Normally a bonus-point victory against England at Twickenham would be cause for great celebration, although Ireland were far from their best today.
England played virtually the entire match with 14 men, but it wasn’t until the 71st minute that the game was put beyond doubt, as Jack Conan crashed over for a try.
Andy Farrell will know there is plenty to work on ahead of next week’s clash against Scotland, although he will at least be relieved in knowing that Ireland are still in with a chance of winning the Triple Crown and maybe even the Six Nations.
Check our Ireland player ratings below.
FULL TIME! We secure the bonus point win at Twickenham!#TeamOfUs | #ENGvIRE pic.twitter.com/KkN9J0TwIT
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 12, 2022
15. Hugo Keenan: 8
The full back was excellent in the air all day as he collected countless high balls from the English kickers. He also made a great break in the first half which almost resulted in a try and kicked well when called upon.
14. Andrew Conway: 7
The Munster winger executed two 50:22s to perfection, which Ireland largely failed to capitalise on, although he did make a poor error with kicking the ball out on the full. He was also good under the high ball but didn’t get many chances to attack.
13. Garry Ringrose: 7
He made plenty of good runs in the middle of the field but was never quite able to break open the English defence. Ringrose didn’t have too many tackle to make as England opted to kick so much ball, but he made no errors in defence.
12. Bundee Aki: 6
The Connacht stalwart made a few strong carries but he didn’t see a huge amount of the ball in a game which was dominated by forward play. Aki didn’t have much to do in defence but tackled well when needed.
11. James Lowe: 8
The decision to drop Mack Hansen might have seemed harsh, but Lowe showed his worth on countless occasions. He showed good pace for the opening try and made numerous powerful carries throughout the 80 minutes.
10. Johnny Sexton: 7
It wasn’t a vintage display from Sexton but it was enough in the end. Ireland’s backs were starved of ball for long periods of time as their forwards were getting beaten up by the English, but the captain marshalled the attack well when given the opportunity.
9. Jamison Gibson-Park: 8
The scrum-half’s quick delivery proved vital on a day where Ireland were truly second best at the set-piece. His quick tap which resulted in Keenan’s try late in the first half was crucial going into the break.
8. Caelan Doris: 6
The Mayo native was unlucky to have his try disallowed, although overall it was a quiet enough day for Doris. He did make one late break which could have resulted in a try but his pass was slightly behind Conor Murray.
7. Josh van der Flier: 7
England’s pack got the upper hand against their Irish counterparts, although van der Flier was one of the better forwards in green. He wasn’t quite as busy in defence as usual although he made plenty of great carries.
6. Peter O’Mahony: 6
The Munster captain made quite a few tackles in his 60 minutes, although he didn’t have much of an impact at the breakdown while Ireland also struggled at the line out.
5. James Ryan: N/A
Ryan came off after less than two minutes after a red card tackle from Charlie Ewels left him unable to continue.
4. Tadhg Beirne: 6
England won the breakdown battle convincely, which is normally a strong point of Beirne’s game. The Kildare man did win one turnover and made eight tackles, but it certainly wasn’t his best performance.
3. Tadhg Furlong: 5
The Wexford man is so often a standout player, although it was a day to forget at Twickenham for Furlong. He was good in open play but he was pulverised by Ellis Genge at scrum time on several occasions.
2. Dan Sheehan: 7
The Leinster hooker had a great couple of touches for Lowe’s opening try and made plenty of strong carries. Ireland were well beaten at scrum time however, which Sheehan has a crucial role to play in.
1. Cian Healy: 4
He made a vital turnover on Jamie George off the back of maul near the Irish try line in the first half. However, the scrum really struggled and Healy failed to have much of an impact in open play.
Notable replacement, Iain Henderson: 6
The Ulsterman was good in the loose, especially in attack, although Ireland’s struggles at the line out are a cause for concern. He gave away a couple of silly penalties which allowed England to get back into the game.
Replacements: 8
Ireland’s bench had a big impact on the game, as they scored two late tries to create a flattering scoreboard and secure the bonus-point try. Robbie Henshaw and Jack Conan were the best of the bunch, as both men came up with some crucial pieces of play.
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