England vs Ireland LIVE: Six Nations 2022 result and final score as Ireland win after early England red card
England 15-32 Ireland: Six Nations 2022 live updates as Ireland stay in tournament title hunt after battling past 14-man England at Twickenham
Follow live coverage as Ireland overcome a valiant, 14-man England in an extraordinary Six Nations clash at Twickenham to keep their title hopes alive heading into Super Saturday.
Ireland took full advantage of a red card for England lock Charlie Ewels after less than two minutes to claim a bonus-point 32-15 victory that keeps them in the hunt for the title.
Ewels was sent off for a head-on-head tackle on Ireland second row James Ryan - the fastest dismissal since the championship began in 1883 - and led 15-9 at half-time after tries for James Lowe and Hugo Keenan.
Amid a feverish atmosphere England hit back superbly, smashing the Irish scrum, and levelled the scores with two Marcus Smith penalties, but Ireland finished strongly, pulling clear with another Sexton penalty and then tries by Jack Conan and Finlay Bealham that earned a potentially key bonus point.
France top the standings on 18 points after winning their first four games. Ireland have 16 and could still take their first title since 2018 with victory or possibly even a draw against Scotland in Dublin next week if England can upset France in Paris.
Follow all the reaction and analysis from Twickenham:
Italy 10-12 Scotland, 36 minutes
A midfield scrum for Scotland, five metres out, and Italy are deemed to have collapsed it. Scotland will reload and go again with the ideal set-piece platform.
Italy 10-12 Scotland, 35 minutes
Quick tap! Surreptitious from Finn Russell, directing his teammates behind him as he lines up the corner and then tapping and turning towards his forwards as Italy’s assemble for the lineout they believe is about to come.
Pierre Schoeman carries strongly, and Luke Pearce whistles to halt play after Ignacio Brex collapses backwards after an apparent blow to the head. He will have to go off, and a good call from Pearce, with Scotland about to attack the space left by the centre, who was lying nearby on the floor.
Marco Zanon will take the place of Brex, who is not happy.
Italy 10-12 Scotland, 34 minutes
Rory Darge explodes out of a tackle and suddenly Scotland are playing with momentum. Finn Russell fizzes a whipped pass to Sam Johnson, who charges into the 22, and George Turner’s midfield angle creates a canyon through which Ali Price then darts.
Price is dragged down five metres out and Italy go off their feet. Penalty Scotland.
Italy 10-12 Scotland, 33 minutes
More clever kicking from Italy, who have clearly spotted some spaces in Steve Tandy’s defence they think they can exploit. Again it is a cross-kick, this time from Paolo Garbisi, and it lands in open space ahead of Monty Ioane with the Scottish backfield someway from getting to it on the full.
The bounce is unkind, and it will be a Scotland lineout, but this is canny stuff.
TRY! ITALY 10-12 Scotland (Callum Braley try, 30 minutes)
They have! A beaut from the Italians, attacking the blindside with Callum Braley looping and getting to the last defender. He passes to Pierre Bruno, who out-kicks Kyle Steyn and then squares up Stuart Hogg, biffing him back with a bump.
Hogg drives him for the touchline but Bruno’s footwork is fancy, dancing along the tightrope and ensuring his boots remain unchalked as he offloads back to Braley, who completes the job. An excellent conversion from Paolo Garbisi and Italy have just reward for a good opening half-an-hour.
Italy 3-12 Scotland, 28 minutes
Secure exit from Scotland, Ali Price’s box kick with good distance and the chase strong. Edoardo Padovani chips for himself, and uses an outstetched arm to claw the ball back, but is then held up by the Scottish bodies that engulf him. It will be Italian scrum feed, though, as it came from a kick.
Italy 3-12 Scotland, 27 minutes
Italy are still managing to win more midfield collisions than they are losing, and Paolo Garbisi is pulling the strings well. He drops the ball on to his toe again, lifting a more jaunty kick over the Scottish defence, and very nearly snaring it off the floor as Scotland try to gather.
It’s soon back at the feet f the Italian fly-half after another Danilo Fischetti steal, and he puts Scotland deep into their own territory with a stabbed kick.
Missed penalty! Italy 3-12 Scotland, 26 minutes
Pushed to the left. Garbisi’s kick threatens to curl back but was never quite on the right line, and might have ended up short, too.
Italy 3-12 Scotland, 24 minutes
Two chances for Scotland, two strikes, and having barely clunked out of the starting blocks their lead is swelling. But this will give Italy a chance to answer as the visitors concede a penalty on the left. Paolo Garbisi will go for goal...
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments