Not again! How could England be so stupid?
Ireland 29
England 10
WELCOME to England’s summer from hell, where World Cup hopes crash and burn. Another week, another red card. Once may be unfortunate, twice is a total and utter shambles.
These are the worst preparations we have ever seen.
Billy Vunipola will be joining Owen Farrell in the disciplinary dock after the No 8 was sent off for yet another high tackle. It was a textbook red card. Richard Smith KC is going to be the busiest man in rugby. How on earth did this happen again?
Discipline will be the dominant narrative here, but the performance itself was dreadful. By the final whistle, England were on their knees.
Remember the glimmer of optimism when Steve Borthwick took over at the start of the year? Remember the last time one of England’s backs scored a try? It all feels like a lifetime ago.
England spent 2.3 per cent of the game in the Irish 22. They have gone from not being able to score in the red zone to barely being able to step foot in it. They were slow and predictable, happy to send uncontested kicks down Irish throats and follow it up with sloppy, passive tackles.
During the final minutes of the warm-up, wearing tracksuit and trainers, Farrell stood side-by-side with Steve Borthwick. They watched England’s last few training drills as the starting XV ran through their moves against men in bibs. Yet even in an unopposed session against reserves under instructions not to tackle, England still fumbled balls. We were in for a long night.
If Vunipola is banned, Borthwick will be left without specialist No 8. He will need to call in reinforcements — likely Tom Willis — and a different coach might be tempted to create a whole new game plan.
Storm Betty swept through Dublin on Friday night and England looked like part of the wreckage it left behind. George Ford kicked them to an early lead against a rusty Irish team with a penalty, but from there in they were blown away.
Bundee Aki landed the first blow. With 10 minutes on the clock, Ben Youngs sent a box-kick down Mack Hansen’s throat. Ireland were ready and waiting, sending the ball wide to stretch England’s defence. Josh van der Flier sent Peter O’Mahony clear with a tip pass and Aki burst clear to score.
England’s ruck speed was slow, with Youngs often taking more than six seconds to recycle the ball. They have repeatedly failed to convert in the 22 and there was a familiar feeling as Dave Ribbans was turned over by Cian Prendergast on their first visit to the red zone.
‘Oh my goodness,’ said a frustrated Jamie George as he gave away a freekick at the scrum, as his pack conceded a few cheap penalties in succession.
Maro Itoje was penalised for closing the space at the lineout, Ribbans clumsily blocked a pass, George was penalised at the ruck and Vunipola was done for coming in at the side.
Most of the forwards seemed to join the party.
Ford fluffed his second shot at goal before missing a kick to touch. Ireland kicked it back and Vunipola dropped it. You get the gist.
Just before half-time, Ireland struck again. Attacking from a lineout, the hosts dropped deep to neutralise English line speed. After O’Mahony carried down the left, Hansen sent a cross-field kick to Garry Ringrose to score.
Any hopes England had of things improving after half-time quickly faded. They were caught in their own 22 early in the second half, throwing the ball around like a hot potato. It was clueless rugby and ended with Itoje being penalised for sealing off.
With 53 minutes on the clock, things went from bad to worse. Vunipola struck prop Andrew Porter with force and was shown a yellow card, with a bunker review. Ireland were furious. They let out their frustrations with a James Lowe try down the left wing. Shortly after, the Vunipola decision was upgraded to red: high level of danger, no mitigation, no wrap, no argument.
Next up, Itoje was penalised for a high tackle — yes, really — and England attacked from a lineout. The numerical advantage was too much and Hansen scored another down the opposite wing.
It usually takes a punch in the face to wake up this England team and they hit back with a pushover try for prop Kyle Sinckler. Still, no back has crossed the try-line to score scored since Freddie Steward’s against France in March.
Everything felt so predictable — including the narrative that Keith Earls would come off the bench to score a summersault try to mark his 100th appearance. It was the knockout blow. IRELAND: Keenan 7; Hansen 9, Ringrose 7, Aki 6 (Crowley 59min, 6), Lowe 7(Earls 59, 6); Byrne 7 (Aki 70,6), Gibson-Park 8 (Murray 67, 6); Porter 8 (Lougham 73, 5), Sheehan 6 (Herring 38), Furlong 8 (Bealham 57, 6), Beirne 7, Ryan 7 (Doris 70, 5), O’Mahony 7 (McCarthy 54, 6), Van der Flier 7, Prendergast 7.
ENGLAND: Steward 4; Watson 4 (Smith 70, 4), Marchant 4, Tuilaigi 5 (Lawrence 61, 5), Daly 4; Ford 5, Youngs 5 (Care 57, 5); Genge 5 (Marler 57, 5), George 6 (Dan 67, 5), W.Stuart 5 (Sinckler 46, 5), Itoje 5, Ribbans 5 (Chessum 51, 5), Lawes 5 (Willis 75, 5), Earl 5, Vunipola 3. Referee: P Williams (NZ).