Head Coach Scott Bemand expressed his disappointment with Ireland’s first half display against England on Saturday afternoon that left them 21-0 down but felt his side warmed to the challenge against the World Champions in the second half.
Played at Allianz Stadium the game attracted a tournament record of over 77,000 fans as the reigning Champions got their title defense underway.
Speaking after the game Bemand said, “First of all, I don’t like losing, which is fair to say.”
“Coming to an occasion like today, which I thought was outstanding, it’s great to play in front of a record crowd.
“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.”
Ireland conceded three first half tries from close range as England’s pack looked to dominate but Bemand says that the coaches challenged the team at half time and he was pleased with the repsonse.
“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.
11 April 2026; Anna McGann of Ireland scores her side’s first try during the Women’s Six Nations Rugby Championship match between England and Ireland at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, England. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
“But 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.
“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’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.”
11 April 2026; Erin King of Ireland scores her side’s second try during the Women’s Six Nations Rugby Championship match between England and Ireland at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, England. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Ireland now head to Dexcom Stadium to play Italy in another Tournament first of a Guinness Women’s Six Nations in Galway. The head coach sees the improvements year on year as his side aim to challenge the best teams in the world.
“It’s incrementally been getting better. 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.
“We’ve got four more games left in this competition. Ireland [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.”