Match report
The report is here: Sarah Rendell is in Cork and her expert take on a tale of two halves is below. Give it a read. Thank you for following the updates here! Ireland travel to Wales next weekend, while England will host Scotland. Until then …
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“We had to absorb a little bit of pressure in the first half – a little bit of set piece pressure – but it’s a game we could have gone into ahead at half-time,” correctly assesses Scott Bemand, the Ireland coach, who is hoarse from shouting/‘issuing instructions’.
“We were so disciplined, but there is a cost to that. The second half; a few errors. The yellow card came and we never really recovered from that.” He praises his players for their commitment and development in the last 12 months.
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Ireland will feel that scoreline does not quite reflect their performance. They forced England into several handling errors but could not capitalise on the amount of ball they had in the first half. And, of course, 42 unanswered points in the second half; the game got away from them. But what a difference from the 88-10 defeat of last year! Ireland are much improved.
“That was really tough, especially the first half,” says Zoe Harrison, who was immaculate from the tee. “That one was about being patient, taking our times to get there – and when we did, getting our foot on the throat.” She goes on to praise the tenacity of the Ireland defence, foot firmly off the throat and into the ‘respect’ zone.
Maud Muir got the player of the match award. She was indefatigable in the first half, while some of her teammates struggled with Ireland’s fierce intensity. After the break, so many England players stepped up – Jess Breach, Meg Jones, Zoe Harrison, Ellie Kildunne, Sarah Bern (who came off the bench to replace Muir).
FULL TIME: Ireland 5-49 England
England remain perfect in this year’s W6N! A bonus-point victory after a barnstorming second-half display. What a difference after Ireland took the lead and really pressured and harried their visitors in the first 40 minutes. But an early yellow card, England going up a gear (or four) and the introduction of elite players from the bench made a big difference.
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79 min: England have it back, testing Ireland once more. Amy Cockayne punches a hole in the Irish defence. Will we see one more try?
77 min: The scoreline looks a bit ugly for the hosts now. Ireland for a rare time in this half have possession in England’s half, they’re passing it, Kildunne throws out one hand to stop the ball. Ireland’s penalty, Kildunne perhaps lucky not to see yellow.
TRY! Ireland 5-49 England (Clifford)
Kelsey Clifford gets her first England try! Holly Aitchison showed her playmaking skills there ducking and diving then releasing the ball just as she hit the turf for Clifford to power over in Bern-esque style. Aitchison converts.
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73 min: England lineout in Ireland’s half. They maul forwards relentlessly. Aitchison tries to open up Ireland with a cunning low kick, but Dalton is alive to the danger and picks it up.
72 min: This could be a long last eight minutes for Ireland, who are starting to look frayed. Kildunne gets a knock but gets up and is OK.
TRY! Ireland 5-42 England (Kildunne)
Ellie Kildunne against tired legs: you know the outcome. A blistering solo run from arguably the world’s top player as she dodges past green shirts, touches down and unleashes the rodeo celebration.
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68 min: Another England scrum, Ireland push hard but the visitors come away with the ball once more. They spread the ball around. Kildunne with a wonderful solo run! And …
TRY! Ireland 5-35 England (Bern)
Sarah Bern has her second try! England maul forwards right on the line, push Ireland back and the reigning queen of English TikTok forces her way over. The extras are kicked in front of the posts.
65 min: England’s scrum in Ireland’s half. The visitors start to play it wide, Ireland doggedly win the ball back – but it’s brought back for a penalty.
63 min: Ireland with some possession at last … but they cede the ball. Dow is hunting them down in their red zone. The ball is flung about but Erin King stays strong.
61 min: England ring more changes themselves, Maddie Feaunati in on, Holly Aitchison is on. A pause in play, Ireland’s lineout to restart.
59 min: Dannah O’Brien comes off, she was sublime with the boot, but Ireland need fresh legs perhaps. And to give others experience. England – with Megan Jones at the forefront – look a different team in this half.
TRY! Ireland 5-28 England (Bern)
England have their bonus point! Sarah Bern, on off the bench, gets the ball, sees an opening and shows her pace + power as she bulldozes through and gets it down. Harrison converts.
