Key events
Match report
Sarah’s report from Twickenham has just landed so I’ll get going.
Thanks for joining me. Hope you enjoyed the start of the Women’s Six Nations. England will take some stopping.
Join us next week as we see if Scotland can do just that north of the border.
So, was this progress for Ireland? Here’s their coach, Scott Bemand:
They are progressing. There was evidence in the first half where we were in control but gave it away. We’ve got to learn to go deeper in the attack sets. There is something to look back on and think we were hard done by. At some point people are going to realise that we have fire power and create turnovers and will start getting the rub of the green.
Now Sarah Bern, scorer of two tries, speaking to the BBC:
We’ve got a lot of youngsters so we weren’t expecting to be perfect. There are aspects we will reflect on but we got over the line.
As long as I’ve played for England there has been pressure on us. It’s all about our performances and how we train. As a first run out, we will take that for sure.
A reminder that France beat Italy 40-7 earlier today.
Wales v Scotland to come.
Here’s the player of the match, England’s skipper, Meg Jones:
There were always going to be nerves after the back of a World Cup. We found ways, that’s what winning teams do. I’m sure we’ll brush up and I’m proud of the girls.
We have huge growth potential. Players have stepped into leadership roles. They will have more of a voice now and own their roles.
I’ll probably head home and doing some washing to keep me grounded. I’ll reflect. Coming out of the tunnel was amazing and singing the anthem was second to none.
Full-time! England 33-12 Ireland
34 wins in a row! Can’t say they don’t deserve that. By far the better team but Ireland will leave with some credit in the bank. This was closer than I thought it would be but nowhere near a close contest. Credit to England and Jones in particular.
80 min: Ireland are running this from inside their own half. Oh, a wonderful line from Dalton meets the perfect pass and she’s through a gap. Kildunne snaffles it as she runs back and recovers the ball. That’ll be that.
79 min: England win a penalty. They kick it out but from the line-out they knock-on. This game is fizzling out as Meg Jones is announced the deserving recipient of the player of the match award.
78 min: Another scrum penalty for England allows Harrison the opportunity to kick it long and far and for a line-out just inside her own half.
77 min: A little knock-on on England’s 22, from Ireland, means that attack comes to an end. It looked promising after a fingertip secured the line-out, but the line speed from the English put the Irish midfield under pressure.
76 min: Momentum is with Ireland now as they win a penalty on the floor. It’s too little, too late of course, but they can take great heart from this second half performance. It’s the first time since 2013 that they’ve scored two tries against England. O’Brien’s kicking has (mostly) been very good. She lands another raking penalty out just short of the 22. One more try perhaps?
TRY! England 33-12 Ireland (King, 74)
On her captaincy debut, King scores! Ireland won’t be denied for long. Amidst the morass of bodies, King spotted some free grass beyond the try line and hit the line hard and carried it over from close range. Lovely stuff. The conversion from under the poles is good.
73rd min: Held up over England’s line! Ireland were efficient off the top of the line-out from the penalty and they inched their way forward. A series of strong carries brought them close. They had the advantage so worth a dart. They couldn’t dot down but will go again.
72 min: It’s been ding-dong in the scrums. Ireland win a penalty. O’Brien, from her own half, pings a touch finder beyond England’s 22. Good nudge that.
70 min: Ireland will have the scrum as the stadium announcer lets us know that this is a record crowd for the Women’s Six Nations. A crowd of 77, 120 in the house.
TRY! England 33-5 Ireland (Kildunne, 67)
England hit back immedaitely! Kildunne brings out the cowboy celebration as she skins her opposite number down in the left corner. It all started with Jones running over a tackler, kicking ahead and then making a tackle as England pinned Ireland down in their own red zone. O’Brien’s return kick didn’t have enough oomph on it and England could attack from the 22. By the time they found Kildunne joining the line and charging down the left, the writing was on the wall. Rowland fails from the tee for the first time.
TRY! England 28-5 Ireland (McGann, 65)
Ireland are on the board! Finally, they land a blow. Off the back of the rolling maul, they come close, but not close enough. They need to go again and McGann showed immense strength to hold off a challenge and stay infield as she dotted down in the right corner. Her smile as she comes up from the ground tells a story. The conversion is missed, but at least Ireland won’t leave London empty handed.
63 min: Penalty now for Ireland. O’Brien hoofs it towards the corner and finds touch. C’mon Ireland! Let’s see what you’ve got from here!
62 min: We’re back with a mighty England scrum that monsters the Irish pack. They win another penalty and though they run the ball with an advantage, they’ll come back with Harrison kicking to touch.
60 min: Hunt is back on her feet and will stay out there. She’s getting some cover on her knee but looks OK.
60 min: Muir is munched in contact just as she passes and spills it. We’ll have an Irish scrum inside England’s half. No, in fact we’ll have an English line-out as the ball didn’t go forward, but in fact came off Hogan’s hand. Doesn’t matter in the end as Hunt is crunched and stays down. She might be in a spot of bother here. Not sure what the decision is. The main bit is that Hunt needs some medical attention.
