England’s Victory Over Ireland
England thrilled a bumper crowd at Twickenham by overwhelming Ireland 88-10 to set up a likely Grand Slam decider against France next weekend.
Key Highlights of the Match:
- The Red Roses scored a total of 14 tries in front of 48,778 fans.
- Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne completed hat-tricks during the game.
- Megan Jones and Jess Breach each crossed the try line twice.
For all Dow’s finishing instincts, it was full-back Kildunne who shone brightest through a captivating display in attack, and her athleticism was a constant threat to Ireland.
It was an ugly final scoreline for the tournament but Ireland at least managed to touch down by forcing a penalty try.
Scrum-half Natasha Hunt promised England would “put on a show” and by securing the try-scoring bonus point inside the opening quarter, they duly delivered despite losing lock Rosie Galligan to a thumb injury during the warm-up.
Dow left a trail of green shirts on the ground to begin the onslaught and Hunt was the next to score after making a dynamic solo break.
Player Performances:
- Abby Dow showcased her scoring prowess with multiple tries.
- Ellie Kildunne’s electric running posed a constant threat to Ireland’s defense.
The tone had been set and what followed was a procession with Kildunne at the vanguard, the Harlequin’s electric running sweeping her into open space time and again.
When she crossed on the half-hour mark it was a simple finish to a move started by England’s line-out maul as the home pack asserted itself up front.
Hooker Lark Atkin-Davies was helped off with an injury, but the rout continued when sharp handling and a vast gap in the Ireland midfield invited Dow over for her second.
Second Half Dominance:
- England surpassed 50 points for the first time in this Six Nations.
- Sadia Kabeya powered over for a try just eight minutes into the second half.
Ireland were outclassed but showed plenty of fight against the game’s dominant force and their determination paid off when they were awarded a penalty try for seeing a driving maul thwarted illegally.
Lucy Packer was sent to the sin-bin as a result, but England still scored next when Jones weaved a path through the opposition midfield.
Emily Scarratt received a loud cheer when she replaced Tatyana Heard and Dow ran in her third, ushering in a traumatic final quarter for Ireland who were swamped by better conditioned opponents.