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56 min: Oof. Zoe Aldcroft clatters, fairly, into O’Dowd. What a welcome back. She comes off – walks off fine we should say, and is replaced by Siobhán McCarthy.
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55 min: O’Dowd is back on so Ireland are back up to a full complement, but the damage has arguably been done: two converted tries while England had the player advantage.
TRY! Ireland 5-21 England (Jones)
Another excellently worked England try, Kildunne is involved but it’s Dow with the excellent run out wide then the unselfish pass inside to Meg Jones, who has plenty of space to dot down. Harrison converts; England in control.
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51 min: Dalton makes a powerful run through the midfield, Ireland putting up a fight. We have a new front row for the England! A trio of changes.
TRY! Ireland 5-14 England (Harrison)
England’s passing game finally comes together in front of the posts! They work an opening, Zoe Harrison snakes through with a zigzag run; lovely work from the fly-half who converts her own try.
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48 min: Fiona Tuite is on for Ireland. England are looking to find the gaps, edging towards the Ireland line, they have the extra player, and …
46 min: Kildunne so close to an England try! A clever, low kick by Jess Breach breaches the Ireland defence – Kildunne is on to it first, but cannot make a clean grasp under pressure from Aoife Dalton.
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Yellow card: Niamh O’Dowd for her continued scrum infractions. Now, it’s 14 versus 15. O’Brien’s kick, another great one, gets it clear for Ireland … for now.
44 min: Ireland scrum around halfway, they’ll want to get it out quickly. Their scrum was suffering towards the end of the first half.
42 min: Kildunne tries to burst through the Irish defence, Muir is on the charge, but Higgins steals the ball and the hosts can clear. Ireland are seeing out the England storm for now.
40 min: England get possession back right away and Jess Breach makes an electric dash down the wing … does Costigan tackle her before she goes over for a try? Yes! Just; following a review. That was so close. What a start. What a run. What a tackle.
Second half
Zoe Harrison kicks the ball and we have restarted in Cork! Let’s see if Ireland can maintain their intensity for another 40 mins.
Dannah O’Brien’s kicks were outstanding in that first half and of course it led to captain Costigan’s try. Zoe Harrison has kicked well too, but – while England’s set piece has impressed, especially in the ubiquitous scrum – we’ve hardly seen any passing fluency. They will urgently want to get the likes of Ellie Kildunne on the ball in the second half.
England’s players are having a pretty intense chat on the pitch before they even go down the tunnel. They must know they didn’t show the best against a fired-up Ireland.
HALF-TIME: Ireland 5-7 England
Ireland see it out without further damage! They will on one hand feel a bit gutted to be behind to England, having scored such a superb try, but that was such a competitive half of rugby. Great stuff.
39 min: Ireland stymie the England attack, Erin King snaffling the ball back. We’re almost at half-time but, of course, we’ve got to have another scrum first.
38 min: Another scrum. It’s been a scrumptious first half. Ireland fall again and it’s a penalty that England will kick.
37 min: Ireland look to pick holes in the England defence, spreading play well. The crowd, momentarily stunned by England going ahead, are right behind their side again.
TRY! Ireland 5-7 England (Talling)
Not pretty, but effective! England maul towards the line, turn the Irish defence and Morwenna Talling cleanly and clearly gets it down. Harrison kicks the extras and England lead. What a blow to the hosts.
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33 min: Kildunne takes an O’Brien kick cleanly. Aoife Dalton is penalised… Harrison kicks. Another lineout in the Irish corner.
31 min: England back in possession and back in attack. They’re spreading play, trying to find their fluency… they cannot! Botterman with the knock on.
30 min: The scrum keeps collapsing. Eventually Aoife Wafer emerges with the ball.
28 min: England on the attack, but there’s a knock on, the ref rules, and an Ireland scrum. Can they win this power battle?
25 min: Dannah O’Brien, superb so far, cannot convert from way out wide. Now then: England have been given a fright. How do they respond?
