Ireland vs England LIVE: Six Nations result, latest updates and reaction after Dublin clash

England endured a second-half collapse to lose their Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin. Steve Borthwick’s side produced an impressive first-half display in the headline clash of round one, with a try inside 10 minutes on his international debut from Harlequins wing Cadan Murley and huge defensive improvements, particularly when Marcus Smith’s yellow card left them playing with 14 men for a period.

England led 10-5 at the interval after Smith’s penalty that followed a stylish Jamison Gibson-Park try that Sam Prendergast failed to convert, though defending back-to-back champions Ireland hit another level after half-time. Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan all crossed to secure a bonus point for the hosts in their first match under temporary head coach Simon Easterby, who is filling in with usual boss Andy Farrell preparing for the Lions tour to Australia in the summer.

England did rally late on to at least claim a losing bonus point thanks to further scores from Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman, but ultimately it was another familiar tale of frustration as they slumped to a sixth defeat from their last seven Test matches to put more pressure on Borthwick. Follow Ireland vs England reaction live below, with expert analysis from Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium.

Ireland vs England highlights

• TRY! Freeman secures losing bonus point for England

• TRY! Tom Curry dots down late England consolation

• TRY! Sheehan makes sure of Ireland win

• TRY! Lowe breaks and sets up Beirne

• TRY! Aki levels with unconverted score

• TRY! Gibson-Park hits back but conversion missed

• TRY! Murley scores early on England debut

Borthwick: England took step forward in defence and attack

20:25 , George Flood

Steve Borthwick disappointed with the result but expresses his pride with the England team and says they took a clear step forward in both attack and defence tonight against one of the best teams in the world.

France at Twickenham will be another massive test in round two before the latest Calcutta Cup showdown with Scotland on home soil.

Itoje: Every point counts for England after late rally

20:20 , George Flood

Maro Itoje not too downbeat after tasting defeat in his first Test as England captain.

He’s pleased with the fight shown by his side and their ability to rally late for the losing bonus point.

England player ratings

20:18 , George Flood

Replacements

Joe Heyes (Stuart 38’ & 50’ & 71’) N/A

Theo Dan (Cowan-Dickie 56’) 6

Tried to give England an injection of pace off the bench and created Freeman’s late try.

Tom Willis (Earl 56’) 5

Been in sparkling form for Saracens, but was quiet here.

Ollie Chessum (Martin 60’) 6

Came on and helped settle the lineout down. Carried well, too.

Chandler Cunningham-South (Ben Curry 60’) 5

Tried to make an immediate impact but gave a penalty away for a tackle in the air.

Harry Randall (Mitchell 66’) 5

A bit shaky at times and sent one box kick backwards.

Fin Smith (Steward 66’) 6

A steady stint at fly-half, but the game was gone by that point.

Fin Baxter (Genge 71’) N/A

England player ratings

20:14 , George Flood

Forwards

Ellis Genge 7

Got through a lot of work in the loose and was a willing carrier. Managed to get through over 70 minutes, too.

Luke Cowan-Dickie 6

Handed a start in the absence of Jamie George. Struggled at lineout time and had to receive a fair bit of treatment on his shoulder.

Will Stuart 6

Off twice for a HIA. A solid performance other than that. England did not lose a scrum while he was on the pitch.

Maro Itoje 8

A big performance, especially in the first half, from the lock on what was his first Test as England captain.

George Martin 6

Put in a good shift during his hour of work. Under pressure for his place due to the return of Ollie Chessum.

Tom Curry 9

Rose to the occasion and was a menace at the ruck, stealing ball. So strong in the tackle as well and even scored a late try. Didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.

Ben Curry 8

Justified his selection with a great performance. A real nuisance at the breakdown and got through so much work defensively.

Ben Earl 7

Effective with and without the ball. Cut Ireland open with one quiet break before half-time and caused problems at the breakdown. Perhaps taken off too early?

