Ireland 5 England 49
“Nothing Is Impossible” reads the motto plastered on one side of Munster’s Musgrave Park. Yet the probability of Ireland beating England’s rampant Red Roses seemed wholly impossible given their Six Nations dominance.
So it proved under milky Irish clouds, even if the scoreline was not an apt reflection of the hosts’ defensive doggedness. Ireland’s improvement on the women’s Test scene has been vast, but this was still an eye-watering reminder of how England remain streets – motorways even – ahead.
The hosts pushed the Grand Slam champions to a deeply uncomfortable place in an absorbing contest that exposed England’s vulnerabilities in a way that few teams do, particularly in the opening 40 minutes. This was the game the Women’s Six Nations needed, not just for the neutral viewer, but England and their aura of invincibility remains firmly intact.
“We really enjoyed that test,” said Lou Meadows, England’s attack coach. “It’s something we need and it’s great for the game as well to have first halves like that. It’s a physical battle and about winning collisions, and ultimately we didn’t do that in the first half – we didn’t fire a final shot.”
After a shaky start, the Red Roses, like they so often do, found their groove. They kept turning the screw in a rampant second half, scoring six unanswered tries, which included a Sarah Bern double. That will silence the TikTok critics.
Before the inevitable try-fest, Ireland, buoyed by the intimacy of a raucous Cork crowd, chopped, hustled and blasted their way through white shirts in a high-octane first half. Defending as if their lives depended on it, they delivered a display built on physical doggedness and the daring boot of Dannah O’Brien. Ireland’s effervescent fly-half is growing year upon year and for large periods she outshone her English counterpart, Zoe Harrison.
When the peerless Abby Dow, on the occasion of her 50th Test cap, was beaten in a footrace with Amee-Leigh Costigan, who blitzed through to ground O’Brien’s kick to deafening cheers, it was confirmation of Ireland’s improvement. This was the first try they had scored against England in six, long years. Musgrave Park dared to dream.
The concern was writ large on captain Zoe Aldcroft’s face when she gathered a few of members of the Red Roses leadership team around her as the two sides headed down the tunnel at the break with the visitors holding a slender 7-5 lead after they mustered a response through Morwenna Talling. For comparison, in this fixture last year, England had a 38-3 half-time advantage.
It was, however, only a matter of time before normality was restored. England added increased clarity to their attack after the break, overwhelming Ireland in a ruthless second half.
Harrison wriggled over the whitewash after selling Ireland’s wilting defence a cute dummy and her team attacked down the wider channels with more aggressiveness. Their much-hyped back line finally came alive when Meg Jones glided through to finish a well-worked team score after Ellie Kildunne released Dow down her flank. Cushioned with a three-try buffer, it all but set the visitors on their way to another convincing victory.
When you have a player of Bern’s calibre in your armoury, you know you are safe. The Bristol Bears prop would have considered herself disappointed to have been edged out of the starting side by Maud Muir and came under a fair bit of heat for her TikTok dance shenanigans last time out against Wales. Her introduction to the game was simply immense. Her blood-and-thunder carrying is a sight to behold and she spent most of the half-hour she was on the pitch bludgeoning green shirts into the turf.
Alex Matthews, meanwhile, marked her first appearance of this year’s championship with an eye-catching display. England’s No 8 was cited for a high tackle in last month’s Premiership Women’s Rugby final but she quickly allayed any fears of Test-match rustiness and was at her clinical best. The veteran’s competition with Maddie Feaunati may be fierce but she delivered a mercurial performance and finished as her side’s second highest carrier after Kildunne, with eight. Feaunati is a strong carrier herself but Matthews once again proved she is a safe pair of hands, orchestrating the line-out drive which led to Bern’s first score.
John Mitchell has been equivocal about insisting he has two slick teams operating as one. Positional symbiosis is the head coach’s big aim as the Red Roses build towards the home World Cup later this year, to allow for potential injury cover. Even if this was arguably England’s strongest side we have seen in this championship, for the first 40 minutes of this contest, they looked rattled, their big-game players reduced to pawns in Ireland’s ploy. “As much as Ireland tackled really well in the first half, we probably put ourselves into the washing machine,” said Mitchell. “Hence the reason it required just a little bit of adjustment at half-time. I thought the second half was outstanding.”
