out. Gibson-Park was under intense and illegal pressure from Steward at the breakdown, but he stayed calm to readjust and float a pass out for Baloucoune to score on the right.
Steward went to the bin and Ireland led 15-0.
There was a pause in the game on the half-hour mark as referee Andrea Piardi was forced off injured, Frenchman Pierre Brousset replacing him, but Ireland simply picked up where they left off upon the resumption.
Some nice phase play attack led to them attacking down the left, where skipper Caelan Doris did very well to draw in two defenders and send the roaming Baloucoune into space. The Ulster man accelerated, drew the last defender, and sent O’Brien scorching clear.
Ireland were in dreamland with a 22-0 lead as Crowley converted, sparking a huge rendition of The Fields of Athenry.
But England finally struck just before the break. Tadhg Beirne initially denied them with a turnover penalty on his own tryline, pouncing over a vital tackle by Baloucoune and Tadhg Furlong on Jamie George.
A minute later, Joe McCarthy scooped up an English spill by Lawrence and surged downfield into the English half, but play was called back for a knock-on by McCarthy that skipper Doris strongly disputed.
It was a swing moment as England scored a converted try off the scrum with the clock in the red, centre Fraser Dingwall getting over off a short Ford pass after some excellent Irish tryline defence had denied a few of his team-mates.
Still, a 15-point half-time lead was Ireland’s third biggest ever against England, according to Opta, so they were well positioned for a second half that promised plenty of intrigue.
It started beautifully for Ireland as fullback Jamie Osborne soared to brilliantly claim a high ball near the halfway line, allowing Doris to surge onto the ball and break the England line. McCloskey followed suit. Gibson-Park darted at the line again.
Although they were denied, English number eight Henry Pollock was binned for his illegal part in stopping them. Ireland tapped the penalty and hooker Dan Sheehan smashed over for the bonus-point try in just the 43rd minute.
Farrell was soon calling on his bench to inject another layer of energy, with Finlay Bealham, Tom O’Toole, then Nick Timoney sent into the fray, and Ireland came up with yet another defensive win on their tryline with 30 to go.
Yet the English were soon back on the hunt as Pollock made an explosive return from the sin bin, doing damage with ball in hand off a lineout in the Irish 22. England’s ball was slowed by Osborne, who would be yellow-carded for his effort, but they recycled and shifted it left for Lawrence to cross for their second try.
Now it was time for ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ to boom out as the English fans willed their men to build on that score against the 14 Irishmen.
Yet it was the visitors who struck next, Crowley adding his second penalty shot at goal after England replacement prop Bevan Rodd was over-eager at the breakdown. Tadhg Beirne and Bealham followed that up with a smothering choke tackle turnover on Ford.
When Freeman broke away down the right soon after, wing duo Baloucoune and O’Brien scrambled brilliantly to put him in touch in the corner.
With Osborne back on the pitch, Ireland were now hounding the English down. Doris and Beirne swarmed Freeman down the other end, with England off their feet at the breakdown, and Crowley adding three more points.
More smothering kick chase from Gibson-Park and replacement Ciarán Frawley earned another penalty for Ireland and this time they went to the corner. From there, they battered away until Crowley sent Osborne thundering at the line for an emphatic fifth try.
Marcus Smith appeared to have broken away for a consolation try with seven minutes to go but the brilliant McCloskey sprinted back to smash him into touch in a moment that Farrell celebrated wildly.
Replacement back row Sam Underhill did get over for England soon after but that wasn’t going to stop the Irish celebrations.
This was as comprehensive a hammering as Ireland have ever given the old enemy.
England scorers:
Tries: Fraser Dingwall, Ollie Lawrence, Sam Underhill
Conversions: George Ford [3 from 3]
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Jamison Gibson-Park, Robert Baloucoune, Tommy O’Brien, Dan Sheehan, Jamie Osborne
Conversions: Jack Crowley [4 from 5]
Penalties: Jack Crowley [3 from 4]
ENGLAND: Freddie Steward (yellow card ’28) (Marcus Smith ’40); Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell; George Ford, Alex Mitchell (Jack van Poortvliet ’26); Ellis Genge (Bevan Rodd ’52), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Jamie George ’30), Joe Heyes (Trevor Davison ’72); Maro Itoje (captain) (Alex Coles ’55), Ollie Chessum; Tom Curry (Guy Pepper ’52), Ben Earl (Sam Underhill ’71), Henry Pollock (yellow card ’42).
IRELAND: Jamie Osborne (yellow card ’54); Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose (Ciarán Frawley ’55), Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe (Tommy O’Brien ’20); Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park (Craig Casey ‘); Jeremy Loughman (Tom O’Toole ’47), Dan Sheehan (Ronán Kelleher ’56), Tadhg Furlong (Finlay Bealham ’47); Joe McCarthy (Cian Prendergast ’63), James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier (Nick Timoney ’50), Caelan Doris (captain).
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Pierre Brousset ’29).
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Six Nations Dominant England Ireland Report