HOW THEY RATED

HUGO KEENAN

7 After some shaky moments in the early maelstrom, he soon moved through the gears.

CALVIN NASH

N/A The luckless winger was lost to a head injury making a huge tackle in the lead-up to the Lawrence try.

ROBBIE HENSHAW

8 Outstanding yet again, brilliant in defence. His partnership with Aki is as good as Ireland has seen.

BUNDEE AKI

7 Targeted by England and for all that, mesmeric at times on both sides of the ball.

JAMES LOWE

8 Led by example in second half with a classy finish, before keeping his head to nail the second score.

JACK CROWLEY

7 His composure wobbled on occasion, missed a big conversion to Lowe’s second try, but never hides.

JAMISON GIBSON-PARK

9 Brilliant yet again. First-half fumble long forgotten as he took control in the second half. Wing duty was tidy.

ANDREW PORTER

6 The scrum was mostly solid and Porter was immovable, while he was ferocious in defence.

DAN SHEEHAN

6 Lineout wobbles recurred, often due to English canniness; less space for his usual attacking flourishes.

TADHG FURLONG

7 Penalised in first scrum engagement but helped anchor Irish set-piece thereafter. Closer to his usual form.

JOE McCARTHY

6 Big challenge against a bruising pack, and more than held his own. Discipline was much better, too.

TADHG BEIRNE

9 What a player. One marvellous steal as England were within inches of the Irish line, tackling was tireless.

PETER O’MAHONY

6 This was a hard day for the captain. Suffered in the line-out creakiness, and his card came at a poor time.

JOSH VAN DER FLIER

8 This was his world player of the year form at times. He faced down ferocious breakdown onslaughts.

CAELAN DORIS

7 England knew his threat and sought to snuff it out. Tremendously powerful in tight exchanges.

REPLACEMENTS

5 The belief that the bench would tilt this one Ireland’s way was disproven, as England’s remarkable effort withstood the best the Irish could summon.

ANDY FARRELL

6 The gamble he took with his replacements didn’t work. And after Ireland withstood that fierce early onslaught, the lack of dynamism in the second half was costly.