England are a team who know how to win ugly. Even if their inability to score first is becoming a mild concern, they possess the firepower to sweep teams aside over 80 minutes. If the first half was about breaking Ireland’s resistance, the second was about having fun. “We spoke in the changing rooms, the girls were calm, they knew what they wanted to do and they proved that in the second half,” said Meadows.
In the end, this was just another day that England marched on towards a probable fourth straight Grand Slam.
Scoring sequence 5-0 Costigan try, 5-5 Talling try, 5-7 Harrison con, 5-12 Harrison try, 5-14 Harrison con, 5-19 Jones try, 5-21 Harrison con, 5-26 Bern try, 5-28 Harrison con, 5-33 Bern try, 5-35 Harrison con, 5-40 Kildunne try, 5-42 Harrison con, 5-47 Clifford try, 5-49 Aitchison con.
Ireland S Flood; A McGann (V Elmes Kinlan 59), A Dalton, E Higgins, A-L Costigan; D O’Brien (N Fowley 59), E Lane (A Reilly 56); N O’Dowd (S McCarthy 57, O’Dowd 67), N Jones (C Moloney 59), L Djougang (C Haney 71), F Tuite (S McCarthy 48-56, G Moore 56), D Wall (R Campbell 71), B Hogan, E King, A Wafer.
Sin-bin O’Dowd 44.
England: E Kildunne; A Dow, M Jones, T Heard (H Aitchison 61), J Breach (H Rowland 66); Z Harrison, N Hunt (L Packer 53); H Botterman (K Clifford 53), L Davies (A Cokayne 53), M Muir (S Bern 53), M Talling (R Galligan 61), A Ward, Z Aldcroft, S Kabeya (M Feaunati 61), A Matthews.
Referee Aurelie Groizeleau (Fra).
Attendance 7,756.
07:07 PM BST
Thanks for joining us
That brings our coverage of England’s thumping victory over Ireland to an end as the reigning champions continue their dominance of this fixture.
John Mitchell’s side remain on course for a record-equalling seventh consecutive Six Nations title and a fourth Grand Slam on the spin, and will continue their quest for these milestones next week as they host Scotland.
Thank you for joining us!
07:05 PM BST
Ireland ‘never recovered from yellow’, says Bemand
Speaking to BBC, Scott Bemand, Ireland’s head coach said: “We are not perfect yet and we are trying to close gaps on the likes of England and France. I hope people can see the commitment that goes into it.
“We had to absorb pressure in the first-half and it’s a game that we could have gone in easily winning at half-time.
“We defended well and smartly. The second-half we started picking up errors and we never recovered from the yellow card.
“We know to stay in the game as long as we did is a step forward from last year. It’s not where we want to be but we have pride.”
07:02 PM BST
‘Ireland ran out of steam’, says Middleton
Former England women head coach Simon Middleton said on BBC: “Ultimately Ireland just ran out of stream and that won’t happen to England. They’ll build on that first half and build the fitness of their side. By the time the World Cup comes around, we’ll see where they are.”
06:59 PM BST
Ireland’s strong first half ‘good for the game’, says Meadows
Speaking to BBC, England attack coach Lou Meadows said: “We actually really enjoyed that test. We needed that and it’s good for the game to have a first half like that. It was about fixing it and we knew we had good set piece. We just didn’t finish and fire out final shot.
“That’s something we wanted to work on, the girls we really calm and came out and finished the job. You have to keep it really simple, so we thought ‘let’s clear it up’, and we did.”
06:57 PM BST
WATCH: Kildunne’s superb solo effort
06:55 PM BST
‘Half-time talk changed our mindset’, says Harrison
Speaking to BBC, England’s Zoe Harrison said: “That was really tough especially the first-half. That one was about being patient. Ireland’s defence was fantastic so credit to them. We needed to get our moment back.
“The half-time talk changed our mindset. It was calm and we talked about where we were putting pressure on ourselves.
On returning after to playing, she said: “It’s been a tough journey, I wanted to get back playing food for the club and them come back to England when the time was right.”
06:54 PM BST
Data insights from Sage
06:52 PM BST
England showed ‘abundance of riches’
Former England women head coach Simon Middleton said on BBC: “When you are bringing Bern and Cocaine of the bench. They are just getting better and better. It was just an abundance of riches. Ireland were just tired. England’s bench is getting stronger and stronger.”
