Ireland delivered a statement performance to stun England and claim a record Six Nations win at Twickenham.
Andy Farrell’s team scored five tries, completely outplaying the hosts, who had won their last nine home games going back to 2024. Ireland’s winning margin bettered their previous biggest win at Twickenham of 17 points, achieved in 2022.
Jamison Gibson-Park, Rob Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien all scored first-half tries, with Jack Crowley’s kicks giving Ireland a 22-7 lead. Dan Sheehan and Jamie Osborne added tries after the break.
The defeat ends England’s title hopes, while Ireland will look for a favour from Scotland or England when they meet leaders France in rounds four, and five. This was Ireland’s fifth win from their last six championship meetings against England.
Ireland absorbed early English possession before Tadhg Beirne stole a lineout. Gibson-Park, Crowley and Jeremy Loughman then combined to find James Lowe, who dropped the ball with one man to beat. Joe McCarthy then secured another turnover, leading to a penalty kicked by Crowley in the ninth minute.
Ireland frustrated England, who conceded a penalty with Henry Pollock, Ollie Lawrence and Ellis Genge carrying into the 22 before Baloucoune forced a knock on. Ireland targeted taking their time at scrums and lineouts, forcing handling errors, and benefitted from two missed touch kicks from George Ford.
Despite two big carries from Maro Itoje, on his 100th cap, a poor pass halted England’s momentum. James Lowe then seemed to damage his knee and was replaced by O’Brien.
Ireland quickly scored their first try when Baloucoune offloaded to O’Brien, and England were penalized at the breakdown. Gibson-Park tapped and raced past Joe Heyes to score, with Crowley converting for a 10-point lead.
🏴 0-10 ☘️
TRY FOR IRELAND!! After a penalty at the breakdown Gibson-Park took a quick tap and lunged for the line.📺 @rte2 and @rteplayer https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ
📻@rteradio1 https://t.co/Od8FxnL2On
📱Updates https://t.co/YXqp4pbqKj pic.twitter.com/H8nphqmMcs— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 21, 2026
Ireland continued to dominate, with Stuart McCloskey making a 40-meter run before the ball was moved to Baloucoune, who scored in the corner.
🏴0-15 ☘️
Dream start for Ireland. McCloskey picked a great line and bursts through, he gets pulled down, but the ball gets recycled to Baloucoune who goes in at the corner.📺 @rte2 and @rteplayer
📻@rteradio1
📱Updates https://t.co/SKTH8dUGuh pic.twitter.com/uinI64wFJr— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 21, 2026
England’s Freddie Steward was then yellow-carded for playing Gibson-Park at the back of the ruck.
Referee Andrea Piardi was later forced off with a quad injury, replaced by Pierre Brousset. Ireland then scored a third try when Baloucoune found O’Brien, who beat Tommy Freeman.
🏴0-22 ☘️
Try three 😱😱😱 Tommy O’Brien runs in the latest. Baloucoune finds a gap in the English defence and hands off to O’Brien.
📺 @rte2 and @rteplayer https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ
📻@rteradio1 https://t.co/Od8FxnL2On
📱Updates https://t.co/YXqp4pbqKj pic.twitter.com/2zXbFHGtqN— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 21, 2026
Crowley’s conversion made the score 22-0. England were then unable to respond before the break, with Fraser Dingwall scoring a try after a penalty advantage.
Ireland started the second half strongly, earning a penalty that led to Dan Sheehan scoring a try. Jamie Osborne then added another try, extending the lead to 42-14.
Sam Underhill scored a late try for England, but the 21-point margin reflected Ireland’s dominance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of the match?
The final score was England 21 – 42 Ireland.
Who scored the tries for Ireland?
Jamison Gibson-Park, Rob Baloucoune, Tommy O’Brien, Dan Sheehan and Jamie Osborne scored tries for Ireland.
What impact does this result have on England’s championship hopes?
This defeat ends England’s title hopes.
What will be the key factors for Ireland as they continue their campaign?
Worth a look