Good afternoon and welcome to today’s liveblog on Ireland versus England in the Autumn Nations Cup. Ireland arrive into this game on the back of three successive defeats to England as well as the provocative words of Eddie Jones ringing in their ears.
After stating that England could have ‘declared at half-time if it was a cricket match’ during the Six Nations encounter between these sides back in February, Jones has since dubbed Ireland ‘the United Nations’ of world rugby even though his own team selections have regularly included players born outside of England’s borders.
Historically England have 79 wins to Ireland’s 49 in this fixture – but the last three victories have been comprehensive, an aggregate scoreline of 113 to 47 in England’s favour.
Here is the view of Paddy Johns, the former Ireland captain, ahead of today’s game: “What Eddie Jones said, ‘Ireland being the United Nations’, taunting (Andrew) Porter about his scrummaging; that’ll motivate them. Without question, England have hardened up in the last couple of years, Jones opting for players who are a lot more physical.
“People have said they’ve bullied Ireland in the last few matches. Well, there’s the motivation for us. It’d be lovely to see the Irish pack coming up with an answer to that.”
We’ll see how they go about things in about 40 minutes time.
This is a massive day for Ross Byrne. The last time he played at Twickenham was in the World Cup warm-up – when England thumped Ireland. Byrne didn’t get his spot on the plane to Japan after that one.
England’s half-backs have played 185 times for their country; Ireland’s duo of Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park have just 11 caps.
The theme of an experienced line-up coming up against experimental XV is extended right through the sides, England’s starting XV containing 725 caps, Ireland’s just 433.
Here are the teams.
ENGLAND: Elliot Daly (Saracens); Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Ollie Lawrence (Worcester), Henry Slade (Exeter), Jonny May (Gloucester), Owen Farrell (Saracens, capt), Ben Youngs (Leicester); Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Jamie George (Saracens), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol); Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps); Tom Curry (Sale), Sam Underhill (Bath), Billy Vunipola (Saracens).
Replacements: Tom Dunn (Bath), Ellis Genge (Leicester), Will Stuart (Bath), Jonny Hill (Exeter), Ben Earl (Bristol), Dan Robson (Wasps), George Ford (Leicester), Max Malins (Bristol).
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (Leinster); Keith Earls (Munster), Chris Farrell (Munster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Ross Byrne (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Cian Healy (Leinster), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Andrew Porter (Leinster); Quinn Roux (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster, capt); CJ Stander (Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Caelan Doris (Leinster).
Replacements: Rob Herring (Ulster), Ed Byrne (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Will Connors (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Billy Burns (Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster).
Ireland are out on the pitch, England heading down the tunnel now.
Anthem time, Ireland’s Call first.
We are underway. You can read our man, Murray Kinsella, with his post-match report
It's game day.
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 21, 2020
A big one for Andy Farrell's Ireland at Twickenham.#ENGvIRE pic.twitter.com/lpdA0z9sAR
1 min – England 0-0 Ireland – Decent start by Ireland, they have made an effort to get on the front foot
3 min – England 0-0 Ireland – Ireland win their first line-out, a short one to James Ryan
4 minutes – plenty of kicking so far from both sides, poor enough efforts too. Lowe has a kick blocked down, Ireland recover possession
5 minutes – England 0-0 Ireland first scrum of the match coming up, big area, especially given Eddie Jones’ pre-match jibe about Andrew Porter’s technique
9 minutes – England 0-0 Ireland England nearly score a try, CJ Stander saves the day after Ben Youngs takes a quick penalty. England setting a high tempo, England’s kicking game has been inconsistent thus far
9 minutes - great take by Hugo Keenan in the air. Ireland awarded a penalty after Keenan cleaned out, Byrne finds touch
11 minutes - Kelleher’s throw isn’t straight, scrum England
12 minutes, England 0-0 Ireland England put-in, solid from England. Their backline gets moving – but Ireland’s linespeed is good in defence
13 minutes - Earls makes a super catch under the high ball
13 minutes - scrum England – penalty awarded to the hosts.