06:50 PM BST
Bern makes impact from the bench
After going viral for her TikTok dance on BBC’s live coverage following England’s recent win over Wales, Sarah Bern will now be making headlines over her superb pair of tries from the bench this evening.
06:47 PM BST
‘Second half about power’, says Middleton
Former England women head coach Simon Middleton said on BBC: “Ireland brought it and challenged England all over the field. I thought the second-half was just about power.”
06:45 PM BST
‘England’s strength and depth the turning point’, says Alphonsi
2014 England World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi said on BBC: “That second-half was equally entertaining as the first. We all know England have this strength and depth and that was the turning point. Ireland lost their fight at the end but they stayed in it.”
06:43 PM BST
Rampant second period from England
With England just 7-5 up at half-time, they turned the screw in the second half, scoring 44 unanswered points after the interval.
06:40 PM BST
England’s Gland Slam hopes alive
England remain on course for a record-equalling seventh consecutive Six Nations title and a fourth Grand Slam on the spin.
It’s looking like it will all come down to their home clash with France in the final round of fixtures in two weeks time.
But first, they must navigate a home tie with Scotland next Saturday.
06:38 PM BST
England return to top spot
England make it three bonus-point victories from their opening three games and return to top spot, one point ahead of France, who beat Wales earlier on today.
As for Ireland, who ran out of steam in the second half after an impressive opening period, they remain in third but could slip to fourth tomorrow if Scotland beat Italy.
06:36 PM BST
Full time: Ireland 5 England 49
With the clock ticking into the red, Higgins brings Ireland away for one last attack. As England get set though they force the hosts backwards and eventually earn the knock-on advantage.
The ball is soon into touch though and the full-time whistle blows on another emphatic victory from England.
06:33 PM BST
79 mins: Ireland 5 England 49
Kildunne is penalised for the deliberate knock on as the last player on the edge but gets very lucky to avoid the yellow.
Ireland then lose out at the line-out as welll and the chance is wasted.
06:31 PM BST
TRY! Clifford gets in on the act with England’s seventh
Ireland 5 England 49 (Clifford) Aitcherson shows some nice footwork to dance into the Irish 22 before offloading to Clifford, who brushes off the challenges and crosses under the posts for England’s seventh try and her first for England.
The conversion is there so England go just one point shy of the half-century. Ireland have simply run out of steam in this second period.
06:28 PM BST
Data insights from Sage
06:27 PM BST
TRY! Kildunne crosses following superb solo effort
Ireland 5 England 42 (Kildunne) That is sensational from Kildunne! England show some quick hands to move it out to their left and the full-back picks it up, just outside the 22.
She shows incredible feet to dance between the first line of Irish defence before producing an incredible burst of pace to dart between the attempted recovery tackles and she crosses for her fourth try of the tournament.
Harrison converts from under the posts.
06:23 PM BST
TRY! Bern powers over for second try since introduction
Ireland 5 England 35 (Bern) Matthews is picked out from the line-out down the left and can drive her side to within a few metres of the line.
The ball is then worked to Bern who can finish the job as she powers over for her second try of the afternoon. Harrison makes it five from five with the conversions.
06:20 PM BST
67 min: Ireland 5 England 28
Ireland knock it on though at the line-out and England have another scrum inside the hosts’ half. The first one collapses before England earn the advantage at the second.
The visitors play on though and Killdunne gathers superbly from behind her to make the line-breaking run into the Irish 22. The move breaks down but play is brought back for the advantage and England kick for touch.
06:17 PM BST
64 min: Ireland 5 England 28
Ireland enjoy a spell of possession but it’s knocked on by the hosts and England can threaten again down their right with Harrison nudging a kick through for Dow to chase, but Ireland recover well to sweep up the danger.
King then wins the foul at the breakdown just in front of Ireland’s try-line to relieve some pressure on her side.
06:15 PM BST
England turned the screw in second half
England have turned the screw in this second half and normality has been restored. We talked pre-match about Ireland’s ability to compete over the length of the contest but the Red Roses have found their groove. There is much more clarity to their attack and they are playing with more aggression in the wider channels - their backline was in full flight for Meg Jones’ try, which was sumptuous.
06:12 PM BST
TRY! Bern powers through to extend England lead
Ireland 5 England 28 (Bern) England are ramping it up now and are back in the Irish 22. The ball is worked to Bern and she charges through the Irish defence before fending off a couple of challenges to cross under the posts.
