Keith Earls marks century with a try as Ireland power past England 

Andy Farrell's side had too much for the visitors. 
Keith Earls marks century with a try as Ireland power past England 

NICE ONE, CENTURION: Keith Earls of Ireland celebrates after scoring his side's fourth try. PICTURE: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Ireland 29 England 10  

Keith Earls capped a dream appearance with a try on his 100th Test appearance as Ireland took advantage of a Billy Vunipola red card to defeat a disappointing England side in Dublin on Saturday.

Earls scored the fifth and final try of victory that was emphatic despite Ireland being far from at their best in front of a near sell-out crowd at Aviva Stadium, the 35-year-old Munster winger’s 74th-minute score, 15 minutes after entering the match as a replacement to a standing ovation, greeted by a deafening eruption of noise.

First-half tries from centres Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose were followed after half-time by scores from wings James Lowe and man of the match Mack Hansen before Kyle Sinckler’s late try took the English into double figures.

Yet in a week when their captain Owen Farrell was at the centre of a controversy as World Rugby appealed a disciplinary panel decision to downgrade a red card he had received against Wales seven days earlier, Steve Borthwick’s side will return home to further discussion over the tackle technique following Vunipola’s 52nd-minute sending off for a high hit on Andrew Porter.

The England No.8 was initially yellow carded after making contact with Porter’s head with a no-arms, shoulder first tackle and the newly-introduced Bunker Review System wasted little time in upgrading yellow to red to bring more disruption to their World Cup preparations.

Ireland, meanwhile, will move on with a second victory in two summer outings and head to south-western France for a week’s training camp in Biarritz and Bayonne, where they will play Samoa next Saturday before head coach Andy Farrell reveals his 33-man World Cup squad two days later.

Sterner challenges lie ahead in France but as going away parties go, it was difficult to beat.

IRELAND: H Keenan; M Hansen, Garry Ringrose, B Aki (J Crowley, 59-69 HIA), J Lowe (K Earls, 59); R Byrne (Aki 69), J Gibson-Park (C Murray, 65); A Porter (J Loughman, 72), D Sheehan (R Herring, 38), T Furlong (F Bealham, 57); T Beirne, J Ryan – captain (C Doris, 69); P O’Mahony (J McCarthy, 53), J van der Flier, C Prendergast.

ENGLAND: F Steward; A Watson (M Smith, 69), J Marchant, M Tuilagi (O Lawrence, 61), E Daly; G Ford, B Youngs (D Care, 54); E Genge (J Marler, 54), J George (T Dan, 65), W Stuart (K Sinckler, 44), M Itoje, D Ribbans (O Chessum, 50); C Lawes – captain (J Willis, 74), B Earl, B Vunipola.

Yellow card: Vunipola 52; upgraded to Red 

Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

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