England suffered a humbling defeat as Ireland delivered a crushing 42-21 bonus-point triumph over the hosts at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, leaving Steve Borthwick’s squad facing the wreckage of their 2026 Six Nations championship ambitions.
Andy Farrell’s visitors ran in six tries during a devastating display that reduced home supporters to despair, with many abandoning their seats well before the final whistle.
The comprehensive defeat represented an utter humiliation for the hosts, who found themselves trailing 22-0 inside the opening half-hour.
A final knock-on inside the Irish 22 in the dying moments perfectly encapsulated England’s afternoon of misery, bringing a chastening encounter to its merciful conclusion.
While England’s scrum provided consistent dominance throughout the contest, representing one of few positives from a dismal performance, their shortcomings elsewhere proved fatal.
George Ford endured a particularly difficult afternoon, missing two penalty kicks to touch that squandered territorial advantages.
The lineout functioned poorly, with England repeatedly unable to secure possession from their own throw.
Handling errors plagued the hosts throughout, with numerous knock-ons occurring at crucial moments inside the Irish 22.
England suffered a humbling defeat as Ireland delivered a crushing 42-21 bonus-point triumph over the hosts
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Despite enjoying plenty of entries into opposition territory, Borthwick’s men repeatedly came away empty-handed, their lack of cutting edge proving desperately costly against clinical opponents.
Ireland’s try-scorers showcased the visitors’ attacking prowess, with Jamison Gibson-Park crossing after a quick tap penalty and Rob Baloucoune dotting down in the corner following Stuart McCloskey’s powerful midfield burst.
Tommy O’Brien, replacing the injured James Lowe, added another after Baloucoune created the opening with a well-timed dummy.
Dan Sheehan powered over from close range immediately after half-time to secure the bonus point, while Hugo Osborne completed the rout by breaching the 40-point barrier.
Ireland’s try-scorers showcased the visitors’ attacking prowess
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McCloskey’s dominance in the midfield collisions proved instrumental, with the centre even chasing down Marcus Smith to prevent a certain try late in proceedings.
England’s consolation scores from Fraser Dingwall, Ollie Lawrence and Sam Underhill offered scant comfort as the damage had long been inflicted.
Dingwall’s late first-half try at least provided a foothold at the interval, though the hosts still trailed by 15 points.
Ireland, meanwhile, appeared to have rediscovered the form that carried them to glory in 2023, carving through England’s defence almost at will with sharp passing and incisive running lines.
George Ford endured a particularly difficult afternoon, missing two penalty kicks to touch that squandered territorial advantages
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Josh van der Flier returned to his finest form alongside Gibson-Park, while Baloucoune and O’Brien brought genuine threat on the flanks throughout a memorable afternoon for the travelling supporters.
The loss marked Maro Itoje’s 100th cap for England
He became only the ninth man to reach the milestone, joining an elite group that includes current teammates Jamie George and George Ford.
The 31-year-old described the milestone as “bittersweet” following the recent passing of his mother, Florence, in December 2025.