15 minutes – penalty England, Peter O’Mahony penalised for coming in from the side
Farrell goes to the corner
16 minutes – England 5-0 Ireland TRY ENGLAND JOHNNY MAY
Itoje gathered the initial line-out, Ireland defended the maul impressively and the tackle Ross Byrne put in on Lawrence was a try-saver but with men out wide, Owen Farrell spotted May in space, and fired a superb crossfield kick. May won it ahead of Hugo Keenan and finished it tidily. Try No30 for his country, Farrell misses the conversion
19 minutes – England 5-0 Ireland Ireland win a penalty inside the England half. Lowe fouled as he went to gather Gibson-Park’s boxkick.
Byrne heads to the corner, a superb kick
TRY ENGLAND Kelleher’s throw is inaccurate, England counter – May scores a beauty
21 mins – England 12-0 Ireland Ireland had the ball in the England 22, couldn’t secure the ball off their own line-out. England counter, May kicks ahead twice, controls, taps down, it already looks like this is going to be a rough afternoon
23 minutes – England 12-0 Ireland Quinn Roux getting treatment for a knee injury
Byrne kicks to the corner, Ireland back in England’s 22
25 minutes – Ireland go through nine phases of play, but are moved backwards. Eventually, Ireland get a penalty when England are penalised for coming in from the side. Iain Henderson likely to come on for Roux
26 minutes – Again, the Irish line-out is lost
27 minutes – England 12-0 Ireland Scrum Ireland, but once again, Ireland’s line-out is not functioning. Itoje applying pressure, Ireland in trouble at the set-piece
Lowe attacks off Ireland scrum, Porter carries, then Healy, O’Mahony, Porter for a second time, England’s line-speed is impressive. Stander, Farrell put their hands up for work
29 minutes – Huge moment in the game, great break from Keith Earls, after Ireland patiently build through the phases. No one there to support Earls, five metres short of the line. Chance missed for Ireland
31 minutes - this time it is Jamie George who throws crookedly
32 minutes – England 12-0 Ireland good scrum from Ireland, decent charge from Bundee Aki but James Ryan is subsequently penalised for going off his feet
Ireland have now conceded six penalties to England’s four
34 minutes – England 12-0 Ireland play has now moved into the Ireland 22, Itoje having a huge influence. Line-out, George to throw
Penalty conceded – Ryan pinged for pulling Itoje’s arm at the line out
35 minutes – England -0 Ireland George finds Itoje at the front of the line-out, Ireland defend brilliantly, O’Mahony putting in a great fight and Ireland win a penalty. Their best moment of the half
38 minutes – England 12-0 Ireland Play still in Ireland’s 22, Gibson-Park’s clearance kick has too much juice on it, England put ball back into Irish territory. From subsequent line-out, Gibson-Park is pressurised by Sam Underhill. England regain possession and Underhill is claiming he scored a try. TMO deciding
NO TRY
Sam Underhill penalised. Lucky escape for Ireland – Nigel Owens in the TMO box favouring Ireland
Meanwhile another line-out ends in a mess for Ireland
40 minutes - England’s line-speed is frightening, they regain possession after Ireland failed to make any ground from a multi-phased attack
HALF-TIME ENGLAND 12-0 IRELAND
England simply have been too powerful so far. Their defending has been excellent, while the threat May poses is reflected on the scoreboard, his two tries the difference between the sides.
Ireland’s line-out has been a disaster. They aren’t out of it by any means but it would be a major shock if they got out of here with a win.
Here are Murray’s thoughts
Catastrophic stuff from Ireland at the set-piece so far.#ENGvIRE
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 21, 2020
And on the first-half in general
Ireland somehow only 12-0 down.
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 21, 2020
England utterly dominant so far. #ENGvIRE
Here is the second May try
Mayday! Mayday!
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) November 21, 2020
An incredible solo try from Jonny May adds more misery to Ireland’s start here in the @autumnnations 🏆#C4Rugby #ENGvIRE #AutumnNationsCup pic.twitter.com/Yg5ujSMcwT
Here is the opening England try
Pick that one out!
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) November 21, 2020
Owen Farrell's cunning cross kick sets up Jonny May for the opening score here at Twickenham in the @autumnnations 👏#C4Rugby #ENGvIRE #AutumnNationsCup pic.twitter.com/hcBl8ZZgy8
Teams are coming back out onto the field for the second-half. Ireland have it all to do.