Harrison converts once again, making it four from four from the tee. It was Bern making the headlines following England’s win over Wales as she performed a TikTok dance on the BBC’s live coverage. Take a look at Sonia Twigg’s verdict of the viral moment.
06:09 PM BST
57 min: Ireland 5 England 21
Ireland are restored to the full 15 as O’Dowd comes back on but that has been a damaging 10 minutes for the hosts, conceding a couple of tries.
There is a break in play as O’Dowd receives some treatment after taking a knock in a challenge soon after coming back on and she is going to have to make way. Play resumes with an Ireland penalty inside their onw half.
06:06 PM BST
TRY! Jones gives England breathing room
Ireland 5 England 21 (Jones) England break with pace down their right as Kildunne draws the challenges in with a couple of dummies before releasing Dow down the flank.
The winger also draws the recovering Irish players in before popping it back inside to Jones who can cross for a third English try and second in quick succession.
The conversion is there again and England have some breathing room now.
06:02 PM BST
52 min: Ireland 5 England 14
Botterman is penalised for not releasing in the breakdown and Ireland will have the line-out on halfway.
There is a complete change in England’s front row before the line-out as Cokayne, Clifford and Bern come on.
06:00 PM BST
TRY! Harrison crosses as England capitalise on player-advantage
Ireland 5 England 14 (Harrison) England show some nice hands once again from the scrum and after several phases, they are within a couple of metres of the line.
The ball is worked right to Harrison, who sells the Irish defence with a clever dummy before darting into the gap created by the skill and she can cross for England’s second. The fly-half then converts from under the posts.
05:57 PM BST
48 min: Ireland 5 England 7
England show great hands to work it out to Breach on the left and she nudges it through towards the try-line. Kildunne gets there first but is unable to hang onto it and a huge chance goes begging.
England soon win the penalty though at the breakdown and they opt for the scrum with O’Dowd in the sin bin, forcing Ireland to make the substitution.
05:54 PM BST
45 min: Ireland 5 England 7
Ireland cope with the English pressure in the corner, forcing the turnover after Muir drove to within a couple of metres, before an English knock-on on halfway gives Ireland the scrum.
Again though, the Irish scrum struggles continue and they are penalised as O’Dowd sees yellow after her side had been given multiple warnings.
05:49 PM BST
41 min: Ireland 5 England 7
The visitors turn it over from the restart and work from left to right where Breach shows great pace to cross in the corner less than 30 seconds into the second half!
There is a TMO check for whether the winger’s foot was in touch. The onfield decision is try but replays show Breach’s foot brush the touchline following an immense tackle from Costigan so no try!
05:48 PM BST
41 min: Ireland 5 England 7
We are swiftly back underway in Cork with England kicking things off going from left to right.
05:44 PM BST
Data insights from Sage
05:43 PM BST
First-half debrief
It's been more than 6 years since Ireland scored a try against England. The hosts trail 5-7 in Cork. An uncharacteristic first half from the Red Roses and a few members of England's leadership team appear unsettled as both sides head down the tunnel at HT. pic.twitter.com/kzhELleuvW
— Fi Tomas (@fi_tomas_) April 12, 2025
05:42 PM BST
‘Frustrating’ half from England, says Middleton
Speaking on BBC, Former England women head coach Simon Middleton said: “England could have been further ahead, they have had a couple of chances.
“This is really frustrating as a coach. England have to be patient, it’s there and the edge is on. Their scrum has been outstanding.
“Have both teams got enough to keep the tempo up?”
05:40 PM BST
Half-time verdict: Much-improved Ireland under the skin of uncharacteristically poor England
Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Red Roses’ dressing room at half-time. It’s been a thoroughly uncharacteristic performance from the reigning Grand Slam champions so far, personified by Zoe Harrison’s dropped ball at the end of the half. Ireland have really got under their skin and their improvement from this fixture last year has been vast.
Hannah Botterman isn’t happy and has been in Aurelie Groizelau’s ear a bit too much and the loosehead is going to have to watch herself. Ireland’s defence has been outstanding and there’s a real doggedness about their back row and Aoife Wafer has been sublime. I’d like to see the hosts go to the edges a bit more. Anna McGann, their winger who bagged a hat-trick last week against Italy, has found herself in acres of green space on numerous occasions.
05:33 PM BST
Half-time: Ireland 5 England 7
England are dominant again at the scrum, winning yet another penalty and they can kick for the line-out down their left.