TRY! Ireland 5-0 England (Costigan)
Ireland have the lead! Amee-Leigh Costigan ends up in a foot race after another great O’Brien kick over the top – she beats Dow, touches down and that’s a sensational try.
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23 min: A scrum collapse, an England penalty, yet they can’t quite find their composure with ball in hand. Dorothy Wall is living up to her surname in defence so far.
21 min: Abbie Ward soars like a salmon to take a lineout. Some leap. The ball is on the floor, right by Ireland’s line. Yet Ireland scrap and get the ball back! O’Brien kicks and relieves the pressure, for now.
20 min: Wait, the referee has clarified that it’s actually an England penalty for a high tackle on Botterman … So Harrison kicks and it’s a lineout right in the Ireland corner.
19 min: Ireland survive; a penalty for holding on the floor. The crowd greet that like they’ve just watched a stunning solo try. Hannah Botterman gets a bit of treatment so the players glug delicious water.
18 min: Time for an England maul for a change. Now they’re playing out, the ball where they want it with Kildunne. A big tackle by O’Dowd. England on the attack still.
16 min: It’s three Ireland handling errors to England’s zero, which perhaps explains why the hosts are scoreless despite having more possession and looking lively. England win their own lineout.
14 min: Great tackle by Aoife Dalton to stop England in their tracks. Now it’s Ireland on the attack once more. They’re flinging the ball around in approach, but Flood can’t quite gather a pass.
12 min: England get the penalty and Harrison can kick the ball away. That was some serious pressure but we’re still scoreless.
11 min: Terrific maul defence from Abbie Ward as England stop Ireland this time. We’re still deep in English territory, but it is their scrum.
9 min: Ireland maul forward, the crowd roaring, Linda Djougang is inches from the England line! The defence holds firm but Megan Jones has given away a penalty. This attack is not over for the hosts.
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8 min: Abby Dow picks up another excellent O’Brien kick, but she’s bulled out by two eager Irish chasers. Ireland’s lineout in England’s half.
6 min: England are right in the Ireland red zone, probing for openings. The first real test of this Ireland defence. Muir has it but … the hosts earn a penalty. They survive the first serious examination.
5 min: An accurate kick by Zoe Harrison puts Stacey Flood under pressure and she knocks it forward. We have a scrum in Ireland territory.
3 min: A knock-on by Ireland, England go on the attack via the counter, Brittany Hogan with an excellent tackle to put a stop to that.
1 min: Dannah O’Brien with a confident first kick! That might settle any nerves. Right in the corner. England win the lineout via the captain Zoe Aldcroft.
Kick-off!
England receive to start the first half, and we are under way.
The crowd is in great voice at Virgin Media/Musgrove Park. It’s a tasty atmosphere. A decade since Ireland beat England in a W6N. The locals are baying for a huge upset. We’re about ready to go.
England walk out first in Cork, closely followed by Ireland, lead out by Munster’s own Amee-Leigh Costigan. It looks a fine, if cloudy, day. And it’s anthem time!
“Ireland have definitely improved, big time,” says the England coach, John Mitchell, pitchside pre-match. “They’ve improved in their set piece. They like to come out of a strong maul, they’ve got Dannah [O’Brien]’s kicking game … I think they’ve got an identity.”
Mitchell will not be drawn on whether Zoe Harrison has made the No 10 shirt her own, given her continuing selection with Holly Aitchison again among the replacements.
Maggie Alphonsi on Auntie Beeb reckons England haven’t reached their full potential yet in this Six Nations, which is a slightly alarming thought for the opposition. She thinks they’re building nicely though. Simon Middleton praises the notable improvements Ireland have shown under Scott Bemand.
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Milestone watch: Abby Dow will earn her 50th cap today! The England wing has 43 tries in 49 appearances and counting. “She’s obviously a phenomenal athlete but she’s also extremely smart,” said the England attack coach, Lou Meadows, who definitely sounds like the kind of person we want writing our work appraisals going forward.
Fighting talk from Aoife Wafer. She told Sarah Rendell that “Ireland want to shake England up a bit” and shock the favourites in Cork. Well worth your pre-game perusal.
