Ireland's Record-Breaking Win Over England Boosts Six Nations Hopes

Caelan Doris leads Ireland to historic victory over England

Ireland's Caelan Doris leads team to record 42-21 win over England at Twickenham, restoring confidence after shaky start to Six Nations campaign.

“It was just an unbelievable atmosphere. You talk about inspiring the nation...”

Ireland's captain, Caelan Doris, believes their record-breaking 42-21 win over England at Twickenham has restored the team's confidence. The victory marks Ireland's biggest margin of win at Twickenham, silencing critics who thought they were an ageing side on the decline.

The Irish team showed remarkable resilience after a shaky start to the championship, with five tries and a dominant performance that left England struggling. Coach Andy Farrell praised Doris for leading from the front, saying he had one of his best games.

This win gives Ireland a lot of momentum heading into their remaining matches against Wales and Scotland. They're currently third in the standings, and this victory could be a turning point in their championship campaign.

Ireland's five-try display was a much-needed boost after their disappointing loss to France and unconvincing win over Italy. The team's morale was lifted by their impressive performance, which featured standout tries and a strong team effort.

Coach Andy Farrell praised his team's fighting spirit, stating that they needed to “dampen” England's momentum and play with intent. The win marked a significant turnaround for Ireland, who had struggled in their previous matches.

“I spoke about Paris being a reference point where hopefully we'll see a pretty steep incline in terms of performances,” said Doris.

“I think this will now be a reference point that we look back on as a proper good performance that's given us a lot of belief.”

The No 8, speaking after a success that eclipsed Ireland's previous record Twickenham triumph, a 32-15 win in 2022, added: “At the core of what we're doing in training, in camp, there has been belief still, and I think you saw some of that through how we played.

“It was just an unbelievable atmosphere. You talk about inspiring the nation and getting the Irish people behind us, and hopefully that brought both the people here and at home a bit of joy.”

Captain Shines

Ireland coach Andy Farrell praised captain Caelan Doris, saying, “I thought he had his best game in a good while. He was immense in his carry. That's Caelan at his best.” Doris led Ireland to a record-breaking win over England with a standout performance.

“How he led from the front and got us over the gain-line was outstanding, but we could 100% have two minutes on every single person out there.”

Ireland dominated the first half, taking a 22-7 lead at halftime thanks to tries from Jamison Gibson-Park, Robert Baloucoune, and Tommy O'Brien. The Irish team's performance was further bolstered by fly-half Jack Crowley's impressive kicking game, landing four conversions and three penalties for a total of 17 points.

Hell of a win. 👊 pic.twitter.com/gLAvCzDHLD

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 21, 2026

After the break, Ireland continued to assert their dominance, with Dan Sheehan and Jamie Osborne scoring tries. England struggled to find their rhythm, committing numerous errors and turning the ball over repeatedly. The match showcased Ireland's cohesion and determination, leaving England's fans disappointed.

“It looked like we were hunting people down throughout the game,” said former England international Farrell.

“It's one thing going up with a good start and getting the bonus point there as far as four tries is concerned, but how we kick-chased, how we kept hunting down the breakdown, all that type of stuff, it shows that that's a proper performance where there's no egos.”

Ireland is gearing up for their final two matches of the Six Nations tournament, hosting Wales on March 6 and Scotland on March 14. They're aiming for the Triple Crown and trying to keep up with leaders France.

“What will be, will be,” said Farrell of a possible Ireland title bid.

“We've got a fallow week, and we'll review the start of the competition and seeing how much we've grown.

“The important part for us is to keep doing that in the last two weeks. What will be, will be, really.”

We are Ireland. 👊 pic.twitter.com/kaQqnQin9I

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 21, 2026