Ireland begin bid for hat-trick of Six Nations titles with bonus-point victory over England
DAN THE MAN: Dan Sheehan celebrates after scoring his side's fourth try. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
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.
England had got off to a flyer, scoring early through debutant wing Cadan Murley and Marcus Smith’s conversion before man of the match Jamison Gibson-Park opened Ireland’s account.
A Smith penalty closed the half to give England their interval lead but that was the last meaningful impact Steve Borthwick’s side had on the contest.
Ireland were rampant in the second half and tries from Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan on his return from injury delivered the try bonus point before Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman grabbed late tries which will annoy interim head coach Simon Easterby as England rescued a losing bonus point.
England had started the match as they had finished the last meeting between the two nations, in control as Ireland struggled to gain posession in the opening stages.
At Twickenham last March, Marcus Smith had delivered an English victory with a late drop goal and the fly-half was the spark for his side’s opening try in Dublin.
Launching a counter-attack off a loose kick upfield from opposite number and Six Nations debutant Sam Prendergast, Smith’s charge was taken up by centre Ollie Lawrence before midfield partner Henry Slade sent a grubber kick down the left.
The ball sat up perfectly for the chasing Cadan Murley and the Harlequins wing marked his England debut with the opening try after just eight minutes, Smith converting.
Ireland almost conjured a response shortly afterwards but Ronan Kelleher’s try was chalked off when the TMO spotted an infringement at the preceding ruck, James Ryan penalised for holding onto a potential England tackler while off his feet.
It was the first of several fruitless visits to the away side’s 22, with an opportunity following Ireland’s launch off a lineout in the 25th minute. It forced a penalty and a yellow card for Smith following a warning to the England team for consecutive penalties but was undone by Ryan’s obstruction.
Wing Mack Hansen’s linebreak down the right was the next to be foiled, the Ireland player tackled and put under pressure by Tom Curry before being penalised for holding on.
And so it continued, Hugo Keenan knocking on inside the 22 off a poor pass from Bundee Aki before Ireland finally got their reward on 34 minutes, James Lowe showing great strength to shake off an England tackle on the left wing before advancing and passing inside to support runner Jamison Gibson-Park, the scrum-half steeping last defender Freddie Steward to claim his side’s first try of the match.
Prendergast’s conversion attempt came off an upright and England ended the opening period with a Marcus Smith penalty sending them into a 10-5 half-time lead.
Ireland set about reducing the deficit straight from the restart, dominating the opening 11 minutes and making their breakthrough after a period of pressure inside the English 22.
From the base of a ruck, Gibson-Park fed half-back partner Prendergast whose long pass to the left wing found Aki, the inside centre powerfully carrying through a tackle and scoring in the corner under pressure from a second defender.
Prendergast missed the touchline conversion attempt but added three points minutes later with a long-range penalty to nudge Ireland in front for the first time at 13-10. It was to be one of the 21-year-old’s final acts before making way for replacement fly-half Jack Crowley on 58 minutes.
The transition did not dent Ireland’s intent, the home side extending their lead on 63 minutes as Gibson-Park made a short snip down the side of a ruck, delaying his pass to Lowe in support with the left wing drawing the last defender before passing to Tadhg Beirne, the lock scoring from 10 metres out.
Crowley added the conversion to put Ireland 20-10 to the good and Ireland went looking for the bonus point.
It duly came as England’s defence wilted, and Ireland’s power exerted itself, Lowe once again powering past tackles to set up Dan Sheehan for the fourth try on 71 minutes, the replacement hooker marking his comeback from a six-month knee-injury absence with his 11th Test try and Crowley converting form wide out to secure a 17-point lead as the celebrations began on the field, in the stands as the Fields of Athenry was rang out, and around interim boss Easterby in the coaches’ box.
To their credit England stayed in the hunt for a losing bonus point and got it with late tries from Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman but Ireland are up and running with a trip to Scotland to come next in eight days.
H Keenan; M Hansen (R Henshaw, 4-17 - blood), G Ringrose, B Aki (R Henshaw, 57), J Lowe; S Prendergast (J Crowley, 58), J Gibson-Park (C Murray, 74); A Porter (C Healy, 73), R Kelleher (D Sheehan, 50), F Bealham (T Clarkson, 58); J Ryan (I Henderson, 61), T Beirne; R Baird (J Conan, 50), J van der Flier, C Doris – captain.
F Steward (F Smith, 64); T Freeman, O Lawrence, H Slade, C Murley; M Smith, A Mitchell (H Randall, 64); Genge (F Baxter, 70), L Cowan-Dickie (T Dan, 55), W Stuart (J Heyes, 37-ht – HIA & 50-59 – HIA & 70); M Itoje – captain, G Martin (O Chessum, 59); T Curry, B Curry (C Cunningham-South, 59), B Earl (T Willis, 55).
Yellow card: M Smith 25-35.
Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand).
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