England player ratings

20:12 , George Flood

Backs

Freddie Steward 6

Proved a useful weapon under the high ball, both in attack and defence. Carried solidly from deep, too.

Tommy Freeman 7

Did not have masses of ball out on the wing, but went over late on to secure England a losing bonus point.

Ollie Lawrence 7

Did his best to act as a battering ram for England and made a few good line breaks. Showed great hands to help create Tom Curry’s try.

Henry Slade 7

Played a beautiful kick through for Murley to score England’s opening try. An improved showing from the autumn.

Cadan Murley 5

Got off to a flyer on his debut by scoring inside the opening 10 minutes. Had a tough second half, though, and was shaky on kick defence. Did assist Curry’s try.

Marcus Smith 8

Picked up where he left off from in the autumn. Electric whenever he got the ball, which wasn’t enough in the second half.

Alex Mitchell 6

Showed why he was a miss in the autumn. Bright and solid with his kicking. A poor tackle on James Lowe for Ireland’s opening try the only blot on his copybook.

England collapse in familiar story of frustration

20:10 , George Flood

A new captain and a new era - but another painful defeat for England, writes Simon Collings in Dublin.

By the full-time whistle, Steve Borthwick’s men were absolutely out on their feet here, and that was no surprise.

After a heroic first half, which they had finished leading 10-5, they were blown away by Ireland after the break.

A ruthless run of 22 unanswered points put paid to England’s hopes of leaving Dublin with a win to start their Six Nations campaign.

Late tries from Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman at least meant they left with a losing bonus point, but in truth Ireland were worthy winners.

It is now just two wins in their last nine games for England and up next is the daunting proposition of France coming to town.

Click here to read the report in full

Ireland 27-22 England

18:42 , George Flood

Full-time

Oh what might have been for England.

They salvage a losing bonus point, but it’s another maddeningly close defeat in a huge game after going off the boil in the second half.

A very familiar story for Steve Borthwick.

The two late tries add a bit of gloss to the scoreline and it was a huge second half from Ireland, who match France and Scotland with a bonus-point victory in round one.

TRY! Ireland 27-22 England | Tommy Freeman 82'

18:41 , George Flood

82 mins: England will take home a losing bonus point at least.

Dan manages to send through a bloodied Freeman for the visitors’ third try of the evening.

The simplest of conversions then goes through from right in front of the posts with the last action of the game from Marcus Smith.

Ireland 27-15 England

18:39 , George Flood

78 mins: Ireland trying to make it five tries in the final throes of this contest, but England manage to stand firm on this occasion.

TRY! Ireland 27-15 England | Tom Curry 75'

18:35 , George Flood

75 mins: Curry dots down a late consolation for England after being played in by Murley.

Conversion missed.

TRY! Ireland 27-10 England | Dan Sheehan 72'

18:31 , George Flood

72 mins: And that’s the game!

Ireland’s fit-again star hooker starts another fine attack with a wonderful pass out to Lowe, then charges through both Smiths to finish it off.

Crowley converts again. A familiar tale of woe in the final quarter of big games for England.

Bonus point in the bag for Ireland, to follow France and Scotland doing likewise.

Ireland 20-10 England

18:30 , George Flood

70 mins: Finn Baxter and Joe Heyes into the England front row for the last 10 minutes.

Genge and Stuart off.

Ireland 20-10 England

18:27

69 mins: What on earth is Murley doing?!

A second massive mistake behind the line from the England debutant, who instead of dotting down tries to come out again and is immediately taken down to put England under more enormous pressure.

He is indebted to some great breakdown work from Tom Curry to keep England in this for now.

Ireland 20-10 England

18:25 , George Flood

66 mins: England just cannot wrestle any momentum back here.

Marcus Smith has gone to full-back with namesake Fin on at fly-half, Steward off.

Harry Randall also replaces Mitchell at scrum-half.

TRY! Ireland 20-10 England | Tadhg Beirne 64'

18:21

64 mins: It’s falling apart for England now.

