Ireland roared back into form on the biggest stage as they delivered a Guinness Six Nations bonus-point victory with a performance for the ages to end England’s title hopes on Saturday.
Ireland never looked back from a superb start to the match in south-west London as they charged into a 22-0 lead with tries from man of the match Jamison Gibson-Park, Rob Baloucoune and early replacement wing Tommy O’Brien inside the first half-hour.
A Fraser Dingwall try just before half-time had put England on the scoreboard but any lift for the home side was extinguished by a Dan Sheehan try after the interval. Jack Crowley added two penalties to his two conversions to extend scoreboard pressure and Jamie Osborne’s late try made Sam Underhill’s reply a futile gesture as England slumped to successive defeats following a Calcutta Cup loss in Edinburgh the previous Saturday.
While it was a day to forget for Steve Borthwick’s men, this was a performance to relish for his opposite number Andy Farrell, who will now be targeting a Triple Crown with home games against Wales a week on Friday and then Scotland eight days later to round out their campaign.
It certainly banishes the angst that an opening-night hammering by France introduced to the Irish rugby psyche, fears of a team in decline not abating following a narrow win over Italy. Suddenly, all in Ireland’s garden looks rosy again.
Ireland had needed a fast start to steal a march on their hosts, and just as Scotland had taken a 17-0 lead against the English at Murrayfield seven days earlier, Borthwick’s side were forced onto the back foot by an aggressive, hungry opponent that looked to have finally ended the slump of the previous 12 months.
In fact, it was a near perfect first 40 minutes from Farrell’s side, the only flaws a scrum that continued to creak against a dominant pack and the early loss of wing James Lowe to an apparent hamstring injury after 18 minutes.
Ireland did not have it all their own way in the opening skirmishes as England rolled through the phases and got over the gainline with almost every carry. Yet the Irish defence stood firm to weather the storm and the visitors were the first onto the scoreboard as Jack Crowley slotted a penalty from in front of the posts on eight minutes.
It got better again for Ireland. For all England’s dominance in the scrum, the pressure applied at the set-piece allowed the Irish to counter from deep on 21 minutes, the enforced quick ball working to their advantage as they swept upfield, right wing Rob Baloucoune showing his pace to advance down the right and passing to fellow wing, Lowe’s replacement Tommy O’Brien, who reached the 22. From there, Ireland moved towards the left corner and won a penalty at a ruck after Tommy Freeman planted his hands on the deck. There was no messing around, Tadhg Beirne chucking the ball to scrum-half Gibson-Park, whose quick tap undid the English defence for the opening try in the corner.
It was quick thinking that had head coach Farrell rising to his feet and punching the air and he will have been delighted by the touchline conversion nailed by Crowley as his decision to change both half-backs was vindicated in an instant.
Crowley missed his next kick, a penalty on 23 minutes but Ireland extended their lead soon after, O’Brien rising superbly to take a high ball form his fly-half, centre Stuart McCloskey breaking upfield and with a penalty advantage, Baloucoune scoring his second try in as many games after a Six Nations debut to remember against Italy.
Crowley missed the conversion but Ireland gained in another way, England full-back Freddie Steward yellow carded for playing scrum-half Gibson-Park behind a ruck in the build-up to the try. Ireland were 15-0 and a man up with 28 minutes gone and even the loss of referee Andrea Piardi to injury, replaced by Pierre Brousset, couldn’t disrupt the visitors.
Wings Baloucoune and O’Brien combined brilliantly down the left flank to expose the English defence once again, the replacement breaking free to score under the posts to the delight of the sizeable Ireland contingent of supporters, their celebrations continuing as Crowley added the conversion for a 22-0 lead.
Twickenham was stunned into silence save for a rousing rendition of the Fields of Athenry ringing around RFU headquarters but there was a sting in the tale before half-time as Ireland’s defence finally gave out, England centre Dingwall getting his side’s first points of the afternoon, with George Ford’s conversion making it 22-7 to the Irish at half-time.
Sheehan’s try after a tap penalty that saw England’s young back-row dynamo Henry Pollock sin-binned on his first Test start was the double-whammy Ireland would have dreamed of at the break. It certainly settled any nerves that the English try had brought on as Crowley converted for a 29-7 lead on 43 minutes.
With the try bonus point in the bag, Ireland were cruising, Ollie Lawrence and Sam Underhill’s second-half tries offset by two Crowley penalties before full-back Osborne atoned for his 54th minute yellow card by adding a fifth try, the conversion from the fly-half pushing Ireland through the 40-point mark on an afternoon to be savoured.
Dingwall, Lawrence, Underhill; Ford (3)
Gibson-Park, Baloucoune, O’Brien, Sheehan, Osborne; Crowley (4); Crowley (3)
F Steward (M Smith, 39); T Freeman, O Lawrence, F Dingwall, H Arundell; G Ford, A Mitchell (J van Poortvliet, 25); E Genge (B Rodd, 51), L Cowan-Dickie (J George, 29), J Heyes (T Davison, 72); M Itoje – captain (A Coles, ), O Chessum; T Curry (G Pepper, 51), B Earl (S Underhill, 71), H Pollock.
F Steward 28-38, H Pollock 42-52.
J Osborne; R Baloucoune, G Ringrose (C Frawley, 55), S McCloskey, J Lowe (T O’Brien, 18); J Crowley, J Gibson-Park (C Casey, 71); J Loughman (T O’Toole, 46), D Sheehan, T Furlong (F Bealham, 46); J McCarthy (C Prendergast, 63), J Ryan; T Beirne, J van der Flier (N Timoney, 48), C Doris – captain.
Andrea Piardi (Italy), replaced (inj) by Pierre Brousset (France), 29 mins.