King strips it well though at the breakdown and O’Brien clears. Harrison uncharacteristically spills the kick, giving Ireland the scrum - not that they want it very much.
The hosts survive this one and can kick into touch with the clock ticking into the red.
05:29 PM BST
O’Brien impressing
Everyone is reeling off their Lions squad for this summer, but you’d be shrewd to put Dannah O’Brien in the fly-half mix for the inaugural Women’s Lion’s tour to New Zealand in 2027.
She hasn’t put a foot wrong so far and is exposing a vulnerability across England’s backfield that we have rarely seen before. Her kick through for Costigan’s try was an absolute peach.
It’s fair to say Abby Dow isn’t having the easiest of rides on her 50th Test cap...
05:27 PM BST
TRY! Talling crosses as England pressure pays off
Ireland 5 England 7 (Talling) Dalton is penalised for being in an offside position from the Irish kick and the pressure from England continues as they kick for the right corner once again. Can they finally make their territory pay?
They certainly can! England maul well from the line-out and it’s Talling who eventually bundles it over to take them level. Harrison converts well to give the visitors the lead for the first time this afternoon.
05:23 PM BST
33 mins: Ireland 5 England 0
O’Brien clears well following the scrum but England string together a clever combination of passes before a powerful Heard drive gets them back into the Irish 22.
Botterman spills it though under pressure from O’Dowd and the hosts have another scrum in their own 22.
05:20 PM BST
29 mins: Ireland 5 England 0
England look to respond immediately and Dow is able to penetrate the Irish 22 down the visitors’ right. Ireland force the turnover but there was a knock on in the tackle and England have the scrum.
Following a TMO check though, play is brought back for an earlier knock-on by Muir and it’s the hosts who have the scrum.
05:16 PM BST
TRY! Ireland score first try against England for over six years
Ireland 5 England 0 (Costigan) It’s an overthrow at the line-out but Ireland manage to recover the loose ball and O’Brien sends the kick over the English defence.
Costigan shows an excellent burst of pace to win the chase against Dow and cross for a historic Irish try. O’Brien can’t make the conversion but Ireland have the lead!
05:14 PM BST
25 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
England dominate at the Irish scrum, though, and quickly the force the penalty. However, they are soon penalised for going off their feet at the breakdown and O’Brien produces another huge kick to taker her side up the pitch.
05:12 PM BST
23 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
With England mauling for the line once again, Ireland do excellently to force the turnover and are able to work it clear. Their defence has been outstanding so far,
As England come back once again, Kabeya spills it for the second time in this match and Ireland have the scrum. It’s not going the way of the defending champions so far. Can Ireland make it last?
05:10 PM BST
Ireland have defended well
Ireland’s early doors energy, while predictable, has been impressive. They’ve defended well at England’s set-piece and Dannah O’Brien has pushed the ball nicely into the corner on a couple of occasions to catch Abby Dow and Zoe Harrison ball-watching.
We’re 17 minutes in and England, after Jess Breach was just penalised for holding on, have gone into a panicked huddle.
05:10 PM BST
21 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
There is a TMO check though for a high tackle from King on Botterman and, after a bit of confusion, the penalty goes England’s way. Harrison kicks for the corner.
England maul well from the line-out before Ireland are penalised for two entries from the side so back to the corner it goes.
05:06 PM BST
Data insights from Sage
05:06 PM BST
19 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
England win the penalty at the scrum and can kick for touch once again down their right. Heard is tackled well as she looks to steam through Ireland’s defence but the home side then fail to release and England can kick into touch inside the Ireland 22.
England edge closer and closer towards the line following the line-out but O’Brien and Hogan force the foul at the breakdown and they survive another English attack.
05:02 PM BST
16 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
As England work it to the left, they are penalised for being off their feet in the breakdown and the visitors continue to be frustrated by this much-improved Ireland side.
The hosts approach well towards the English 22 and look to threaten down their left but Flood spills McGann’s pass and England have the scrum.
05:00 PM BST
14 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
From the line-out, Ireland look to maul once again but England hold strong this time and the hosts are penalised for not using it, giving England the scrum just ahead of their own line.
The first scrum collapses before England win the penalty at the second and they can find touch down their right.
04:57 PM BST
11 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
Ireland maul really well from the line-out down their left and Djougang goes inches short of the line. Ireland have the advantage with England offside in the breakdown.
