Ireland secured a hard-fought 27-22 victory over England in their Six Nations opener at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, successfully beginning their title defence.
The reigning champions had to come from behind, overturning a halftime deficit to claim the win in a match that saw momentum swing dramatically between the two sides.
The result marks England’s sixth defeat in seven Tests, despite a late fightback that earned them a losing bonus point.
England made a dream start through debutant Cadan Murley, who crossed the line following an impressive carry from Ollie Lawrence.
England relinquished the lead as Ireland led the resurgence after the break
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Marcus Smith extended England’s advantage with a penalty kick.
Ireland thought they had responded when Ronan Kelleher went over on 16 minutes, but the try was disallowed after Tadhg Beirne was spotted holding Maro Itoje.
Jamison Gibson-Park managed to narrow the gap with a try before the break, though the conversion went wide, leaving England 10-5 ahead at halftime.
The second half saw Ireland take control as they repeatedly exposed England’s defensive frailties.
Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan all crossed the line for the hosts in a dominant display.
Cian Prendergast added to England’s woes with a penalty, as Ireland turned the match decisively in their favour.
The hosts’ clinical performance in the middle of the park effectively nullified the threat of Ollie Lawrence, who had been instrumental in England’s bright start.
England mounted a late comeback as Tom Curry crossed the line to reduce the deficit to 27-15.
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Tommy Freeman added another try in the final moments, with Marcus Smith successfully converting to bring the score to 27-22.
The late surge proved enough to secure a valuable losing bonus point for Steve Borthwick’s side to take back across the Irish Sea.
England’s path forward looks challenging, with Steve Borthwick’s side set to host France at Twickenham next weekend.
The match against the French will be crucial as England look to bounce back from their opening defeat and avoid extending their poor run of form.