A TRIPLE CROWN awaits Joe Schmidt’s Ireland if they can beat England for the first time in three years. Twickenham plays host to the match of the Six Nations weekend and the Irishmen can put themselves firmly in the championship driving seat by defeating Stuart Lancaster’s men.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the match. E-mail patrick@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
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England 13 Ireland 10
Good afternoon. Sean Farrell here to kick off our big Six Nations liveblog while roving reporter Pat McCarry snakes his way through some untimely London traffic.
We hope you’re enjoying the tail end of the Wooden Spoon match in Rome as much as we are. We’ll have all the tries from that one for you just after the game is settled.
As we type, Italy lead 20 -18 with two minutes to play.
It’s over in Rome, a thrilling end to proceedings as Duncan Weir’s drop-goal gives Scotland the win.
Now, that’s out of the way. So it’s time to hear your predictions for the big game of the day.
Can England upset Joe Schmidt’s table-toppers? Or will there be silverware in the IRFU cabinet by Monday morning?
If you’re after the highlights of Scotland’s win in Italy you can get them here, but right now we’re devoting our full and undivided attention to matters in London.
Ladies and gentlemen, the teams:
England: M Brown; J Nowell, L Burrell, B Twelvetrees, J May; O Farrell, D Care; J Marler, D Hartley, D Wilson; J Launchbury, C Lawes; T Wood, C Robshaw (Capt.), B Vunipola.
Replacements: Tom Youngs, Mako Vunipola, Henry Thomas, Dave Attwood, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson, George Ford, Alex Goode.
Ireland: R Kearney; A Trimble, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, D Kearney; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross, D Toner, P O’Connell (capt.); P O’Mahony, C Henry, J Heaslip.
Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Moore, I Henderson, J Murphy, I Boss, P Jackson, F McFadden.
If you’re not near a TV, then we commiserate. Here’s what Georgie Boy is doing for your viewing pleasure.
He also has about 15 Bounty bars stuffed under the desk.
The anthems are done and dusted, here’s a quick look back on how our boys looked on their way into hostile territory.
KICK-OFF: Owen Farrell gets us under way and Devin Toner takes the ball in to give Ireland their first maul of the day.
First blood, England? Well, they choked up Ireland’s maul, but the big marker comes with the scrum and Cian Healy powers the green machine to the opening penalty.
Sexton’s kick takes us into opposition territory.
BOD breaks, Luther Burrell was certainly paying the great man some respect there, but Ireland’s move peters out and England clear their lines.
Mike Brown comes in to play scrum half and dummies a pass before side stepping through a static Irish defence.
England have a solid base in the green 22 here.
Ireland all the way onto the book foot, but the tackles keep coming in. Four men go in to stop Billy Vunipola, but on the next phase Farrell keeps the ball alive and Twelvetrees spun the pass wide to Jonny May.
It looked, for all the world a try, but the winger dropped the ball (think Wes Fofana v Leinster) with the score begging.
Well, that’s just a massive relief. A really robust start from England and Ireland were clinging on. Mercifully, Les Kiss’ defence still have no tries against their name in 2014.
10 mins: Ireland embark on their first attack and generate some good quick ball.
Going right, inside the 22, R Kearney chips through but there’s too much behind the grubber for Trimble to get near with his chase.
Wow! Sexton dinks a cross-field kick towards Trimble and the Ulster wing plucks it from the sky almost without breaking stride.
The white defence managed to drift and cover, but they’re on the back foot..
Thrilling stuff from Ireland. But England keep them at bay and force them right to left and left to right.
A trademark Sexton loop created space again for Andrew Trimble, but Ireland are not able to tie enough defenders down and the Ulster wing again found tacklers as he stepped inside and a phase later Owen Farrell forced a turnover.
It’s kind of amazing that it’s scoreless after a full quarter.
This game is intense, Ireland slightly shading the penalty count, but both sides proving disciplined within kicking range.
Farrell comes up with the latest sanction against England. A late shoulder-charge on Conor Murray as he box kicks clear.
He tells Joubert: ‘I tried to use my arms’ and the referee hit him with, “well, you didn’t succeed.”
PENALTY: England 3 Ireland 0 (Farrell ’24)
A monster penalty from the young Saracen out-half. Raises the flags from a full 50 metres out.
Ha, O’Driscoll threatens a late hit on Mike Brown after the referee’s whistle, but pulls out long before contact. Brown squares up to the centre, BOD laughs. Good times.
Ireland really showing an appetite to run the ball today, but England’s tackles keep on mounting and there is a sense of frustration beginning to creep in.
After D’Arcy is guilty of a short forward pass 40 metres from his line, Ireland’s scrum concede a penalty, and Farrell has a chance to double his tally… off the post.
