Ireland Stuns England 42-21 at Twickenham

Ireland's big win at Twickenham

Ireland's dominant performance sees them beat England 42-21 at Twickenham, England struggle to recover from early deficit.

George Ford missed two simple kicks for touch, and Ireland kept turning the ball over under pressure...

Ireland's stunning performance at Twickenham saw them demolish England 42-21, securing their biggest-ever win in England and keeping their Six Nations title hopes alive. The visitors dominated the game, with Jamison Gibson-Park, Rob Baloucoune, and Tommy O'Brien scoring tries within the first 30 minutes, exposing England's sloppy defending.

England managed to get on the board just before halftime through Fraser Dingwall's try, but Ireland's Dan Sheehan scored shortly after the restart, effectively ending England's title hopes. Ireland's relentless attack continued, with Stuart McCloskey and Baloucoune scoring further tries, showcasing their dominance.

England finally got on the board just before halftime thanks to Fraser Dingwall's try. However, their hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed when Ireland's Dan Sheehan scored a try just three minutes after the restart, effectively ending England's title hopes.

With the game seemingly settled, England captain Maro Itoje was withdrawn early on his 100th cap, and both teams traded tries in a lackluster end to the game. Ireland's win marked their biggest-ever victory in England, putting them on nine points from three games, just one point behind leaders France, who host Italy on Sunday. England, on the other hand, dropped to fourth place with five points.

England Struggle with Early Deficit

England faced another tough start, falling behind 17-0 to Scotland within the first 15 minutes of their match last weekend. This time around, they're struggling to recover from an early deficit, a familiar pattern in their recent games. Jack Crowley, who replaced Sam Prendergast, kicked an early penalty, but England failed to capitalize on their opportunities, with James Lowe spurning a chance with an uncharacteristic fumble.

 

🏅 Today's #Guinness Player of the Match, Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park 🤩#GuinnessM6N #Since1883 pic.twitter.com/zfYMxmyAj1

— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 21, 2026

George Ford missed two simple kicks for touch, and Ireland kept turning the ball over under pressure. This set up a crucial moment when Jamison Gibson-Park took a quick tap penalty, leading to the first try after Rob Baloucoune's impressive barrelling run.

Ireland's dominance earned them a second try when centre Stuart McCloskey broke free down the middle, and Baloucoune scored in the corner, showcasing Ireland's attacking prowess.

England's Freddie Steward got a yellow card as Jack Crowley lined up a conversion, which he missed, leaving England 15-0 down and reduced to 14 men. This mirrored their slow start against Scotland. However, England fought back with Fraser Dingwall's try just before halftime. Ireland's Dan Sheehan scored almost immediately after England's Henry Pollock, making his first start, got a yellow card, putting the game out of England's reach.

Centre Ollie Lawrence pulled a try back for England, but Ireland's Jamie Osborne scored to extend their lead with just over 10 minutes left. England's Sam Underhill scored a late consolation try, though many fans had already left Twickenham by then.