58 min: That seems to have knocked the stuffing out of Ireland. Once again a promising move comes to nothing as Kabeya pinches it. But they’re back on the ball as Feaunati spills in contact. Wafer runs it back but she’s drilled hard. Dalton now and she is also hammered. They kick ahead after failing to breach the line and Kildunne mops up.
TRY! England 28-0 Ireland (Breach, 54)
Turn of pace! A lightning bolt from the blue! Ireland had it but then the ball was charged down by Jones who then pounced on the bouncing pill before feeding the onrushing Breach. She did brilliantly to ride the challenge Kinlan who almost held the ball up, but Breach managed to roll in the contact and dot down over her head. Brilliant stuff from the flying winger who deserved that. Rowland keeps the score ticking with another conversion.
54 min: Harrison is on the park and is flinging passes. But England lose the ball in contact so Ireland come back at them. Maloney-MacDonald has it. Woah! In a flash, England are back on the ball….
51 min: England replace their props and their halfbacks in time for this Irish scrum five out from the Irish line.
50 min: An unreal steal from Ireland’s Maloney-MacDonald! My word, that is stunning work. It was needed, too. England came within inches of the try line after Kildunne off-loaded for the other Maloney-MacDonald who burst down the left wing. England came flooding forward with Jones and then Matthews hitting the line at pace. But just as the try seemed an inevitability, the Irish hooker stole in and came away with the ball. The passage ends with Ireland winning the scrum feed close to their own line after repelling another English attack, holding up the ball carrier under the shade of their own sticks.
48 min: Cokayne roars like a Viking as England’s front row secures a scrum penalty. England might not be at their best today, but they are stubbornly refusing Ireland a tow-hold in the contest.
46 min: Kildunne drops the ball in the backfield. She’s not having a great game. O’Brien, with a free-kick following the Irish scrum, hoiked a high kick into the sunshine that caused the England full-back some grief. Still, the reigning player of the year should be snaffling that. Ireland with a chance to launch from a scrum in the middle of the park inside England’s patch.
45 min: Lutui’s first carry is meaty and gives her team go-forward. Kildunne runs a lovely line and makes ground. Good continuity from England. Rowland finds Breach who finds Kabeya in the right tram. But Ireland come away with it as England spill it around the ruck. Sloppy from the world champions. A shame. That move was starting to look slick.
44 min: Talling will be stretchered off. She gets a round of applause as she makes way for teenager Luitui, who will make her debut in the second row.
44 min: Poor from Ireland as Hogan strays offside as O’Brien rakes a lovely kick into space in the far right corner. But Hogan wasn’t paying attention and Ireland give away a soft penalty. There’s a delay as Talling has stayed down. She doesn’t look in good touch. England’s troubles in the second row could get worse.
42 min: Parsons is wrapped up by Kildunne near the left touch – as Ireland would see iot. O’Brien kicks across for Hogan. Ireland are keeping the ball and inching forward. Better from them but still around halfway. O’Brien kicks and it’s a little meek as she coughs away possession. England comfortably mop up on their own 22 before they execute a slick exit.
41 min: Aitchison, such a slick player, rakes a good touch finder to get the half under way after Ireland’s restart. The Irish win the line-out and rumble beyond the 10 metre line.
The players are sprinting out for the second half. They can’t wait to get going again. Ireland with all to prove if you’re asking me. Are they the real deal? Let’s find out.
Half-time: England 21-0 Ireland
That brings the half to an end. England utterly dominant. Ireland were decent, but not consistent. One turnover became a spilled ball. A solid scrum morphed into a penalty given away on the floor. England never left third gear though that was more than good enough for a commanding lead. Back in a bit.
40 min: Has Kildunne scored!? It was a brilliant move off the scrum and a wonder off-load after contact by Jones, but has Kildunne spilled the ball? Yes, she has! Oh wow, that was a brilliant recovery tackle from Kinlan who motored back and put in a hit that dislodged the ball just as Kildunne was about to dot down. Fantastic work from the Irish winger but Kildunne really should have scored there.
39 min: Lovely strike move after a well contested scrum sees England canter 40 metres in no time. The ball is flung left for the onrushing Kildunne who then feeds Maloney-Macdonald on the wing. Kildunne has it back and then they go infield. Aitchison kicks long and straight to Kinlan who makes a mess of things, dropping a goober on her own 22. England will have one final chance to add to their tally before halftime.
37 min: Another chance for Ireland to set up a line-out after winning a penalty on the floor, but it’s bad to worse for the women in green. O’Brien goes for the perfect kick but misses, kicking it beyond the try area and she hands possession away. England opt for the scrum just beyond their own 22.
35 min: Ireland win a penalty inside England’s half and O’Brien finds touch just outside the 22. Can they do anything with this? No! Ives Campion rises high and steals the ball. Once again, Ireland fluff their lines. Aitchison clears and finds touch 10 metres down field.