England fend off strong Irish fight at Twickenham

World champions England proved too good for Ireland on a record-breaking day in the Guinness Women's Six Nations, but Scott Bemand’s side showed further signs of closing the gap between them and the Red Roses.

After defeats by 78 and 44 points in recent years, Ireland never let their hosts run away at Allianz Stadium Twickenham, while they looked comfortable on the big stage in front of a record 77,120 attendance.

Both sides showed the rustiness of a six-month gap between internationals, but while England lacked the fluidity they showed against Canada at this stadium back in September, they could fall back on their power and game management to move through this game in third gear.

The first half saw Ireland get plenty of opportunities to put their hosts under pressure, but never fired a significant shot, and while they did get on the board with tries for Anna McGann and captain Erin King, there will be a real frustration they couldn’t bloody the nose of their hosts earlier.

England were 21-0 ahead at the break, all three tries coming from front-row power, first from hooker Amy Cokayne before tighthead Sarah Bern scored two, and they secured their bonus-point early in the second half through Jess Breach, before Ellie Kildunne rounded off the scoring, four of those tries converted by centre Helena Rowland.

As expected, Ireland came out swinging, with Eve Higgins flattening Kildunne in an early tackle, before half-breaks from Stacey Flood and Brittany Hogan got the visitors into the English 22, only to be instantly turned over.

The hosts were aggressive around the breakdown, Meg Jones winning a jackal penalty off King, and when Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald went off her feet at a ruck on seven minutes, it gave England a chance to kick for the corner, before they mauled their way over for the opening try, scored by Cokayne and converted by Rowlands for a 7-0 lead.

The penalty count was a good illustration of the pressure Ireland were under, conceding six to England’s one in the opening quarter, and it was from another quick double of penalties that England forced their way over for their second try on 19 minutes, Bern squeezing over the line from close range.

Ireland were having some moments here and there; Ellena Perry came up with a couple of penalties in quick succession, one of which was at the scrum, but their attacking play was sloppy against an aggressive English defence that forced loose passes and knock-ons, preventing any sustained Irish pressure.

The game was following a familiar pattern, with a penalty allowing England into the 22 and quite often another following – the latest, on 29 minutes against Dorothy Wall, set up another maul from which England broke to the left with Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, who popped back inside for Bern to barge over for another try, again converted by Rowland for 21-0.

Ireland’s cause wasn’t helped by their own wastefulness, allowing Morwenna Talling to steal a lineout on a rare venture to the English 22, and moments later Dannah O’Brien kicked a penalty out over the in-goal area.

It could and should have been 28-0 before the break, but for a combination of Kildunne’s carelessness and Vicky Elmes Kinlan’s determination, the English full-back's cocky one-handed attempt to ground the ball spilling forward after the Irish wing chased down what appeared to be a lost cause.

With England chasing a bonus-point, the world champions began to pile on the pressure early in the second half.

A turnover from Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald on her own line briefly held them out, before another big defensive set deep in the Irish 22 secured a turnover from a choke tackle.

Just as it looked like Ireland had survived the onslaught, England hit for their fourth try on 54 minutes.

Bemand’s side had finally got some phases together in the English half, but a grubber from Flood down the left tram-tracks was blocked down and kicked ahead by Jones, with Breach beating Elmes Kinlan for pace to the line, and Rowland converted for 28-0.

To their credit, Ireland never allowed the floodgates to open as they did in Cork last year, and eventually made an opportunity count on 63 minutes when they mauled their way for the line, before Emily Lane popped wide to McGann, who finished brilliantly under pressure in the corner.

The visitors had largely contained the lethal English backfield for the opening 65 minutes, but a loose Dannah O’Brien kick with 15 minutes to play gave the hosts too much room to play with, as Breach flung a wide pass to Kildunne who scampered in for her side’s fifth try to make it 33-0.

But again Ireland refused to fold; Eilís Cahill came on and won a penalty at the scrum with her first action, and that led to a spell of possession in the English 22 and King diving over from a few inches on 73 minutes, O’Brien converting to make it 33-12 and rounding off an Irish performance that showed they remain a side on the up, but have a way to go when it comes to toppling the world’s best.

England: Tries: Amy Cokayne, Sarah Bern (2), Jess Breach, Ellie Kildunne
Ireland: Tries: Anna McGann, Erin King
England: Ellie Kildunne; Jess Breach, Meg Jones (capt), Helena Rowland, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald; Hollie Aitchison, Lucy Packer; Kelsey Clifford, Amy Cokayne, Sarah Bern, Morwenna Talling, Lilli Ives Campion; Maddie Feaunati, Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews.

Replacements: Connie Powell (for Cokayne, 69), Mackenzie Carson (for Clifford, 50), Maud Muir (for Bern, 50), Haineala Lutui (for Talling, 43), Abi Burton (for Feunati, 10-21 HIA, and 69), Natasha Hunt (for Packer, 50), Zoe Harrison (for Aitchison, 50), Emma Sing (for Hunt, 64).

Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Dannah O'Brien, Emily Lane; Ellena Perry, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite; Brittany Hogan, Erin King (capt), Aoife Wafer.

Replacements: Neve Jones (for Moloney-MacDonald, 60), Niamh O’Dowd (for Perry, 49), Eilís Cahill (for Djougang, 69), Ruth Campbell (for Wall, 49), Grace Moore (for Wafer, 62), Katie Whelan (for Lane, 69), Nancy McGillivray (for Higgins, 49), Anna McGann (for Parsons, 60).

Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau (FFR)