O’Brien goes for the crossfield kick to the left corner but it has too much on it and play is brought back for the earlier offside. Ireland kick for the corner.
04:55 PM BST
9 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
England work it to the right following the scrum but following several attacking phases, Botterman is penalised for blocking the tackler with Hunt looking to dance through the Irish defence.
Hunt does superbly to gather the long O’Brien kick that was bouncing awkwardly but is forced into touch by chasers Higgins and Costigan and that gets the crowd on their feet.
04:51 PM BST
6 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
Kabeya doesn’t roll away at the breakdown and Ireland earn the penalty but England turn it over at the hosts’ line-out.
Harrison sends a great kick into the Ireland 22 and Flood knocks it on as she looks to gather, giving England the scrum 10 metres out.
04:49 PM BST
4 mins: Ireland 0 England 0
Young fly-half O’Brien dummies back outside and nudges a ball behind the England defence that dribbles into touch deep in the visitors’ 22. England manage to clear well from the line-out though.
Ireland knock it on and England have the advantage but they play on as they look to break down the left. Hogan makes an excellent tackle though to force Breach into touch.
04:45 PM BST
1 min: Ireland 0 England 0
We are underway at the Virgin Media Park with Ireland kicking things off going from left to right. Can the hosts cause an upset this afternoon or will England continue towards a seventh successive title?
04:41 PM BST
Kick-off approaching
The players are out on the pitch here at at Cork’s Virgin Media Park and we are less than five minutes away from kick-off, but first it’s time for the national anthems.
04:38 PM BST
Ireland ‘shouldn’t be afraid’, says Flood
Ireland’s Stacey Flood has said Ireland “shouldn’t be afraid” as the come up against defending champions England this afternoon.
“It’s going to be tough but we’ve shown what we can do against bigger sides and we really test ourselves and believe in ourselves,” she said.
“We just have to have confidence in the abilities we have and win the little moments and then see what the outcome is.
“You shouldn’t be afraid who is standing next to you because on the starting whistle it’s just 15 women against 15 women.”
04:34 PM BST
The scene in Cork
04:30 PM BST
Ireland a ‘better team’ than last year, says Bemand
Head coach Scott Bemand has said his Ireland side are “a better team” than they were when they were thrashed 88-10 by England in last year’s Six Nations.
“We have spoken around and acknowledged last year and the performance and occasion, but we’re not playing that occasion now,” said Bemand.
“We’re a better team than we were.”
He added: There’s no perfect rugby team in the world and the Red Roses are no different. We know we can get pressure on them.
“We know there’s a challenge to stand up to and if we can get enough moments, we can keep the scoreboard ticking.”
04:26 PM BST
England impressed by Ireland win over New Zealand
Despite England’s dominance over today’s opponents in the last decade, Ireland’s shock win over world champions New Zealand at WXV1 in October caught the attention of the England team.
“Ireland’s win over New Zealand was a massive result for them,” England hooker Lark Atkin-Davies told BBC Sport. “All of us were watching it and were in a little bit of shock at how well they controlled that game.
“We thought Ireland are here to play. We want our games to be really competitive and for women’s rugby that is what people come to watch, they come for really close games.”
04:22 PM BST
Perfect conditions in Cork
Perfect conditions for rugby today. Scott Bemand, the Ireland head coach who previously served as the Red Roses defence coach, spent a good five minutes chatting with John Mitchell as both teams began their warm-ups before entering a deep conversation with his former colleague, Louis Deacon, the Red Roses’ forwards coach.
There can’t be much note comparing to do, given the different trajectories these sides are on. If Ireland can show the bite and snarl they exhibited against New Zealand six months ago, we could be in for a decent contest. But against a team that hasn’t lost in this competition for the past seven years, that’s a big if...
04:19 PM BST
Head-to-head
Ireland suffered a record 88-10 Six Nations defeat against England in last year’s tournament as John Mitchell’s side scored 14 tries.
That victory marked an 11th successive win for England against Ireland in all competitions with the latter last coming out on top in the Six Nations in 2015.
04:16 PM BST
England on course for seventh title on the spin
England’s campaign started with a 38-5 victory at home over Italy before they scored 11 tries in their 67-12 thrashing of Wales at the Principality Stadium, with Ellie Kildunne grabbing a hat-trick.
