As it happened: Ireland v England, Six Nations minute-by-minute

Simon Easterby will hope his side can begin their tournament with a home win against the old enemy on Saturday afternoon.

UP AND RUNNING: Jamison Gibson-Park of Ireland on his way to scoring his side's first try. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ireland 27 England 22 

8.30pm Thanks for your company throughout the evening - Ireland are up and running in the 2025 Six Nations championship. 

It's Murrayfield next up - in the meantime, we'll have a video podcast later tonight and even more reaction and analysis. 

8pm Brendan O'Brien sends this video update - Simon Easterby's assessment of his 10s today. 

7.10pm Mick Cleary has sent his player ratings - Lowe and Gibson-Park are the stand-out performers. 

6.58pm He doesn't hang around. Here's Simon Lewis's on-the-whistle report from the Aviva Stadium. 

"Ireland began their bid for a hat-trick of Guinness Six Nations titles in rousing style as they claimed a bonus-point victory over England in Saturday’s championship opener in Dublin.

Watched from the stands by Andy Farrell on his British & Irish Lions watching brief, there was plenty to please the permanent Ireland head coach in both his capacities as Ireland came from 10-5 down at half-time to register a first-round victory and avenge their Twickenham loss of 11 months ago."

Full-time: Ireland 27 England 22

An excellent second half from Ireland gets Simon Easterby up and running. 

England gassed out, Shane Horgan says, but they got their losing bonus point thanks to those late tries. 

82 mins TRY FOR ENGLAND! Ireland 27 England 22 Tommy Freeman 

77 mins TRY FOR ENGLAND! Ireland 27 England 15  Tom Curry 

Curry finishes off the move after Lawrence and Murley worked well.

75 mins Jamison Gibson-Park is named player of the match. 

71 mins TRY FOR IRELAND! Ireland 27 England 10 Dan Sheehan 

Brilliant stuff from Ireland - Lowe wins the battle down his wing again, he passes inside to his Leinster teammate and Sheehan goes over. Crowley converts and Ireland have this game won, right? 

𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐍! ☘️

What a moment after the year he's had!

What a game James Lowe is having!#IREvENG | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/6CTRCzMJOU

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 1, 2025

69 mins Keenan kicks ahead delicately, Murley gathers but is caught by the Ireland full back and the chasing Lowe. The pair bundle him out for an Irish lineout and the Aviva sounds loud now. 

65 mins TRY FOR IRELAND! Ireland 20 England 10 Tadhg Beirne 

A great, rehearsed strike move. Gibson-Park pops a pace from the base of the scrum to Lowe who takes a line that carves open the English defence.

He's in two minds but gives the ball to Beirne rather than go for the line and Ireland get over. Crowley converts. 

61 mins Simon Easterby is emptying the bench now. Ian Henderson is on for James Ryan. 

Great tackle by captain Doris to force the turnover and Hansen drills a kick deep. England ultimately have a scrum in their own half. 

59 mins Jack Crowley comes on in place of Prendergast.

Another poor kick from Lowe - he's had a couple now, as well as some handling errors. 

58 mins Robbie Henshaw is on for the second time, replacing try scorer Aki.

Here's that score: 

𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄! 💥💥💥

Like a bulldozer out on the wing!#IREvENG | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/8dnt4argfP

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 1, 2025

56 mins Penalty for Ireland - Ireland 13 England 10 

He needed that - Sam Prendergast drills a shot at goal after England indiscipline.

The visitors have conceded twice as many penalties as Ireland.

52 mins TRY FOR IRELAND - Ireland 10 England 10 Bundee Aki 

The Connacht centre absolutely hammers his way through to touch down in the corner. 

Prendergast again misses the conversion; it was a tough one. 

49 mins England survive again.

Dan Sheehan is introduced  -- in place of Kelleher -- and immediately gets stuck in. 

Conan comes on for Baird. 

48 mins With an advantage, Ireland tap and go but England's scramble defence holds up. We go back for the penalty. 

45 mins Lots of early pressure from Ireland. 

Murley fails to deal with a Gibson-Park kick and ends up conceding a 5m scrum. 

5.48pm Here we go for the second period.

HALF-TIME: Ireland head in five points down after an eventful first period.

38 mins Smith makes an immediate impact after Ireland cough up a penalty and the out half makes no mistake.   

36 mins England are back to 15 - Marcus Smith is on. 

34 mins TRY FOR IRELAND Jamison Gibson-Park 

James Lowe takes the ball on the wing, shrugs off a tackle and pops inside to Gibson-Park. The scrum-half steps beautifully, drives for the line and dives over. 

The conversion is missed and Ireland still trail - but they're on the scoreboard. 

𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄! 💥
𝐆𝐈𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐍-𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊! 👣

That is brilliant!!!#IREvENG | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/DGTRmYEz7h

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 1, 2025

30 mins Better from Ireland as some good hands and running from Prendergast gets them to the 22.

Van der Flier barrels through a gap but Aki mishandles. 

Lots of pressure but after a half hour, Ireland -- to state the obvious -- are still scoreless. 

25 mins Yellow card Marcus Smith trots off after being caught well offside. 

Ireland go for the corner, win the lineout but are pinged for crossing and the chance is gone. 

FULL BLOODED: Ireland’s Garry Ringrose tackled by Cadan Murley of England. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland

19 mins Itoje reads a Prendergast pass and the ball is loose - Smith thinks he's in but the whistle goes for a knock on. A let off for Ireland. 

17 mins Mack Hansen is back on the pitch. 

15 mins NO TRY  Ronan Kelleher gets over the line after Ireland pressure but it's checked and ultimately chalked off - Beirne is pinged for 'obstruction'. 

Earlier, James Lowe went close twice and England concede three penalties on the trot. The referee warns new England skipper Maro Itoje.  

Ireland have a try ruled out after a TMO review as Tadhg Beirne was off his feet at the back of the ruck.#IREvENG | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/Cqwf8O7m5R

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 1, 2025

9 mins TRY Ireland 0 England 7

First blood to England after a great start to the game for the visitors.

Debutant Cadan Murley latches onto a lovely little grubber from Smith, behind Keenan. The outhalf converts.

It all came from a bit of a nothing kick from Prendergast that was returned. 

Cadan Murley scores just 9 minutes into his Six Nations debut!

England have started really well in Dublin! #IREvENG | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/iADL7pf2Uk

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 1, 2025

3 mins Really bright start from England and an early change for Ireland. 

Mack Hansen is hurt early on and limps off to be replaced by Robbie Henshaw as a blood sub. They'll have to reorganise with Garry Ringrose moving to the wing. Henshaw and Aki are reunited in the centre. 

Earlier, Marcus Smith broke the line and skipped a pace out wide to put England on the front foot but Ireland hold out. 

4.45pm And we're off with a brilliant Marcus Smith kick off. 

4.44pm We've had the anthems and we're ready to go. 

Atmosphere watch: cranking up. 

IRELAND'S HOWL: Ezra the dog from the Irish Guide Dogs in attendance. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland

4.36pm The team are about to reemerge for the pre-game rituals.

The stands are still filling up but there is one interested spectator in early. 

Hey Andy! 👋#IREvENG | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/vtplFTCSzu

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 1, 2025

4.25pm France hammered Wales in the tournament opener last night and earlier in Edinburgh, Scotland held off a spirited Italy fightback to start with a win. 

4.15pm "Caelan Doris and Ireland will be looking for an answer this weekend to the 'collision dominance' that earned England a famous and surprise victory when the two teams met in the Six Nations at Twickenham last year.

Ireland went into that game as the hottest of favourites and on course for a second straight Grand Slam but they lost out by the narrowest of margins with Marcus Smith’s late drop goal the last key play on the day.

'They are always very abrasive, confrontational, strong setpiece, very good lineout and maul and they maul more than most teams,' said Doris. 'Scrum-wise the same."

Brendan O'Brien reports from Friday's captain's run at the Aviva Stadium. 

4.09pm Some pre-game viewing? 

Earlier this week, Ronan O'Gara and an in-depth conversation with sports editor, Tony Leen about what we can expect from this Ireland team and who'll be in the mix at the end of this tournament on St Patrick's weekend. 

And Donal Lenihan joined Brendan O'Brien and Simon Lewis to lay out how they see the 2025 Six Nations playing out.

4.04pm So where are Ireland in this current cycle? There's no Andy Farrell in the coaches' box, no Johnny Sexton at 10, and today Peter O'Mahony. 

STARTER FOR TEN: Sam Prendergast, left, and Jack Crowley of Ireland. Pic:  Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Here's how the teams lines out. 

Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

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

England: Freddie Steward; Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Cadan Murley; Marcus Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart; Maro Itoje (capt), George Martin; Tom Curry, Ben Curry, Ben Earl.

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

FRIENDLY FIRE: Ireland supporters Mick Murphy, left, and Michael Madigan, right, with England fan Tim Trott at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

4pm: New coach, new captain, new out half, but the old enemy. 

Like Sam Prendergast, we've got the nod for the visit of England to Dublin for a blockbuster Six Nations opener.

Will Simon Easterby get his interim reign off to a win and earn that all-important tournament momentum? 

We'll get answers to that question and plenty more as we bring you through the action for the next few hours.