Eire got here from behind to beat England 27-22 in Dublin on Saturday to start their quest for a third-straight Six Nations title with a bonus-point victory.
England acquired their gameplan spot on within the first half to steer 10-5 on the break, hanging early because of a attempt from debutant Cadan Murley earlier than irritating a stop-start Eire on the breakdown with solely Jamison Gibson-Park in a position to break by way of.
The sport swung decisively Eire’s means early within the second half with a strong Bundee Aki attempt to Sam Prendergast penalty placing them forward for the primary time after 55 minutes earlier than a Tadhg Beirne attempt delivered a knockout blow 10 minutes later.
A relentless Eire pushed for the fourth bonus-point-clinching attempt to cap off interim coach Simon Easterby’s first recreation in cost and acquired it by way of alternative Dan Sheehan.
England flanker Tom Curry halted the second-half onslaught and Tommy Freeman grabbed one other comfort attempt on the demise to earn England a shedding bonus level.
“We have now to provide lots of credit score to England, they caught it to us for essentially the most half. They seem to be a high quality aspect with high quality gamers,” man of the match Gibson-Park mentioned.
“I feel we actually noticed glimpses of that [reaching our potential] within the second half, there was some good footy being performed. We’ll take a little bit of confidence out of that.”
England bossed the opening interval and took a deserved lead on 9 minutes when Harlequins winger Murley collected a superbly deft kick by way of from scrum-half Alex Mitchell earlier than Marcus Smith added the conversion.
The velocity of England’s defensive position was having the specified influence and Steve Borthwick’s males had been additionally edging the aerial battle earlier than one evident infringement too many after Eire started to make inroads despatched Smith to the sin bin.
However a sloppy Eire didn’t take quick benefit as Borthwick’s choice to start out three opensides within the back-row — together with twins Ben and Tom Curry beginning collectively for the primary time — additionally seemed to be paying early dividends.
Nonetheless, the strain finally instructed as Smith returned with Irish winger James Lowe making the preliminary break from a drained defender on the midway line earlier than Gibson-Park offered Freddie Steward a dummy to go over.
Eire’s 21-year-old fly-half Sam Prendergast, beginning his first Six Nations recreation, missed a comparatively simple conversion and a Smith penalty doubled England’s lead on the break.
England’s defence wanted to dig deep once more as quickly because the second half started and so they had been firmly pinned again when Aki drove previous three English defenders to attain within the nook.
Prendergast, who arrange the attempt, missed one other conversion however the scores weren’t stage for lengthy as England’s penalty rely ticked up and the Leinster teenager nailed a protracted penalty to place the hosts in entrance for the primary time.
Eire didn’t put the foot down immediately — persevering with with a number of the errors that marked an uneven November sequence — however as soon as Beirne broke by way of to make it 20-10, there was no means again for a punchdrunk England.
Sheehan’s attempt regarded an inevitability and whereas Curry and Freeman gave England a shedding bonus level, it was in the end a seventh slender loss in 9 video games for Borthwick since England wrecked Eire’s grand slam desires a yr in the past.
The schedule doubtlessly opens up now for Eire who will fancy making profitable journeys to Scotland and Wales earlier than coming house for a mouth-watering potential title decider towards France on March 8.
Additional studying:
– Why every crew will discover Six Nations success, and why they will not
– WATCH: Can Scotland win their first title since 1999? ESPN writers debate
– Six Nations and Girls’s Six Nations: Full fixture record
– Six Nations historical past, previous winners, extra
