'I don't like losing' but Ireland will take encouragement from Twickenham display, says Bemand

The Red Roses overpowered the visitors on Saturday.

RTE's MIchael Corcoan speaks with Ireland's Head Coach Scott Bemand after the match. Pic: INPHO

Two years on from an 88-10 humiliation at the hands of England, Ireland left Twickenham with heads held high and confidence renewed they are tracking in the right direction towards the 2029 World Cup.

The outcome on Saturday as Scott Bemand’s side kicked off their 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations campaign was still a defeat but there were still positives aplenty f rom the 33-12 loss to the world champions on their home patch in front of a championship-record 77,120 crowd.

That the positives were mixed with a frustration from missed opportunities and a rusty first half that handed England a 21-0 half-time lead on the way to their 34th consecutive victory was also a measure of Ireland’s progress since that dark day in 2024 and the head coach was happy to outline the improvements made as he explained why he could take “loads” of heart from his side’s performance in this opening-round clash.

Ireland had finished strongly, with final-quarter tries from replacement Anna McGann and captain Erin King, while debutant prop Eilis Cahill came off the bench and won a scrum penalty at her first engagement to give the squad momentum ahead of their round-two clash at home to Italy next Saturday at Galway’s Dexcom Stadium.

“It's incrementally been getting better,” Bemand said. “So, we know there's a process. We want to be up there with world champions today, but there's a process that you have to get through and you have to keep making step changes in areas of your game. You've got to grow your squad, the capability within the squad.

“It was a tough day at the office two years ago. And I would say we were very confident that we knew we were a different group coming here. The atmosphere, the vibe, if you like, arriving to the stadium and seeing the occasion, the crowds, what have you. The girls were energised, not daunted.

“And we were pretty confident that would happen because they were young and inexperienced. Now they're still young, but with experience. So they've been through some stuff, that 88-10. That occasion, people can learn from it.

“You look at how composed Dannah (O’Brien, fly-half) is out there today on the back of that game two years ago. She's had a World Cup. She's been playing games where we've gone pretty close to France.

“So last year we were 48 minutes and 7-5 down against the Red Roses. It was disappointing to concede the early scores in the first half, really, which I would like to think if we get, as we go through this competition, maybe into next year, we can squeeze those errors out. Which then hopefully leaves you a tighter scoreboard into that sort of last quarter of the game.” 

Ireland had come alive in the second half after an error-strewn opening 40 minutes which saw England strike three times through their lineout drive, hooker Amy Cokayne and prop Sarah Bern (twice) the scorers with inside centre Helena Rowland converting all three.

Wing Jess Breach added the bonus point try, converted by Rowland as England grabbed their try bonus point in their chase for an eighth successive Six Nations title before fan favourite and full-back Ellie Kildunne added a fifth before the hour mark was reached.

Bemand credited his players for staying in the fight to match their hosts point for point the second half, O’Brien converting King’s try for Ireland’s 12th point after half-time.

“First of all, I don't like losing,” the Ireland head coach said. “Coming to an occasion like today, which I thought was outstanding, it's great to play in front of a record crowd.

“Second half, 12-all, where the Red Roses have got multiple times where they blow people away in the second half. And so I thought the challenge that was issued at half-time was responded to.

"I thought the bench offered a lot when they came on. We were disappointed with the first half to be 21 down, disappointed from some of the bits that we could control, in terms of, I thought we were probably a little bit second best at the breakdown around the physicality.

“But like I say, we issued a challenge and got a great response from it.

“What we'll do, I think there's bits in there that I think we can take an enormous amount of encouragement from. In the World Cup, we spoke about mauling and being able to maul and have an effective maul in the green zone. And we've effectively scored two maul tries today, which we've not done in the World Cup against the World Cup contenders. So that's a statement of something to keep going after.

“I've seen a group that can stick in there longer. Half-time 21-0, you've got the capability sometimes that the scoreboard can get moving away from you. It's very hard to put a lid on it. So being able to hang in there and regroup and come back to process and get your game and fire some shots really.

“So yeah, bits that we're pleased with. Obviously, there's bits to go at. It was always going to be a tough ask, wasn't it? Coming to the new world champions, number one in the world in front of 77,000 people. But we're hungry to get better quickly. And I think that's the message that we're going to take.” Bemand took confidence from the Ireland men’s side’s Six Nations campaign, when they rebounded from an opening-day loss in France to win four in a row, complete a Triple Crown and had a chance to win the title itself on the final day before the French ran out eventual winners.

“We've got four more games left in this competition. Ireland’s men lost their first game and were in it right until the last kick. So we want to be in these competitions, to be in it. Four more games to get our best out there and produce some results.”