England emerge from tough Ireland test to stay on course for the Grand Slam

ANOTHER DAY in the Guinness Women's Six nations and another record tumbles as Ireland, roared on by a record crowd for a standalone women's game, had rattled England before the Red Roses powered back in the second half to merge 49-5 winners.

The hosts even led 5-0 late in the first half, producing a performance full of fire and fight that lit up a breezy Saturday in Cork. But England’s composure, power and pedigree ultimately told as they ran in seven tries to maintain their perfect start to the 2025 Championship.

Maud Muir, named Guinness Player of the Match, acknowledged the early challenge Ireland posed. “We knew Ireland would kind of come out firing and we just knew we had to grind away,” said the tighthead. “I think the scoreline doesn't reflect how good the game was as a whole and I’m proud of the players from one to 23 – it was a whole squad effort.”

Ireland’s intensity in the first half disrupted England’s rhythm, with ferocious defensive tackling and a series of turnovers deep in their own territory. It was an effort that typified Amee-Leigh Costigan’s leadership and her side’s defiant mindset.

“We put it up to them for 50 minutes,” said the Irish captain, playing in her home province. “We fired shots and that's what we're about, that's what we wanted to do.”

Costigan’s try in the 34th minute – the first by an Irish player against England in six-and-a-half years – gave the crowd something to erupt about, a reward for the pressure they had built. England, for all their early territory and possession, had been outmuscled at the contact area and stung by uncharacteristic handling errors.

But the turning point came early in the second half. Loosehead Niamh Dowd’s yellow card opened the floodgates, and within 10 minutes England had turned a five-point deficit into a 14-point lead – Ellie Kildunne and Abby Dow both crossing during Ireland’s numerical disadvantage.

“We want to build pressure on pressure and that’s definitely what we did,” said Muir. “We try and win that scrum battle every game, and for sure we did that today.”

From there, England took control, their set-piece dominance and conditioning shining through. The final scoreline did not do justice to Ireland’s effort, particularly in the first 50 minutes, and England captain Zoe Aldcroft paid tribute to the hosts’ tenacity.

“Credit to Ireland,” she said. “They put us under a lot of pressure, especially when we were in our own 22. We just spoke calmly at half-time about how we needed to build that pressure back on them and then break them.”

She added that coach John Mitchell’s message at the break was simple: “He kept it calm, spoke about us being direct and getting over those rucks and cleaning our breakdown up.”

The atmosphere, Aldcroft said, made the win all the more meaningful. “It was absolutely amazing to see so many fans here. The rugby’s definitely growing over here and it's incredible to hear the noise.”

While the second half got away from Ireland, Costigan remained bullish about her team’s trajectory and the momentum being built around the squad. “There’s something special about this team and I think the fans know it as well. There’s so much attraction towards their team now heading into an exciting summer.”

Costigan insisted there’s more to come: “We still have two more [games] left and there's plenty more in us. We’re excited to get going again heading into Wales week, and put out a performance that really shows what the Irish are about.”