Ireland secured a record-breaking 42-21 victory over England at Twickenham, deepening the home side’s Six Nations woes and lifting Ireland to third in the world rankings.
The result, achieved with a margin of more than 15 points, saw Ireland overtake both England and France in the global standings. It was also Ireland’s highest points total in a match at Twickenham.
England’s performance was undermined by a poor first half, with basic errors in the lineout, scrum, kicking and tackling. For the second consecutive match, England fell heavily behind early and were unable to recover.
Ireland’s half-back pairing and the contributions of McCloskey and Balacoune proved decisive. McCloskey also made a notable chase to catch Marcus Smith, preventing a potential try.
Underhill scored a late try for England, but Ireland’s victory was already assured, with many England fans leaving the stadium before the final whistle.
