Hello and welcome to today’s liveblog from Ireland’s trip to Twickenham to take on England. On the back of France’s narrow victory over Wales last night, the prospects of Andy Farrell’s side producing an unlikely late charge to land this year’s championship has decreased.
That said, there is still plenty to play for, a second victory in a row over England, a charge for a Triple Crown and the hope that if that prize can be secured, that England could deliver a favour from Paris next Saturday.
Kick-off is under an hour away. Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Here are the teams for today’s fixture.
England:
- 15. Freddie Steward
- 14. Max Malins
- 13. Joe Marchant
- 12. Henry Slade
- 11. Jack Nowell
- 10. Marcus Smith
- 9. Harry Randall
- 1. Ellis Genge
- 2. Jamie George
- 3. Kyle Sinckler
- 4. Maro Itoje
- 5. Charlie Ewels
- 6. Courtney Lawes (captain)
- 7. Tom Curry
- 8. Sam Simmonds
Replacements:
- 16. Jamie Blamire
- 17. Joe Marler
- 18. Will Stuart
- 19. Joe Launchbury
- 20. Alex Dombrandt
- 21. Ben Youngs
- 22. George Ford
- 23. Elliot Daly
Ireland:
- 15. Hugo Keenan
- 14. Andrew Conway
- 13. Garry Ringrose
- 12. Bundee Aki
- 11. James Lowe
- 10. Johnny Sexton (captain)
- 9. Jamison Gibson-Park
- 1. Cian Healy
- 2. Dan Sheehan
- 3. Tadhg Furlong
- 4. Tadhg Beirne
- 5. James Ryan
- 6. Peter O’Mahony
- 7. Josh van der Flier
- 8. Caelan Doris
Replacements:
- 16. Rob Herring
- 17. Dave Kilcoyne
- 18. Finlay Bealham
- 19. Iain Henderson
- 20. Jack Conan
- 21. Conor Murray
- 22. Joey Carbery
- 23. Robbie Henshaw
Referee: Mathieu Raynal [FFR].
If you need some reading before today’s game, check out the big-match preview by Murray Kinsella here.
Meanwhile, Ciaran Kennedy has written a super portrait of England’s new star, Marcus Smith which you can read here.
Ciaran also spoke to Andrew Conway about his need to remain patient during his stop-start international career.
And friends and colleagues of the late, great Gary Halpin paid tribute to the former Irish international who passed away suddenly last year.
Big news from Twickenham.
Confirmed: Maro Itoje is fit to start for England. #ENGvIRE
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) March 12, 2022
Murray Kinsella is in his office. Nice view.
#ENGvIRE pic.twitter.com/r4rByIQ2lI
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) March 12, 2022
Andy Farrell has been sharing his thoughts on today’s game with RTÉ.
Andy Farrell is hoping Ireland can flourish in the Twickenham cauldron
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 12, 2022
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You can never get tired of the footage of Keith Earls’ try from this fixture last year.
We're live now on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer for England v Ireland. #ENGvIRE #RTERugby #SixNations pic.twitter.com/cdt1ERNxVh
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 12, 2022
This was a fascinating take on today’s game from Alex Lowe, the rugby correspondent of The London Times, painting a picture of Eddie Jones standing at yet another career crossroads.
Lowe writes: “Jones has been billing this game as England’s semi-final but it comes with more jeopardy than a usual final-four contest. If his team, with a back line wholly changed from the defeat by Ireland 12 months ago, can prevail then England will head to Paris next weekend with a shot at winning the title.
“They will also have demonstrated a depth of character in dealing with the pressure of knockout rugby, which is a more-than-useful experience for a fairly new team 18 months out from the World Cup.
“Lose, even narrowly, even with courage and misfortune, and the campaign starts to look grim. A third fifth-place finish under Jones would be a possibility. They would need to overturn France to avoid finishing in the bottom half of the table.”
Teams are on the pitch. Crowd going crazy. This is going to some game.
Here we go, Johnny Sexton to kick off.
1 minute RED CARD (Ewels) Well, that was a breathless start. The handling from Ireland from their first attack was impressive, Caelan Doris setting the tone, Bundee Aki getting involved twice, James Lowe getting a gallop down the left wing. Eventually, England turned the ball over.
Amid all this, James Ryan was creamed by a high tackle by Charlie Ewels. It’s unlikely if Ryan will get the chance to play again in this game. TMO has advised the referee to give Ewels a red card. England are down to 14 players.
2 minutes England 0-3 Ireland (Sexton penalty)
Courtney Lawes has gone into the second row; England now have a seven-man pack. Ryan has gone for his HIA. Eddie Jones looks even more miffed than normal. Sexton is lining up a penalty which he curls in sweetly.
5 minutes TRY IRELAND (LOWE)
Garry Ringrose has claimed the restart from Marcus Smith superbly; England however reclaim possession, Randall makes a quick break and then England panic. Ireland now in possession; Sheehan carries superbly, van der Flier follows up and times his pass to Lowe to perfection and Lowe is away. 8-0.
You better get used to hearing the Fields of Athenry this afternoon. It is getting its second airing already.