Gibson-Park sends Lowe bursting through a gap in the middle and the fleet-footed wing steps before setting up Beirne to finish.

Crowley nails the conversion and Ireland lead by 10 with just over 15 minutes to play.

Ireland 13-10 England

18:20

62 mins: Tempers fray again as the recently introduced Cunningham-South, who never needs a second invitation to deliver a big hit, goes too early and takes down Keenan in the air.

Lowe is incensed and lets him know about it.

Penalty Ireland.

Ireland 13-10 England

18:19 , George Flood

61 mins: Stuart back on again for England in place of Heyes after passing a HIA.

Ollie Chessum is also on for George Martin in the second row.

Iain Henderson is on in the Ireland pack, replacing James Ryan.

Ireland 13-10 England

18:18 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

We are entering that period of the game now where, recently, England have seen matches slip away from them. Can they turn the tables here?

Ireland 13-10 England

18:17 , George Flood

60 mins: Tom Clarkson, Ireland’s fourth-choice tighthead with no Tadhg Furlong or Tom O’Toole, replaces Bealham.

Ben Curry has made way for Chandler Cunningham-South in the England back row.

It’s all very untidy from England at the moment, Ireland winning the turnovers and moving the ball well.

England can’t really get a platform.

Ireland 13-10 England

18:14 , George Flood

57 mins: Henshaw is back on for Aki and does well under the high ball as England go to the air in a bid to get a foothold back in this game.

Jack Crowley has also replaced Prendergast at fly-half.

Ireland 13-10 England

18:11 , George Flood

56 mins: England fans will be excited to see Tom Willis on now for his Six Nations debut and only second cap.

He’s been in sublime form for Saracens this season and many felt he should have started today.

Earl has gone off, with a change too at hooker as Theo Dan replaces Cowan-Dickie.

PENALTY! Ireland 13-10 England | Sam Prendergast 55'

18:09 , George Flood

55 mins: England giving up too many penalties again, the second for the slightest of pushes from Itoje at the lineout.

Prendergast slots over the kick to put Ireland ahead for the first time tonight.

He needed that after a couple of tough missed conversions.

The defending champions are starting to hit another gear now.

Ireland 10-10 England

18:07 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

Shades of Jonah Lomu with Aki there. Incredible finish.

TRY! Ireland 10-10 England | Bundee Aki 52'

18:05 , George Flood

52 mins: Ireland decide to go left, Gibson-Park to Prendergast, who arrows a lovely long pass out to Aki.

Aki shrugs off one challenge from Smith before driving through both Mitchell and Freeman to finish incredibly in the corner.

A tough conversion is missed by Prendergast and we’re all square in Dublin.

Aki’s 18th try for Ireland.

Ireland 5-10 England

18:02 , George Flood

49 mins: Sheehan and Conan replace Kelleher and Baird as Ireland look to their bench.

Heyes back on for Stuart too in the England front row.

Lawrence is wrecking shop for England at the moment, sitting down Prendergast before smashing into Ringrose.

Ireland are building more pressure now.

Ireland 5-10 England

18:01 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

This is a remarkable defensive shift from England, but you fear the tanks will be empty in the next 10 minutes or so. The bench will have a big role to play.

Ireland 5-10 England

18:01 , George Flood

49 mins: Yet another monster defensive stand from England against the odds on their own line.

A great tackle in there from Cowan-Dickie to dislodge the ball down low.

Itoje has his hand under it, with Ireland unable to force it down.

England have the put-in at the scrum and will look to get this ball clear.

Ireland 5-10 England

17:59

48 mins: Captains Doris and Itoje are warned by the referee after that ugly scrap.

Ireland kick their penalty to the corner and are quickly within a couple of yards of the try line.

Ireland 5-10 England

17:58

47 mins: England are too eager to engage after the scrum reset and Ireland have a free-kick.

They tap and go and open the play out left to Lowe, who is stopped following a great tackle from Mitchell on Keenan. Amazing recovery.

But there’s penalty advantage and now a huge scrap breaks out.