France 42-12 Wales
The early kick-off in this third round of games is done and France are still on course for what could – potentially – be a grand-slam decider in their final match at Twickenham. Welsh rugby fans: we’re afraid the report below means you’re still waiting for some overdue good news …
France maintained their perfect start to the Women’s Six Nations campaign with a 42-12 bonus-point win over Wales in Brive to stay on course for the grand slam.
After Emilie Boulard, back in the starting XV, touched down in the corner to give France an early lead, Wales responded when Kate Williams was driven over following a lineout. Winger Boulard extended the advantage with a second try in the 16th minute after more strong carrying by the French pack, only for Wales to again get another close-range score from Gwen Crabb.
Rose Bernadou then saw a try ruled out for a dropped ball, but, with the clock in the red, hooker Manon Bigot crossed after a lineout and Morgane Bourgeois added the extras to give France a 21-12 half-time lead. The France co-captain Manaé Feleu crashed over four minutes into the second half to secure a bonus point, before Wales – beaten by Scotland and then thrashed by England in Cardiff – had a try from Courtney Keight ruled out for obstruction in the buildup.
With 13 minutes left, Wales conceded a penalty try after collapsing a scrum, with Maisie Davies sent to the sin-bin. France made their late pressure count as replacement Lea Champon pushed over in the closing stages. PA Sport
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The teams
It’s a compliment to Ireland that John Mitchell has – after making 13 changes in between England’s first two games – named what looks a full-strength side. Back after suspension, Alex Matthews makes her first start in this year’s competition, replacing Maddie Feaunati at No 8. Props Maud Muir and Hannah Botterman are the other changes, coming in for Mackenzie Carson (ruled out for the tournament with an ankle injury) and Sarah Bern.
Ireland also make three changes: Dorothy Wall, Brittany Hogan and Emily Lane are rewarded for impressing off the bench in the 54-12 win in Italy with spots in the starting XV. The hosts are without Edel McMahon and Enya Breen through injury. Rising star Aoife Wafer going head-to-head with Matthews could be: tasty.
Ireland
Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan (capt); Dannah O’Brien, Emily Lane; Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang, Fiona Tuite, Dorothy Wall, Brittany Hogan, Erin King, Aoife Wafer.
Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney, Siobhán McCarthy, Christy Haney, Ruth Campbell, Grace Moore, Aoibheann Reilly, Nicole Fowley, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.
England
Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Megan Jones, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach; Zoe Harrison, Natasha Hunt; Hannah Botterman, Lark Atkin-Davies, Maud Muir, Morwenna Talling, Abbie Ward, Zoe Aldcroft (capt), Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews.
Replacements: Amy Cockayne, Kelsey Clifford, Sarah Bern, Rosie Galligan, Maddie Feaunati, Lucy Packer, Holly Aitchison, Helena Rowland.
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (Fr)
Preamble
England are on a roll: unbeaten in 31 Women’s Six Nations games and with maximum points from their opening two matches in 2025 – but this is not the same Ireland side they walloped at Twickenham last year. In Cork, the Red Roses are facing a young, improving team who’ve come on leaps and bounds since they picked up the wooden spoon in this competition two years ago.
Ireland’s standout result since is shocking world champions New Zealand last autumn, though it might be an even more seismic upset if Scott Bemand’s team can derail the seemingly unstoppable England train. The Irish missed a few opportunities during an opening W6N defeat by France, but roared back to stick 54 points on Italy in Parma.
That means both sides have players coming into the game after hat-tricks: Amy McGann in Italy and Ellie Kildunne, the reigning world player of the year putting a nine-minute treble on Wales. Ouch. England have quality all over the pitch but it’s a home World Cup year, so every match is in audition for that.
One thing we can expect is a lively atmosphere: earlier in the week over 7,000 tickets were sold for the 8,008-capacity Virgin Media Park (still Musgrave Park to many locals, perhaps). So it’ll be a sellout or a near sellout. Can Ireland hold their nerve, not be overwhelmed and give their visitors a test? Or do England power on? We’re about to find out with kick-off at 4.45pm BST.