7 minutes England 0-8 Ireland (Sexton misses the conversion).
While the red card will dominate the headlines, you cannot overlook the fact that from the word go, Ireland have tried to play with pace, width and ambition. They have looked sensational.
And just as I write that, Garry Ringrose spills the ball which serves as a reminder that my predictions are brutal.
10 minutes Here is the red card.
After just 82 seconds, England are down to 14 men. Charlie Ewels receives a red card for this challenge on James Ryan.
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 12, 2022
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11 minutes TRY IRELAND (Doris)
Ireland win a scrum penalty; Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong doing a superb job there. The good patrons of Twickenham Stadium have now discovered for a third time that there are not too many highlands in the Athenry area.
Doris scores down the left wing; TMO checking for a knock-on. Passing from Gibson-Park and Furlong in the build-up was impressive.
12 minutes Try ruled out for a knock-on by Garry Ringrose. England’s status therefore is to be outplayed rather than humiliated at this stage.
13 minutes – England win a scrum penalty on their five-metre line – which is some achievement when you consider that Jack Nowell, their winger, has had to join the pack.
14 minutes – Good attacking play again from Ireland; Lowe gets another run down the left but England win a turnover penalty, courtesy of Joe Marchant.
15 minutes Tom Curry is heading off with an ankle injury. England are sunk.
17 minutes Penalty England (Smith)
England 3-8 Ireland
England win a scrum penalty; Ellis Genge the one credited with the good work; Smith nails the kick. As I predicted seconds ago, England are sunk.
Mmmm, I might shut up for a bit.
20 minutes Knock on by Tadhg Beirne; England are growing into this game slightly. Somehow they are just five points down even though Ireland have absolutely dominated possession.
21 minutes Free kick off that scrum goes to England; they are winning that particular battle which isn’t a bad starting point.
23 minutes Great play from England; Marchant at the heart of it, Smith involved twice, Sam Simmonds, too. Lowe gave away a penalty stupidly, getting caught for offside.
England going to the corner.
24 minutes Itoje takes the catch; brilliant maul defence from Ireland and then Healy and Furlong win the turnover and Lowe fires a kick upfield; Nowell kicks back; Keenan counters and Sexton kicks over the top but it bounces kindly for England. Both teams looked like scoring in those breathless 60 seconds.
26 minutes Lawes takes the line-out; Randall clears – but not very far. Sheehan is throwing in from outside the 22. Beirne collects but then they lose possession; Itoje bullying his way in there to win the turnover.
27 minutes England win another scrum penalty. It is keeping them in this game.
Ireland have conceded six penalties, three from scrums.
28 minutes – Henderson pinged for an offside at that line-out. Penalty, England. Smith ready to try and cut the gap to two.
29 minutes PENALTY MISSED BY SMITH
England 3-8 Ireland
31 minutes Another penalty coughed up – this one on Sexton who was in front of Ringrose when he kicked clear. Slade lining up this kick.
32 minutes Smith has stepped up to take this kick after all, Slade sent back to his own half. 40 metres out, he should kick it.
33 minutes PENALTY ENGLAND (Smith)
England 6-8 Ireland
Smith strokes it over; England coming back into this on the back of their scrum dominance.
35 minutes Ireland win a penalty just inside the England half, Itoje going high on Ringrose. That was the first time Ireland passed the ball slickly for about 15 minutes. They kick the penalty into the England 22.
37 minutes TRY IRELAND (KEENAN)
37 minutes - Right, here’s roughly what happened. Bear with me, it was frantic stuff.
So, Ireland got a free-kick from the line-out. They didn’t hang around, Dan Sheehan gaining space with some superb footwork; a penalty awarded in front of the posts which Gibson-Park could so easily have left to his captain. Instead he took a quick tap and fired a superb pass to Hugo Keenan – who has had a great half – and who ran a clever line to get across. Sexton then kicked the conversion.
England 6-15 Ireland
40 minutes – Ireland have given away ANOTHER penalty. They lost the restart initially, Nowell with the take, Conway hesitant. Smith now has a kick in front of the posts. He’ll not miss this.
40 minutes PENALTY ENGLAND (Smith)
He kicks it ……… but needs the post for a bit of help.
England 9-15 England
HALF-TIME ENGLAND 9-15 IRELAND
Right, how do you make sense of that half? England lost a man, then lost their way and for 15 minutes Ireland were rampant, scoring one try via James Lowe and nearly a second through Caelan Doris. That one, however, was ruled out, a critical moment in the game because had it stood then a 15-point gap would have opened.
Instead, England have crept their way back into the match, winning the penalty count easily. Their scrum has been dominant; their maul strong. Against this, Ireland’s back play has been sharp, highlighted by that second try when Gibson-Park making a smart decision to tap and go just before half-time, setting up Keenan for his 37th minute try.
Six points is a small(ish) lead and yet given the numerical advantage, Ireland should win this.
Here are the two tries. First, James Lowe’s.
6' TRY! Emgland 0-8 Ireland
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 12, 2022
James Lowe takes his sixth international try - dream start!
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And here is Keenan’s score.
