England Consign Ireland To Second Warm-Up Defeat

Despite an improved second half display, Ireland were unable to make up an early deficit as they lost 21-13 to England in their final Rugby World Cup warm-up game at Twickenham.

SKY SPORTS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: ENGLAND 21 IRELAND 13

Joe Schmidt’s men will head into the World Cup on the back of two successive defeats, as England got the better of the Six Nations champions in a lively affair watched by an attendance of over 80,000.

Gloucester winger Jonny May’s third-minute try lit the touchpaper for a winning performance from the tournament hosts, with Anthony Watson’s acrobatic score from a cross-field kick giving them a 12-3 interval advantage.

Ireland got on the front foot in the third quarter with a clever lineout move in the 50th minute leading to Paul O’Connell burrowing over from the back of a ruck. The captain’s second try in four Tests was converted by Jonathan Sexton to cut the gap to 15-13.

However, England lifted the tempo in attack for the closing stages and were rewarded with two penalty goals from replacement Owen Farrell which took them out of Ireland’s reach. The visitors finished the match with prop Nathan White standing in at flanker at scrum time and Chris Henry on the wing, as a series of knocks left their matchday squad stretched.

Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, O’Connell was left to reflect on a frustrating day at the office as Ireland missed 22 tackles in total and a number of players were outplayed by their opposite numbers.

“I wouldn’t say alarm bells will be ringing, but we’re very disappointed,” said the veteran lock. “We’re not so much about the result as about all the things that go into creating the result. I think in the last three games we’ve fallen short in a lot of the things that we need to do to create a result, and that’s disappointing.

“We started very poorly and I think England dealt with the aerial threat really well. They kept the ball in hand, but we dropped it and kept turning over the ball. I think we put a lot of pressure on the England lineout but they got a seven-metre drive, forced a penalty advantage and scored a try off it.

“The same with the seven-metre drive in the first half, we lost it and England stole it. You just can’t accumulate that many losses and hope to win the game, especially in the first half.”

O’Connell can take comfort from another solid outing for the Irish scrum, while winger Dave Kearney was the liveliest of the backs – catching the eye in both defence and attack – and Jamie Heaslip and Rory Best led the way in terms of their effectiveness in the forward exchanges.

Ireland were playing catch-up after barely three minutes of play, direct running bringing England into scoring range and Ben Youngs’ looping pass gave May the opportunity to beat Tommy Bowe’s tackle and stretch over in the left corner past covering full-back Simon Zebo. George Ford added a crisp conversion for 7-0.

Sexton replied with a long range penalty that bounced over with the aid of the crossbar. But England were carrying more of a threat with ball in hand, and their well-structured defence kept Ireland contained apart from a bullocking run from Peter O’Mahony.

The hosts showed their clinical edge again when Ford hung up an inviting kick for the onrushing Watson to brilliantly gather above Zebo and down near the right corner, leaving Ireland 12-3 down inside the first quarter of an hour.

Shortly afterwards, a knock-on from the struggling Bowe, coupled with a couple of missed tackles, gave Joe Marler the chance to power through the heart of the Irish defence. A head injury for Conor Murray added to Ireland’s woes, but they got a welcome break when May had a try ruled out for a forward pass from Tom Youngs, with input from TMO Shaun Veldsman.

A scrum penalty, won in the 27th minute, gave Schmidt’s side a further boost and they would have been frustrated not to take advantage of a promising rumble forward from Best and a scrum won against the head which sent Heaslip charging forward.

Turnover-winning plays from Ben Morgan and Geoff Parling thwarted Ireland in their attempts to build some pressure deep in the English half, while Kearney did likewise with a superbly-timed tackle on Ford with Zebo’s reliable left boot putting in some meaty clearances.

England, and the ever-dependable Mike Brown, turned the tables in terms of the aerial battle. It was a key element of Ireland’s Six Nations victory in Dublin earlier this year, however Stuart Lancaster’s charges were on top this time around.

Kearney continued to look Ireland’s most threatening runner, with England twice having to bring him to ground in their 22 as the first half came to a breathless close. The visitors got a better return on the resumption, with Bowe making a half-break and Robbie Henshaw bulldozing his way over the gain-line.

England managed to register the second period’s first points through Ford, whose well-struck effort from distance rewarded the home scrum, yet Ireland bounced back in brilliant fashion with a 10-point scoring blitz in the space of three minutes.

Strong carrying from Henshaw and his centre partner Jared Payne, who was rock solid in defence, was backed up by the forward grunt of Jack McGrath and Sean O’Brien. Kearney also pressed out wide on the left before Ireland won a straightforward central penalty which Sexton fired over.

Even better followed in the 52nd minute. A terrific turnover from Heaslip set the attacking wheels in motion again. From a close-in lineout won by Devin Toner, the number 8 then set up a ruck and Best’s barnstorming clear-out paved the way for O’Connell to pick up and go low to make the line, as spotted by referee Nigel Owens. Sexton’s conversion suddenly made it a two-point game.

Ireland dug their heels in as England sought a swift response, Sexton doing really well to rip the ball from man-of-the-match Tom Wood’s grasp in his 22 and Kearney driving Brown backwards in the tackle.

Just when it looked like the visitors might sting England on the counter, Henshaw erred when throwing a forward pass to Zebo with the home side lacking numbers on the right wing. Payne, who had scooped up a loose ruck ball to begin the move, was up in support too.

However, England were now dominating territory again with Billy Vunipola and Sam Burgess also having the desired physical impact off the bench. A flood of replacements around the hour mark made for a scrappy spell, with cramp forcing both Sexton and Zebo off.

Darren Cave did well to gather a Kearney kick through, only for Payne to be turned over by his opposite number Jonathan Joseph, while Richardt Strauss appeared to hold up Richard Wigglesworth on the try-line before the scrum half’s effort was eventually ruled out for an infringement from Wood two phases back.

Zebo’s 70th-minute withdrawal prompted the introduction of Tadhg Furlong, the only replacement left, and the young prop got some game-time in the loosehead position. Mike Ross also returned to the pitch at tighthead, with fellow front rower White having to slot into the back row.

England had the win in their sights, though, and O’Mahony’s maul infringement saw Farrell make it 18-13. An Ian Madigan-led attack from deep was cut short when Kearney lacked support and gave away a ruck penalty, and Farrell stepped up to settle the issue with two minutes remaining.