41 minutes – England 12-0 Ireland Itoje penalised for going offside trying to block Gibson-Park’s clearance
Better line-out from Ireland, Kelleher finds O’Mahony; play moves wide, Earls – again – makes yards
Ireland move into the England half – great footwork from O’Mahony, Lowe also makes a few yards, play moves left again, England defending well, 10 phases into this move, Farrell makes a small gain
Eventually a grubber kick is tried but Daly reads it and clears
England, at this stage, appear in total control of this game – irrespective of whether they have the ball or not
44 mins - Hugo Keenan has just taken a superb catch in the air
Quinn Roux is in trouble here, Nigel Owens has spotted an infringement committed by the Ireland second row on Sam Underhill. Penalty to England
Farrell goes for the posts
PENALTY ENGLAND OWEN FARRELL England 15-0 Ireland
46 minutes – England 15-0 Ireland Farrell’s kick is on the money
Great kick chase by Keith Earls
48 minutes – England 15-0 Ireland great take by Keenan, Ireland get decent field position but Gibson-Park’s kick is poor and goes over the endline
Mako Vunipola is getting treatment for a shoulder injury
50 minutes – England 15-0 Ireland Replacements called for, Henderson coming in for Roux, Murray for Gibson-Park, Herring for Kelleher – all three starters had poor days
51 minutes, PENALTY ENGLAND – Farrell kicks it, England 18-0 Ireland
Ryan had been penalised off an England line-out, Farrell punished him
Scrum England, Henderson pinged for a knock-on
53 minutes – England 18-0 Ireland England have made 162 penalties, Ireland 41. Some stat.
Hugo Keenan has been very impressive under the high ball today.
England’s period of sustained pressure comes to an end inside Ireland’s 22 when Caelan Doris forces a turnover.
Finlay Bealham and Jacob Stockdale are about to be introduced
Super kick by James Lowe brings possession into the England 22
58 minutes – Keenan makes way for Stockdale; England concede a scrum, great work by Andrew Porter at the maul.
Ireland win a scrum penalty. Line out now in England’s 22
62 minutes – Herring and O’Mahony combine superbly at the line-out, Ireland go through nine phases in attack but Maro Itoje forces a turnover
63 minutes – decent kick by Jacob Stockdale, play back in England’s 22
Penalty Ireland – great play firstly by James Ryan, a superb boxkick by Conor Murray leads to an infringement off the ball by Owen Farrell. Byrne kicks to the corner
65 minutes – England 18-0 Ireland – Henderson collects Herring’s throw
Farrell, Earls, Ryan and Farrell again all make good carries; Ireland win a penalty, they will go to the corner again
67 minutes – It appears as if Chris Farrell was held up, following a super kick by Ross Byrne but TMO to see if a try should be awarded for Ireland
TMO Nigel Owens confirms initial on-field decision that Farrell failed to ground the ball. It remains an Irish penalty
69 minutes – England 18-0 Ireland
O’Mahony takes initial throw but Earl recovers to force a turnover. Yet again Ireland have failed to score from inside England’s 22. They have had plenty of possession in the red zone but have nothing to show for it
71 minutes – O’Mahony wins a breakdown penalty
Byrne kicks it deep inside the England 22
Billy Burns, an Under 20 World Cup winner with England, is on for Byrne
TRY IRELAND STOCKDALE
74 MINUTES ENGLAND 18-7 IRELAND
Chip over the top from Billy Burns is tidily collected by Stockdale who then changes the angle of his run to race clear to the line. Deserved try for Ireland who have been much better in the last 15 minutes.
Replacements Herring, Stockdale and Burns have already made a difference
Scrum Ireland ….. tireless effort by Andrew Porter gets its reward
79 minutes – England 18-7 Ireland Ireland win scrum penalty; they head for the 22
Another mess at the line-out
FULL-TIME ENGLAND 18-7 IRELAND
This is the Stockdale try
Back in the game 💪
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) November 21, 2020
A blistering run from Jacob Stockdale keeps Ireland in this match, just ☘️#C4Rugby #ENGvIRE #AutumnNationsCup pic.twitter.com/17OOpz78mO
Ireland had over the bulk of territory and possession but could only score seven points; the line-out was an absolute disaster; Ireland’s attack was blunt, save for the Stockdale try.
Yet again, Ireland lose to England – that is four defeats on the spin now. Ireland, since 2018, have failed repeatedly against world rugby’s elite.