6 Nations
England Outclass Lacklustre Ireland
Ireland lacked a cutting edge as England stake their claim for the 6 Nations
Ireland seemed short of ideas as England ran out 32-20 winners at the Aviva Stadium, on Saturday evening.
The visitors were the better team without a doubt but had their fair amount of fortune to gain the win.
They came bursting out of the blocks, showing their intentions right from the off with a try within 90 seconds. After getting up to the Ireland 22, a few passes out wide, and a poor break from the line by Keith Earls and Jonny May was in at the corner.
Captain Owen Farrell added the extras as England led 7-0 after as little as two minutes.
Ireland came back at England over the next 20 minutes. Johnny Sexton slotted over a penalty after 11 minutes before Tom Curry was sin binned two minutes later for a late tackle on Earls.
By the 24th minute Ireland had the lead. They made a bold call with a penalty in front of the posts and deciding to go to touch.
The risk paid off with James Ryan taking the line-out, leading to a few phases ending with Cian Healy touching down. Sexton converted and it was 10-7.
.@IrishRugby's @ProperChurch showing his power#GuinnessSixNations #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/M8vLIbSeHf
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 2, 2019
On the half-hour mark disaster struck as Elliot Daly sent a grubber-kick through the Irish 22. Jacob Stockdale caught the bouncing ball initially before Jack Nowell caused him to fumble and Daly put down the loose ball.
Farrell sent the conversion between the posts and added a late penalty to leave the score at 17-10 to England at half-time.
#GuinnessSixNations
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 2, 2019
Half Time score from the @AVIVAStadium: IRELAND 10-17 ENGLAND#TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder #IrevEng pic.twitter.com/GJtJuIpH5i
The second-half started with Ireland improving slightly and were rewarded with 3-points after Kyle Sinckler tackled Garry Ringrose around the neck.
With only four points separating the two sides the game’s most controversial moment came in the 66th minute.
Following a scrum near halfway, England sent the ball out wide to Jonny May, who kicked ahead. Henry Slade won the foot race and was over for a try.
Referee Jerome Garces went to the TMO to see if Slade was ahead of the kicker, and to many he was, however, Garces awarded the try. Farrell missed the conversion, but Irish fans were left fuming at the decision by Garces which took the game away from the home side.
Pace galore from @EnglandRugby's @Sladey_10 #GuinnessSixNations #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/yiBAaHBD8E
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 2, 2019
Farrell added another penalty with 10 minutes remaining to stretch the lead out to 25-13.
Five minutes later and the bonus-point was wrapped up. Ireland tried to build from their own line, but a rushed pass by Sexton handed Henry Slade a chance which he took brilliantly, intercepting and sliding over the white-wash.
The conversion was tapped over and the game as a contest was certainly finished.
Ireland’s John Cooney came on for his debut in place of uncharacteristic Conor Murray and got his reward with a try in the final minute. Sexton sent over the conversion but that was the end as the game finished 32-20 to the visitors.
#GuinnessSixNations
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 2, 2019
Full Time score from the @AVIVAStadium: IRELAND 20-32 ENGLAND#TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder #IrevEng pic.twitter.com/6pbOetDjCe
The defeat was Ireland’s first home loss in the 6 Nations under Joe Schmidt and he showed his disappointment post-match.
“It’s a tough one to take,” he said.
He also played down the significance of the defeat saying it was just two high class team with small differences settling the game.
“It was two really big teams and one winning fine margins and one not,” he added.
Man of the match Mako Vunipola admitted his pride in gaining a first win against their rivals.
“It’s nice to get one over them,” he said when asked how the win on Irish soil felt.
The loss has ended Ireland’s hopes of landing back to back Grand Slam titles as many had predicted and has lifted England’s chances of claiming their 2017 title back.
England will be looking to build on this impressive win when they host France next Sunday.
While Ireland will have to improve greatly before heading to Murrayfield to face a high-flying Scotland side on Saturday.
Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm contract extensions for Conor Murray and Jack Daly with Brian Gleeson to be promoted from the Academy to the senior squad next season.
Murray and Daly have signed one-year extensions with Gleeson moving up to the senior squad on a two-year deal.
Gleeson is one of five Academy players moving up to the senior squad next year with Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Mark Donnelly and Edwin Edogbo also signing two-year deals.
Conor Murray is one of the most decorated scrum-halfs in world rugby with 116 Ireland caps and three British & Irish Lions tours to his name.
A former St Munchin’s College student, the Garryowen man won his fifth 6 Nations title with Ireland last month and earned his second league title with Munster last season.
The 34-year-old has made 185 Munster appearances and scored 34 tries for the province to date and was named on World Rugby’s Team of the Decade in 2019.
25-year-old flanker Jack Daly came up through the ranks at Castleisland RFC and made his Munster debut against Zebre in 2020.
Daly joined the Academy in 2018, moved up to the senior squad in 2021 and plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen. A former Ireland U20 international, he made his Champions Cup debut against Toulouse in the quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium in 2022.
Try-scoring number 8 Brian Gleeson leads the charge for the Ireland Under-20s against France ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
20-year-old Gleeson moves up to the senior squad after just one year in the Academy that has seen him score one try in nine senior appearances.
Currently out of action with an ankle injury, he had already made three Champions Cup appearances before turning 20.
The powerful back-row forward was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s last year. plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen and came up through the ranks at Thurles RFC and Rockwell College.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against Scotland at Aviva Stadium (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Ireland – currently sitting top of the Six Nations table heading into Super Saturday – can clinch back-to-back Championship titles with victory over Scotland in Dublin.
Farrell has named an unchanged starting XV for the Round 5 clash, as Hugo Keenan, Calvin Nash and James Lowe continue in the Ireland back three. Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki are once again selected in midfield, with Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park the starting half-backs.
Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong pack down in the front row, with Joe McCarthy partnering Tadhg Beirne – who is set to win his 50th Test cap for Ireland – in the engine room.
Captain Peter O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have opted for a 5-3 split on the bench, with Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan providing the reinforcements up front, and Conor Murray, Harry Byrne and the fit-again Garry Ringrose the backline options.
Saturday’s match is live on Virgin Media One and ITV, with live radio coverage available on RTE Radio 1.
Ireland Team & Replacements (v Scotland, Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Saturday, March 16, 4.45pm)
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(39)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(5)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(71)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(55)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(30)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(13)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(34)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(63)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(25)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(75)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(9)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(49)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(104)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(61)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(40)
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(30)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(128)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(39)
19. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(19)
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(45)
21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(115)
22. Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster)(3)
23. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(57).
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Peter O’Mahony captains Ireland for the Round 4 visit to London, with Hugo Keenan returning to the starting XV after recovering from injury.
Keenan joins Calvin Nash and James Lowe in the Ireland back three, with Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw continuing their midfield partnership.
Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park are retained as the half-back pairing.
In the pack, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are in the front row, with Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne named in the engine room. Captain O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have selected a 6-2 split on the bench, as Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan provide the reinforcements in the pack.
Backs Conor Murray and Ciaran Frawley complete Ireland’s Match Day 23 to face England.
Saturday’s match is live on RTÉ2 and ITV.
Ireland:
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(38)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(4)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(70)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(54)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(29)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(12)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(33)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(62)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(24)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(74)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(8)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(48)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(103)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(60)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(39)
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(29)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(127)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(38)
19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster)(80)
20. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(18)
21. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(44)
22. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(114)
23. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(3)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
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