England Vs Ireland: Ireland make late change as referee exits early at Twickenham
In the England Vs Ireland Six Nations meeting at Twickenham, Ireland were dealt a late blow when Jack Conan withdrew through illness and Cian Prendergast returned to the matchday 23, while the game itself was disrupted when referee Andrea Piardi left the field injured — developments that had an immediate impact on both teams' plans.
Team change and match start time
Head coach Andy Farrell replaced the ill Jack Conan with Cian Prendergast on the bench; Prendergast had started in round one and was recalled for the clash at Twickenham. The match kicked off at 9: 10 AM ET at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with Ireland naming Jamie Osborne, Robert Baloucoune and James Lowe in the back three and Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park at halfback. England started with Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman and Ollie Lawrence in the back three and George Ford at fly-half.
Referee withdrawal and replacements
Early in the match Andrea Piardi left the field after signalling he had “heard it pop. ” Pierre Brousset took over on-field refereeing duties and Craig Maxwell-Keys was handed the touch flag. The midgame change of officials came amid a sequence of intense action and further disrupted momentum for both sides.
In-play injuries and substitutions
England made personnel shifts during the opening half: Jamie George came on for Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jack van Poortvliet replaced Alex Mitchell after Mitchell was injured; the commentary noted that the scrum-half was injured while the hooker was not. Those substitutions altered bench and front-row options for England as the contest continued to unfold.
Key moments shaping the first half
By 31 minutes the game had swung decisively in Ireland’s favour, with supporters singing “Fields Of Athenry” around Twickenham. The match commentary logged a series of Ireland breaks and finishing plays across the opening half hour, including phases that led to line breaks and close-range finishes. A notable decision saw Steward penalised at a ruck for what the referee called cynical play; Piardi awarded a 10-minute disciplinary measure for the incident. Another moment stopped a likely try when the whistle judged an aerial contest illegal, leaving a strong attack unfinished.
Ireland moved the ball quickly in several sequences, with strong carries and quick ruck ball creating space on the outside. One sequence described Balacoune moving into a left 13 channel, drawing a defender before popping to Tommy O’Brien for a score. England had some forward dominance at times — Ellis Genge was prominent in carries and close-quarter phases — but kicking and execution from the back line were described as inconsistent, with a missed kick to touch and a loose pass among the errors highlighted.
Outlook and what to watch next
The two developments that shaped the early narrative were the late bench change for Ireland and the forced referee switch. If Ireland maintain quick ball and finish the attacking opportunities they created in the opening 31 minutes, that pattern would keep pressure on England’s defence. Conversely, England’s clearance kicking and handling errors were identified as areas they need to correct to regain control of field position and tempo.
With substitutions already used and a change in match officials, the remainder of the contest will test both teams’ adaptability. Injury updates for the involved players were not fully clear at the time of the coverage; their statuses remain not publicly confirmed for the rest of the game.
Key takeaways:
- Jack Conan withdrawn through illness; Cian Prendergast recalled to Ireland’s bench.
- Andrea Piardi left the field after an on-field injury; Pierre Brousset took over refereeing duties.
- Ireland controlled much of the opening half, while England made front-row and scrum-half changes.