Phew.
37 mins: Ireland’s defence are doing some frustrating of their own. And end England’s attack with a good old-fashioned choke tackle.
A bigger blow to England, though, is the sight of 125 kg Billy Vunipola hobbling off injured. The number eight was tackled by Devin Toner and got his ankle caught underneath him as he tried to break free.
Ah, no. Trimble jumps the gun and goes offside at a ruck on halfway. Farrell doesn’t fancy the distance, instead they go for the corner to make a statement of intent.
HALF -TIME: England 3 Ireland 0
The Line-out fails and Ireland are able to clear their lines. England have been mighty impressive in that 40, you have to be pleased to only be three points down – even if we have yet to register a score or earn a kick at goal.
Houston Texans star JJ Watt probably isn’t enjoying either game too much at the minute. USA are 2 – 0 down to Finland.
Right, the flames are rising around the tunnel and the players are back on the field. Here comes a massive 40 minutes in this year’s Six Nations.
England ship a penalty soon after the restart, Ireland opt against the kick at goal and go instead for the line-out.
A solid platform and the gap is created for ROB KEARNEY to steam through the gap and under the posts from a Jamie Heaslip pop pass.
TRY: England 3 Ireland 7 (Kearney’ 42)
Oh dear, Billy Twelvetrees is allowed to come down with the restart and Ireland are on the back foot straight away after scoring.
The defence scrambles quickly enough to break the move down though and Ireland force a breakdown penalty. From there, the maul gets to stretch its legs for the first time today and it yields another penalty to take Ireland into England’s half.
Now we’re cooking. The maul gets it’s rumble on again and after Courtney Lawes does his best to break it up, he fails to roll away from the tackle that follows and Jonathan Sexton has his first kickable penalty opportunity.
PENALTY: England 3 Ireland 10 (Sexton ’49)
Nailed it.
50 mins: Rory Best is the man who just never stops. The Ulster hooker forces a turnover to silence the Twickenham crowd just as the sensed a smidgen of momentum with their pack setting up inside the 22.
Ireland clear their lines.
Back come England. And the momentum this time is picking up fast, Danny Care quick-tapped the penalty and Burrell goes crashing into D’Arcy.
There are men out wide, but Care attempts to snipe under the posts and England have to settle for a penalty.
PENALTY: England 6 Ireland 10 (Farrell’ 54)
TRY! England 13 Ireland 10 (Care ’56)
Oh, no. The restart off the last Farrell penalty was kicked out on the full by Sexton and England bounded off the platform. Brown storming though a gap, with Kearney lunging to tackle, he offloads to Care who is able to steam in under the posts from 30 metres.
What now, Ireland? Well, another powerful maul provides the front foot and Murray’s box-kick is spilled. However, as Rob Kearney attempts to run, he dances into the arms of Joe Launchbury, and in the form the wasps lock is in today, you don’t want to be anywhere near him.
Mike Ross is replaced. Martin Moore is in the game – these 18 minutes will provide the biggest test of the Leinster man’s career.
Turning point?
Jack Nowell blasts a kick back in the general direction of Ireland’s half, but it flies out on the full and Rory Best hits POM with a line-out just outside the England 22.
Ireland press, Ireland probe, but openings are few. O’Driscoll spins into a gap, bounces off Care, but gets wrapped up and his next possession is a trademark loop with Sexton that is knocked on by the out-half.
This game just won’t be settled easily. Ireland’s scrum sends the white pack back-peddling. Green ball on the right corner of the 22.
The scrum is solid and D’Arcy makes a good carry before Rory Best sets up a maul in open play. O’Connell gets stuck at the back, though, and the numbers just aren’t there to put the power in. It collapses and the scrum is awarded to the home side.
Cian Healy trudges off. Jack McGrath makes it an all new front row alongside Cronin and Moore.
Jordi Murphy makes his Ireland debut as a 72nd minute replacement. Iain Henderson is also on the field which means Heaslip is the only starting back-row remaining.
75 mins: We have the ball, but we’re pinned back into our own half and the invention just doesn’t look to be there to make a break needed to go 40 metres upfield.
The break does come! O’Driscoll delivers a beautiful ball to Dave Kearney on the left wing and he powers into the danger zone.
He’s stopped, but recycles well and Ireland fan out again with Heaslip taking the ball into contact ont he right wing.
It’s horribly frustrating stuff, England turn over and boot clear.
O’Driscoll is injured and Ireland are back where they started, in the 22.
D’Arcy runs into contact. England choke, the bodies swarm in and the dance moves on for seconds that feels like hours before the mound of men eventually comes crashing down. Unplayable. Game Over.
