England Suffer Second-Half Collapse as Ireland Secure Six Nations Victory

England’s promising start in their Six Nations opener against Ireland unravelled after the break, leading to a disappointing defeat in Dublin.

Steve Borthwick’s team showed early intent, with Harlequins winger Cadan Murley marking his international debut with a try inside 10 minutes. Their defensive resilience also stood out, particularly during a spell when Marcus Smith was sin-binned, forcing them to battle with 14 men.

At half-time, England held a narrow 10-5 lead, bolstered by a Smith penalty following a well-taken try from Jamison Gibson-Park, which Sam Prendergast failed to convert. However, defending champions Ireland shifted gears in the second half, showcasing their dominance under interim head coach Simon Easterby.

Tries from Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne, and Dan Sheehan secured a bonus-point victory for the hosts in their first match since Andy Farrell temporarily stepped aside to prepare for the British & Irish Lions tour.

England fought back late on, with Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman crossing to salvage a losing bonus point. Yet, the result extended their poor run to six defeats in seven Tests, piling further pressure on Borthwick as his side searches for consistency.

Line-ups

Ireland

Forwards

Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Captain)

Backs

Jamison Gibson-Park, Sam Prendergast, James Lowe, Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan

Replacements

Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Iain Henderson, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw

England

Forwards

Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje (Captain), George Martin, Tom Curry, Ben Curry, Ben Earl

Backs

Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Cadan Murley, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Tommy Freeman, Freddie Steward

Replacements

Theo Dan, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Willis, Harry Randall, Fin Smith

Stats

Ireland (5) 27

Try: Gibson-Park (35′), Aki (52′), Beirne (64′), Sheehan (72′)
Conversion: Crowley (65′, 73′)
Penalty: Prendergast (56′)

England (10) 22

Try: Murley (9′), T Curry (76), Freeman (80’+2)
Conversion: Smith (10′, 80’+2)
Penalty: Smith (40’+1)

Man of the match: Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)

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