England produced their most encouraging display since 2019 to beat Ireland 23-22 at Twickenham, with Marcus Smith's last-gasp drop goal denying the visitors a Grand Slam. The result was England's first win over Ireland in five attempts and a sharp contrast to their recent struggles.
Ireland remain on course to claim the Six Nations title, barring a final-round stumble, but this defeat ended their hopes of back-to-back Grand Slams. England, who had been written off after a series of disappointing performances, showed renewed purpose from the first whistle, with Ollie Lawrence, George Furbank and Ben Earl all crossing for tries.
The match swung dramatically. England led 22-20 in the closing seconds, having been pegged back by James Lowe's second acrobatic try eight minutes from time. Rather than settle for a draw, England forced a penalty advantage and Smith, who had missed the previous three matches through injury, stepped up to land a point-blank drop goal.
England's early intent was clear when Lawrence touched down in the fourth minute after Henry Slade's deft pass. Furbank finished off another flowing move just after the break, and Earl powered over while Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony was in the sin-bin. Ireland, however, hit back through Lowe and the reliable boot of Jack Crowley, setting up a tense finale.
The home side's defence was much improved, with Ollie Chessum, George Martin and Ben Earl delivering standout performances. Chessum's huge hit on Bundee Aki epitomised England's aggression, even as he hurt his shoulder in the process. The win offers genuine hope before their final match against France in Lyon.