FULL TIME: England 13 Ireland 10
That’s it from me, folks. Crushing disappointment for Ireland. No Triple Crown, no Grand Slam…
But, hey, there’s still a Championship to play for when we meet Italy and France before St Patrick’s Day.
Thanks for joining in our wee liveblog. We’ll have all the reaction from Twickenham for you a little later this evening.
So excited for this!
COYBIG
Come on the boy’s x x x We know u can do it x x x
Speaking of, the Defence Forces have a great pic up on Facebook of the other boys in green, about to watch the match with fellow English soldiers in Mali. The game has changed over the last century and so have our countries but moments like this still resonate.
Greay try by Kearney. Go on lads
fishing for green thumbs fergal with comments like that
19-16 to Ireland would be apt :)
Why?
I’m horribly nervous. Just hope we can produce the goods. It would be great to destroy these on their home turf :-)
A one point victory will do me. I think it will be very close.
Not gonna happen. Think Ireland will be horribly exposed today! This English side are on the verge of something very special! I really fear for us today.
Agree.
England are stronger in back row, locks & centre.
Care is a better scrum half than Murray.
Very unpopular opinion but I too agree I feel they’ll total expose O’Driscoll and Ireland will crumble.
From what I have seen in the first 30 odd minutes its only a matter of time before they cross our lines. Saying that we do have some pretty moves from the training ground. A 5 point game at the very most!
We have to get rid of “Ireland’s Call” the lack of passion from our lads compared to the English tells you everything
Should have been a yellow to Farrell.
Some unbelievably stupid play by ireland though. Kearney and Sexton kicking away possession when o the fringes of the english 22. Madness
That wasn’t a yellow card. Looks worse the more you watch it. A penalty and no more.
Rubbish.
Even Jeremy Guscott on the bbc said Farrell was lucky to not get a card.
Lads let’s face it we blew ourselves up to be world beaters when we “nearly ” beat New Zealand and beat a poor enough Wales team even though we easily could have came out winners today maybe we just aren’t as good as we thought we were yet but still great chance to win it out still if we beat France due to score difference
Ireland’s back line were out of ideas today, Sexton and O’Driscoll were poor and, apart from the Kearney try, in the second half we were very static.
To ask people to stand for the national anthems and then play irelands call is a disgrace
What do you suggest ?
Accidentally put me green jocks on inside out today. Leaving them that way now. Don’t want to tempt fate.
You’re worse than me darren
Sexton made another stupid mistake kicking out on the full. You get away with that kind of stuff for Leinster but not at this level in a tight game like that. Thought rob Kearney played well, but the best player on the field by a country mile was mike brown. One of the players of the championship so far.
True but it does help when Sexton kept kicking the ball to Brown
Sexton lost it for us
Ireland’s kicking from opening play was aimless and England’s defence was brilliant. The six nations has been blown wide open.
Disaster, that game was there to be won. Ireland hadn’t the ideas or pace in the backs. Sexton had a poor game. we needed a bowe or a Zebo to offer something different in attack
I presume as this is an away game that we will have to suffer a rendition of Ireland’s Call.
It’s a disgrace that we do not sing our National Anthem against England at Twickenham.
Yet another example of the majority losing out to keep the minority happy.
Anyway do the business Ireland.
Leave it to political pages pal…
words fail me..:(
Ill discuss it with you when you use your real name
This is rugby not soccer.doesnt matter what religion or where you come from.its the all of Ireland rugby team
As we’re an all Ireland team we could theoretically replace it with God Save the Queen if you’d prefer….
Schmidt’s honeymoon period is well and truly over…….not because we lost to a mediocre English team in a mediocre six nations, but because we played with absolutely no plan. Again another irish team scared of the ball and no line breakers in the team….Gilroy and Zebo sitting at home makes even less sense now!
England aren’t mediocre, not brilliant but definitely not mediocre
All rugby in the northern hemisphere is mediocre, only France ( if they get a new coach ) will compete at 2015 and although I thought we weren’t too far behind New Zealand, South Africa and even Australia I’m afraid after that it just proves we are miles behind….as ever world class individuals who can produce one off performances and that’s it.
Disappointed. No plan B. Nobody on bench to change things up.
We lost the battle up front having left ryan and tod at home. Having said that toner and hendo were very good. Poc was poor. But this was always going to be one up front and they dominated us.
Poor tactical kicking throughout.
We were lucky to only be three down at half time. But the better team won.
Still we have a great chance of a championship.
Typical did ye never think of a drop goal boys?
No Rodge. Sexton is brain dead.
Sexton 0. All Blacks 1; England 1
Ffs sexton…
Bring back ROG !!!
