Stade Pierre Mauroy — stade pierre mauroy: Ireland reignite title bid with record 42-21 win over England at Allianz Stadium

stade pierre mauroy Ireland reignited their Six Nations title bid by recording a 42-21 away victory over England at the Allianz Stadium, a result that leaves England’s championship hopes in tatters after two defeats and one win. The visitors ran in five tries, ended England’s nine-game run of home wins and kept themselves firmly in the title picture.

Scoreline, try scorers and kicking details from the Allianz Stadium

Ireland finished with five tries from Jamison Gibson-Park, Robert Baloucoune, Tommy O’Brien, Dan Sheehan and Jamie Osborne. Jack Crowley kicked four conversions and three penalty goals as Ireland reached 42 points. England crossed for tries from Fraser Dingwall, Ollie Lawrence and Sam Underhill, with George Ford on target for three conversions to take England to 21.

Fast start: three Irish tries inside 30 minutes and a 22-0 lead

Andy Farrell’s side were too quick and slick early, scoring three tries inside the opening 30 minutes and establishing a 22-0 lead by the half-hour mark. Jamison Gibson-Park’s quick thinking produced the first try, Baloucoune finished after a Stuart McCloskey break in the 26th minute, and Tommy O’Brien crossed in the 29th minute, leaving England stuck and under pressure.

England’s set-piece and discipline problems compounded the damage

The match exposed England’s issues: poor discipline, missed tackles and simple errors were repeatedly punished. England’s lineout malfunctioned in the first half, Luke Cowan-Dickie was hooked after 30 minutes, and at times the defence looked porous. George Ford failed to find touch on two occasions earlier in the match; later, some of Ford’s successful kicks to touch were greeted with sarcastic cheers. Freddie Steward was sin-binned, and the referee was forced off injured mid-game, departing while saying, "I'm out, my body's gone. Best of luck for the rest of the game. " Steward was hooked seconds after returning for Marcus Smith.

Maro Itoje’s 100th cap, squad changes and recent form heading into the match

The fixture had been billed as a celebration of captain Maro Itoje’s 100th England cap, but what was meant to be an awakening for England instead resembled a nightmare. The narrative before kick-off included Henry Pollock earning a first Test start, Tommy Freeman returning on the wing, and pressure on England to respond after last week’s Murrayfield defeat by Scotland, a 31-20 loss. England had not lost at home since a defeat in November 2024 until this result, and the run of nine consecutive home victories under Steve Borthwick came to an end.

Championship implications, bonus points and wider tournament notes at Stade Pierre Mauroy

Ireland remain in the running for the Six Nations title and could still claim the Triple Crown, which they won last year. Dan Sheehan’s try early in the second half secured a bonus point for Ireland. The visitors may nevertheless rue not having taken a late bonus-point opportunity in last week’s win over Italy. For England, the defeat — their fifth heaviest at home — leaves them with two defeats and one win and upcoming away fixtures against Italy and France that now carry increased urgency.

Additional context from the match: Ireland’s 42-21 margin is their record away win over England, eclipsing a previous record-winning margin of 17 points in 2022, and marked Ireland’s first victory away at Twickenham since 2022. Observers noted that Ireland’s precision and gameplan were brilliantly executed, while England at times appeared confused and lost; at one point the match atmosphere felt like it was being played in Dublin. Tactical questions linger for both sides, including Ireland’s earlier struggles in the tournament — they had been beaten heavily by France and narrowly beaten Italy last week, with their scrum even having been unsettled when Tadhg Furlong was hoisted into the air by the Italian front-row — and Ireland’s selection choices at fly-half after the jettisoning of Sam Prendergast and the coaching staff’s faith in Jack Crowley.