04:11 PM BST
Ireland’s campaign so far
Following an opening-round 27-15 defeat at home against France, Ireland secured their first away win in the Women’s Six Nations since 2021 as they thrashed Italy 54-12 in Parma.
04:07 PM BST
The standings
Following France’s victory over Wales earlier on today, they have moved on to 14 points, leapfrogging England at the top of the standings.
England will return to top spot with victory today over Ireland, who sit in third ahead of this evening’s clash in Cork.
The Irish are on five points, a point ahead of Scotland in fourth while Wales and Italy occupy the bottom two spots, yet to register a win this campaign.
04:03 PM BST
Red Roses in the building
03:59 PM BST
Elsewhere this weekend
France thrashed Wales 42-12 earlier on today to go top of the standings and remain on course for a Grand Slam decider against England.
The weekend’s action concludes tomorrow afternoon as Scotland host Italy with the home side looking to build on their opening-round victory over Wales.
03:55 PM BST
‘Competition for number eight shirt is great’, says Meadows
With Alex Matthews returning to the side, Maddie Feaunati drops to the bench after winning player of the match against Italy before scoring twice against Wales.
But England attack coach Lou Meadows told BBC: “Alex is a very good player but knows she doesn’t own the shirt and will always have to fight for it.
“She doesn’t rest and is an extremely focused individual and wants to be better all the time. She wants to grow that shirt to where it can be, competition to do that is great.”
03:51 PM BST
Ireland improved but challenge remains a great one
The Ireland team are staying in my hotel a stone’s throw away from Cork Airport and I couldn’t help but notice how relaxed the team looked earlier in the lobby as they waited to board their team coach.
A sign, perhaps, that Scott Bemand’s side are a different, more confident beast than last year after their ego-boosting WXV victory over New Zealand.
You really fancy them to give England a good game today, but it’s funny how every year we hype up the home nations’ hopes against the almighty Red Roses only for the Grand Slam holders to comfortably win by a cricket score. England do what no other team in this championship is capable of - compete for 80 minutes.
03:47 PM BST
Those teams in full
Ireland: Flood; McGann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan (capt); O’Brien, Lane; O’Dowd, Jones, Djougang; Tuite, Wall; Hogan, King, Wafer.
Replacements: Moloney, McCarthy, Haney, Campbell, Moore, Reilly, Fowles, Elmes Kinlan.
England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Muir, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), Kabeya, Matthews.
Replacements: Cokayne, Clifford, Bern, Galligan, Feaunati, L Packer, Aitchison, Rowland.
03:43 PM BST
England also make three changes
England head coach John Mitchell has made three changes following victory over Wales with World Cup-winning number eight Alex Matthews among those to come into the side after missing the opening two rounds through suspension.
Abby Dow is set to make her 50th Red Roses appearance ????
Head coach John Mitchell has named his match day squad to face Ireland in Cork this Saturday.@O2 | #WearTheRose
— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) April 10, 2025
03:38 PM BST
Three changes for Ireland
Ireland have made three changes from the thumping win over Italy as captain Edel McMahon misses out through injury.
03:33 PM BST
Preview: England target decade of dominance against Ireland
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the Women’s Six Nations as Ireland host England at Cork’s Virgin Media Park. England, who are looking for a record-equalling seventh consecutive title and a fourth Grand Slam on the spin, have won the last 11 meetings with today’s opponents, last losing out to Ireland in the 2015 Six Nations.
England’s dominance of the fixture was made particularly evident in last year’s championship as John Mitchell’s side won 88-10 at Twickenham, scoring 14 tries in the process on their way to yet another title. This came following two consecutive tournaments in which Ireland failed to register a point against the reigning champions.
Mitchell’s team look in good form to claim that seventh title on the spin having won their opening two games, with a comfortable victory over Italy before thrashing Wales 67-12 in Cardiff. However, they may face a more stubborn test from Ireland this year than they’ve become accustomed to in recent campaigns, with head coach Scott Bemand saying his side are “a better team” this time around.
Ireland have since claimed a shock win over New Zealand at WXV1 in October, and despite losing out to France in the opening match of this year’s Six Nations, they recorded a first away win in the tournament since 2021 as they thrashed Italy 54-12 in Parma.
Following France’s victory over Wales earlier on today, England come into this match second in the standings but knowing a bonus-point victory will see them return to top spot after amassing 10 points in their opening two games. As for Ireland, they sit third and could go level on points with England should they register a shock victory this evening.