True. Sexton is shocking.
Zebo if only!!!!
I’m at a loss….what’s the tactics? kick it to the best counter attacking fullback in Europe??? Give the ball to static forwards around the fringes?? C’mon joe we need a drastic rethink at the break.
Ireland to win 15-12 no try’s in this game got 66/1 €20 on.
No you didn’t !!! That bet isn’t possible and predicting the score in rugby matches should be at least 500/1+
Bet is possible if you want. If you ring up Paddypower for a quote.
Mug Punter
I have every confidence Ireland will win today …. And so do the English
Still Confident !
Bottled it once again.
Give the opposition the ball and they will win..simples
yep its very frustrating to watch can only imagine what the forwards must feel like
England 12 Ireland 29
Absolutely gutted but two wins and we win the championship. Would have taken that at the beginning of the tournament
I seen the English players do their pre-planned short walk through the fans on the BBC, but I don’t think it had the desired effect it seemed pretty sedate to me.
They need something to encourage all those non-English players in their side!
George hook looks like a dodgy 70s cabaret singer…..george hook at the sands
I know wtf. Are there no mirrors in rte.
Wouldn’t like to be Billy Vunipola that looked at sore one.
what happened to him ??
He went over on his ankle and with a 19+ stone frame it really doesn’t help.
If only we had someone now who can make things happen, someone with that bit of a spark, the x-factor. But hey, Joe knows best.
The golden generation has blown it every single time bar one when the chips were on the table. They’re at it again now. Twenty minutes to schite or get off the pot.
How many times was there a boot or a hand on the ground from England and joubert did fk all
I can’t stand losing to England…..
I’m backing England to slay the potato men.
If your with me give me the red thumb :)
Is your name an anagram for your profession?
Ireland to win.
Let’s brake some faces…drunk
Whatever happens from here, surely Schmidt’s honeymoon period is well and truly over.
Sexton’s pointless kicking lost us the game. Anytime we had a good position he tried to chip it over England
Devin Toner’s having a great match so far, sorry I ever doubted him!
Me nerves can’t take it!
This is our year we are good enough
There’re definitely be a few try’s.
Try number 1.
Come on Ireland
Championship is still there to be won, run up a good score against Italy and beat France and it’s basically done. Too much emphasis on grand slams, to finish top of the 6 Nations is an achievement with or without grand slams
The referee gave them everything. A bloody disgrace
Best team won unfortunately
As much I don’t like Joubert thought he was fair enough today
I don’t think he managed the mauls well. Ireland did not engage at the first lineout that england won so it wasn’t a maul. Joubert should have blown for obstruction.
They also came in from the side on numerous occasions without sanction
Yeh I’d agree with that assessment. How it wasn’t offside is beyond me!
Can’t wait to see o’mahony singing the national anthem
You won’t. They don’t do amhrain na fhiann when we’re playing away
You will have to wait till the Italy game for that.
That johnny may is shocking. Why are we targeting him
The pessimist in me is predicting an England win.
Eng by 5 points
The English back row & centres to dominate Ireland in the middle.
looks like you were right. We were very poor in attack
Ireland will win by 3 points
England are using Danny Care to clear out POM before the england pack gets there, that’s clever play.
Ireland by 8
Come on Ireland. Excited now. Let’s have ya triple crown! :-)
The egg chasing bandwagoners will be out in full force today
All Ireland anyone?
Red thumbs please
48% of play in Ireland’s 22 in opening ten minutes that’s not good. However we did well to stop them from scoring early on.
Very disappointing. A tough game as imagined before hand but lazy and devoid of ideas in places. Heaslip shows again that he is our weakest forward. Very lazy today in the end . could be tiredness but he’s a professional player in Twickenham and the games in the balance with 15 to go. Hopefully though we’ll pick ourselves for the next match
YES! YES! YES!!!! FAB SCORE. WELL DONE Rob
#inBODwetrust
Alot of cauliflower ears on display here from England.
It’s been a long two weeks! COME ON IRELAND!
ENGLAND FTW!
In the lead now!
Boom baby!!!!
Time in Toronto is 10:47a m.
What time is kick off?
Starts at 16:00 GMT so that would be 11am in Toronto.
Cmon Ireland
Feeling nervous about this one folks I predicted last week it woukd be 35-5 to Ireland this one predicting 14-19 ireland.
Is it just me or are we far FAR too keen on cross field kicking/kicking through? Seriously, for every instance when these tactics work there’s ten times when they don’t, I think sometimes we’d be far better just keeping the f*cking ball in hand and going through the phases…
Next score wins… :-/
Nail biter, could be 13-0 so 3-0 is not too bad.
I think we are going to own the breakdown the rest is history