England Rolls Past Mistake-Ridden Ireland
England Rolls Past Mistake-Ridden Ireland
England vs Ireland Match Report
England made a statement Saturday, taking down Ireland in emphatic fashion 57-15 in an eight-try onslaught at Twickenham.
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After eight minutes of action, England won a scrum roughly 35 meters out from the Ireland line towards the touchline. Owen Farrell knocked the kick through to give England the 3-0 lead.
Just minutes later, Ireland lock Iain Henderson stripped the ball out of an England maul. The Irish shifted the ball wide to Jacob Stockdale, who lofted a beautiful chip and chase to the England goal line.
The ball took a wicked hop behind Elliot Daly and Joe Cokanasiga, and Jordan Larmour, coming all the way across from his opposite wing, was Jonny-on-the-spot to pounce on it for the score: 7-3 Ireland.
England then responded with a quick try of their own, after some beautiful passing from the England backs freed up Cokanasiga on the right wing. The huge winger threw a beautiful left-handed fend to get past the last defender and dot down and make it 8-7 England after 13 minutes.
After ten minutes of stalemate, Iain Henderson won a penalty for Ireland about 40 meters out from the posts, and flyhalf Ross Byrne stroked the kick right through the middle and Ireland took the lead again, 10-8.
At the half hour mark, England regained the lead through Elliot Daly. After pounding their way downfield with bruising carries from an assortment of runners, England found themselves deep in Irish territory. Some slick hands forced an overlap and Tom Curry hit Daly for an easy score out wide. 15-10 England.
Six minutes later, England scored once again. Some more big carries from the forwards had England on the front foot, getting close to the whitewash.
Ireland looked to have won a turnover under the shadow of their goalposts, but the ball was lost forward on the poach, and so England had a center scrum five meters from the line.
The ball was popped off the back of the scrum and hit the deck, but some quick hands from England got the ball to Tuilagi. The powerful center busted through an arm tackle and finished it with no problems; the teams went into the lockers rooms with England up 22-10.
Second Half Surge
The second half began poorly for Ireland. Having struggled mightily in the first half at the lineout, the Irish would have wanted to clean that area up.
But in the 45th minute, another throw-in went astray, and one phase later, Ben Youngs hit Maro Itoje on a nice, angled line off the base of the ruck, and the big lock romped through the middle for an easy score. 29-10 England.
The going got worse for Ireland in the 54th minute. A break up the sideline from Jonny May set up England inside the Ireland five meter line, and George Kruis took a short ball to bowl over for the try. 36-10 England.
In the 55th minute England won a scrum after Manu Tuilagi obliterated Jordan Larmour on a kick chase. The ensuing scrum saw England get on the front foot, and play champagne rugby for six phases before Sam Underhill shot through a gap and released the ball to his back row partner Tom Curry for the try. 43-10 England.
England hit the half-century mark in the 65th minute. A beautiful set-piece move got the ball into Owen Farrell's hands and his deft pop pass to a charging Cokanasiga sent the winger through and he sprinted 45 meters up the middle for the try. 50-10 England.
Ireland finally hit back in the 73rd minute through Bundee Aki. The center used some beautiful footwork to knife through the defense, and then hit the burners to go around the edge and beat Elliot Daly to the corner to make it 50-15.
But England had the last word as Ireland shot themselves in the foot once again. A lineout on their own five-meter turned into an overthrow right to England's Luke Cowan-Dickie, and he finished it off. England 57-15 Ireland, final.
England look extremely good moving forward, and Ireland have clearly got work to do before Japan. They'll have two more outings with Wales to get it right.
England will have one last tuneup against Italy.