37' TRY! England 6-15 Ireland - Hugo Keenan burrows over, Johnny Sexton converts.
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 12, 2022
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What a half!
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) March 12, 2022
Couldn't take your eyes off it for a second.
England response to the red card has been admirable.
Ireland lacking accuracy at times and lucky to avoid yellow card for Henderson just before HT.
Two good Irish tries but England's scrum has been huge for them.
Teams back on the field.
Second half underway with Marcus Smith kicking off.
41 minutes – Frantic start to the half, England winning the restart. Three problems have been so evident for Ireland; the restarts, their discipline and their scrum. After Henderson failed to gather Smith’s restart, Ireland eventually regained possession courtesy of Furlong.
43 minutes – Decent break from James Lowe takes the ball into England’s half; they then get a penalty out of nowhere and just when Gibson-Park needed to be calm, he was excitable, going for glory yet again. It worked for him in the first half but this time he took the wrong option. While van der Flier, Ringrose and Beirne all looked like sneaking across the line at some stage, ultimately England survived. Three points were there to be taken.
46 minutes – Another scrum penalty to England. That is their fourth from this area; their 10th in total.
47 minutes – Conway has just landed an incredible 50:22 – how Ireland needed it; they were beginning to feel a bit of pressure.
48 minutes Another knock on from Ireland, Furlong this time. Aki was about to gather. Let-off for England.
49 minutes Another scrum penalty for England; Genge is doing a number on Furlong.
England are hanging in here; dominating the scrum but it remains 15 versus 14. That has to count as the final quarter comes into view.
52 minutes Hugo Keenan gathered a Garryowen; but then got swallowed up by the chasing England pack. Penalty, England. Smith going for the posts.
53 minutes PENALTY ENGLAND (SMITH)
He kicks it easily and it is now England 12-15 Ireland.
54 minutes Dave Kilcoyne is in for Cian Healy; Rob Herring has replaced Sheehan. Will this change the scrum situation?
A penalty to Ireland. Yes, a penalty to Ireland. It is first awarded to them at Twickenham since 1903.
55 minutes Sexton will kick the penalty to touch. Conway has a bloody nose. So, metaphorically, have Ireland.
57 minutes Another penalty conceded, Henderson the culprit at the line-out. What is going wrong here?
57 minutes Keenan spills Smith’s Garryowen; scrum to England. All the momentum is with them.
59 minutes I might as well just press copy and paste here. England have won another scrum penalty.
60 minutes PENALTY ENGLAND (SMITH)
England 15-15 Ireland
Smith kicks it from in front of the posts.
Peter O’Mahony has gone off; Jack Conan has come in.
62 minutes Another Garryowen from Smith; Keenan collects it but is bundled into touch.
63 minutes Conway kicks a brilliant 50:22 and Ireland are five metres out from the England line. They need a score here.
64 minutes – Ireland win a penalty from a kickable position but they really should have got a try; the lineout was overthrown by Herring; Kilcoyne, Henderson both carried well but there was an element of panic from Ireland there.
65 minutes Sexton choosing to kick.
66 minutes PENALTY IRELAND (Sexton)
They needed that. Ireland lead by three, 15 minutes to play. Sexton’s kick was from 15 metres. Henshaw has come in for Aki.
67 minutes Ireland have won a restart; that is almost as rare a statement as saying have won a scrum.
67 minutes Conway has kicked out on the full; line out to England just outside the Ireland 22.
68 minutes Conor Murray is in for Gibson-Park; England are in possession and Youngs kicks long ………. alas, too long. Conor Murrya calls the mark; Lowe kicks into the England half; Steward sends a Garryowen into the Ireland half; Keenan collects.
Sexton counters. Breathless stuff again ; Doris breaks into the England 22 but his pass is dropped by Conor Murray. That was the winning of the game there and then.
70 minutes TRY IRELAND (CONAN)
Henshaw has made a difference since he came in; Ireland putting a brilliant passage of play together, Ireland keeping their nerve as well as the ball, Sexton, Keenan, Conway and Ringrose involved near the end of the move, then Murray feeds Conan. TRY.
Game over.
74 minutes England 15-25 Ireland
Sexton lands the conversion. Bench have won it for Ireland, Henshaw, Murray and Conan.
Ireland on the charge again; hey, they could get a bonus point here.
75 minutes Penalty to Ireland. England are knackered. Sexton heading to the corner.
TRY IRELAND (BEALHAM)
77 minutes – Herring’s throw to Doris is clean; maul is great; Murray passes at the right moment to Lowe; Bealham follows up to score, showing power to get across. Bonus point to Ireland. What a game. Sexton’s conversion is good.
England 15-32 Ireland
FULL-TIME: ENGLAND 15-32 IRELAND
You really have to respect England for the performance they have put in here, playing all bar 82 seconds of the game with 14 players. They simplified their tactics and got level in this game with a quarter to go. The Garryowens worked; their scrum was totally on top; their tackling was courageous but ultimately, Ireland saw it out because they had the composure when they needed it in the final 10 minutes.
The bench – from Kilcoyne to Herring, Conan to Murray and most of all, Henshaw, were brilliant. That was where it was won.
