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:
Two remain
Defeat means England are eliminated from the chase for the Six Nations crown. They will head to Paris in seven days time hoping to spoil France’s Grand Slam and avoid another bottom-half finish.
FT: England 15-32 Ireland
A bonus point win for Ireland, but that does not at all tell the story of a game that 14-man England were right in until the final ten minutes. Having lose Charlie Ewels to a red card inside 90 seconds, Eddie Jones might have feared the worst, but his young side showed remarkable fight, character and intensity and Twickenham was daring to dream of an unlikely home triumph.
But eventually, as you felt it always would, the Irish pressure told. Late scores from Jack Conan and Finlay Bealham off the bench secure a full five points - and if England can spoil the Paris party against France next week, Ireland will be ready to capitalise.
England 15-32 Ireland, 80 minutes
The throw drifts off-line. Ireland scrum. Johnny Sexton is replaced, with Ireland’s job done and the clock red.
England 15-32 Ireland, 79 minutes
A penalty to England in the Irish half. This would have been put towards the posts had it come earlier than about ten minutes ago, but now for the corner looks Marcus Smith.
Jamie Blamire’s first job will be to throw the lieneout, while George Ford is also on, replacing Freddie Steward. Marcus Smith is, ostensibly, England’s full-back for the final 30 seconds...
TRY! England 15-32 IRELAND (Finlay Bealham, 77 minutes)
That seals it! Ireland’s muscular maul sucks in England’s depleted forward unit, James Lowe arrives off his wing to create more close-in fissures and condense England further, and Finlay Bealham is, just about, able to squeeze the ball to the deck with a healthy helping hand from a couple of Irish forward mates.
That’s the bonus point for Ireland, too. Crikey have they had to work for it, but they will remain alive in the Six Nations title race. Johnny Sexton converts.
England 15-25 Ireland, 75 minutes
That’s just dropped the English heads. Having fought so hard for so long they are, for the first time, really, guilty of being a little lazy at a ruck, failing to promptly vacate the space. Penalty to Ireland, and Johnny Sexton hits the left corner.
TRY! England 15-25 IRELAND (Jack Conan try, 73 minutes)
Finally, the pressure tells! England never quite get their defensive shape right as Ireland play out the back. Hugo Keenan pumps a dummy, sending an English defender out of the picture after rushing from the defensive line, and then the ball is worked out to Andrew Conway.
He is swarmed as he dashes for the corner, but Conway wisely weaves inwards to regenerate the ball. Conor Murray’s service is sharp, Jack Conan’s line ideal, and with Johnny Sexton’s conversion that should be more than enough for the visitors.
England 15-18 Ireland, 71 minutes
Elliot Daly replaces Joe Marchant, who has defended well for England. Daly is straight into service as Ireland work their patterns.
James Lowe’s ankle is clung on to by Freddie Steward, snatching the shoelaces to prevent Lowe beating him down the left touchline.
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