Lowe and Freeman involved.

Ireland 5-10 England

17:55

44 mins: The ball goes back off the hands of Murley from a testing Gibson-Park kick.

The debutant then panics as he scoops it up and runs out from behind the try line despite the ball being one roll away from going dead.

England are under massive pressure immediately and Ireland end up with the put-in at a scrum five metres out.

Will England’s much-improved defence stand up again?

Really poor from Murley. England tighthead Stuart came back on for Six Nations debutant Heyes at half-time.

Ireland 5-10 England

17:53 , George Flood

42 mins: Great hands after the lineout from England, who keep coming forward with some lovely offloads through contact - including one from Genge.

But one of those passes was forward.

We have a scrum, with Genge pinged as Bealham goes down.

Prendergast drills into touch as Ireland try to set up their own attacking platform early in this second half.

Ireland 5-10 England

17:51 , George Flood

Back underway for a massive second half at the Aviva.

Can England keep this up?

An early steal from Tom Curry on the deck, picked up by Itoje and Ireland commit the penalty with his boomed downfield by Smith.

Ireland 5-10 England

17:45 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

15 handling errors by Ireland in that first half, which tells its own story.

Ireland 5-10 England

17:42 , George Flood

England defended admirably with 14 men for the most part with Smith in the bin, despite the penalties racked up.

But they could not hold out completely in the end with Gibson-Park stepping and scoring after a fine Lowe break.

Brilliant try. Mitchell won’t want to see it again on Monday...

Ireland 5-10 England

17:40 , George Flood

What a way to start your England career for Cadan Murley.

A try inside the first 10 minutes...

Ireland 5-10 England

17:36 , George Flood

Half-time

PENALTY! Ireland 5-10 England | Marcus Smith 41'

17:35 , George Flood

41 mins: No mistake with a straightforward kick from England’s fly-half.

The visitors will take a five-point lead into the break.

Ireland 5-7 England

17:35 , George Flood

39 mins: A great response from England as Smith tees up Earl for a trademark burst through the middle.

Keenan makes a vital tackle, but England have a penalty right on the stroke of half-time.

Itoje points to the posts...

Ireland 5-7 England

17:33

38 mins: England are ending the first half on the up, back to a full 15.

But Will Stuart has taken a knock and is replaced in the front row by Joe Heyes.

TRY! Ireland 5-7 England | Jamison Gibson-Park 35'

17:29 , George Flood

35 mins: Finally Ireland make that numerical advantage count!

Lowe bursts through the attempted tackle of Mitchell with an explosive break and finds scrum-half Gibson-Park, who leaves Steward for dead with the nastiest of steps before running in to put the hosts on the board.

A poor conversion from Prendergast goes wide left.

England still lead. Smith back on very shortly.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:26 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

England's defence has been impressive and dogged, but deary me, some of this handling and decision-making from Ireland in attack is woeful.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:26 , George Flood

33 mins: England defend the rolling maul well and Ireland shift the ball out left in a bid to find a gap in this undermanned defence.

But they are just lacking that usual fluency and ruthlessness in attack as a pass is behind Keenan and spilled by the full-back.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:24

32 mins: England are whistled for offside again as they continue to give up penalties with Ireland on the offensive.

Prendergast kicks to the corner.

Three minutes left on Smith’s yellow card...

Ireland 0-7 England

17:23 , George Flood

30 mins: Now it’s a knock-on from Ireland that halts their latest attack after Cowan-Dickie’s disappointing lineout throw.

They will be hugely disappointed if they can’t get on the scoreboard here with Smith on the sidelines.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:21 , George Flood

28 mins: Another major defensive stand inside their own 22 from England’s 14 men, with Tom Curry getting the penalty at the breakdown after Ireland had tried to set up Hansen down that right-hand side once more.

Some effort from England, with their defence so heavily criticised in the autumn.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:20 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

A huge 10 minutes coming up for England now, down to 14 and without their conductor.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:18 , George Flood

26 mins: Not initially they can’t, Smith roaring on the sidelines after a defensive penalty won in front of their own line.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:17

25 mins: England are down to 14 men as Marcus Smith commits their latest infringement under more serious pressure after a fabulous run down the right from Hansen, teed up by Prendergast.

Borthwick’s side without their influential fly-half for the next 10 minutes.

Can Ireland take advantage?

Ireland 0-7 England

17:15 , George Flood

23 mins: The kicking battle is very much in full flow once again as both sides look to exploit the space in behind.

A lovely aerial take from high-ball specialist Steward sets England the platform for another attack, but Beirne wins a timely penalty at the breakdown to relieve the pressure.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:12

20 mins: The dangerous Murley has ball in hand again as he looks to attack down the right flank.

He tries the littler grubber, but both player and ball end up in touch.

An intriguing early battle at scrum time at the Aviva.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:10 , George Flood

19 mins: Lovely hit from Itoje on Bealham and England are off to the races, but it’s pulled back for a knock-on.

The visitors denied a nailed-on second score in this first quarter.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:08 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

Football could learn from the TMO here, such a benefit being able to hear what the referee is saying in the stadium - even if those here do not agree with it!

Ireland 0-7 England

17:06 , George Flood

17 mins: TRY disallowed!

Beirne is off his feet and then holds Itoje at the back of the ruck.

A quick decision reached after a TMO check, with O’Keeffe announcing it on microphone to the crowd, who aren’t happy.

Hansen is coming back on for Ireland here. Turns out it was a blood substitute that is being reversed.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:05 , George Flood

16 mins: Hooker Kelleher picks up and goes over from close range as the Irish pressure finally tells!

But hang on, referee O'Keeffe wants to look at a potential infringement here...

Ireland 0-7 England

17:03 , George Flood

15 mins: Infringements galore from the England defence now as they seriously creak under the relentless Irish pressure.

More offsides, playing the scrum-half and diving over the ruck.

Itoje is warned that another penalty will lead to a yellow card.

Ireland had been pushed back after a tap and go from Prendergast.

Here they come again...

Ireland 0-7 England

17:02 , George Flood

13 mins: England are hugely under pressure now as another sustained Ireland attack near the line leads to an offside call.

Ireland 0-7 England

17:00 , George Flood

11 mins: Ireland get the better of the opening scrum, which takes a while to get set.

Here come the hosts attacking properly for the first time, with England defending well until Lawrence gives up the penalty.

Ireland kick for the corner. Here comes the rolling maul...

Ireland 0-7 England

16:58 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

What a moment for Cadan Murley. Borthwick was talking up his ability as a finisher earlier this week - and you can see it there. Proper poacher.

TRY! Ireland 0-7 England | Cadan Murley 9'

16:57

9 mins: England strike first to reward their positive start in Dublin!

It’s a great break from powerful centre Lawrence.

Smith finds Slade, who aims a lovely little grubber in behind for Murley to scoop up and touch down on his debut.

Smith successfully converts.

Ireland 0-0 England

16:54 , George Flood

5 mins: England’s shortage of lineout jumpers showing as they lose one early on.

They are doing well in the collisions here though, applying impressive speed and intensity around the park.

England have the edge at the breakdown so far with those three opensides in the back row.

Smith eager to put boot to ball and put the Irish defence under pressure when he has the chance.

Ireland 0-0 England

16:51 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

A bright start from England, with Marcus Smith unsurprisingly at the heart of it.

England not afraid to run at Ireland from deep it seems.

Ireland 0-0 England

16:51 , George Flood

4 mins: All a bit messy now with possession quickly changing hands after another lineout on the near side.

Hansen won’t be able to continue here.

Robbie Henshaw is already on, so that’s going to be Ringrose out to the wing.

An early blow for Ireland.

Ireland 0-0 England

16:50 , George Flood

3 mins: Plenty of kicks and chasing early doors from both sides, with England now attacking with Mack Hansen down injured.

Marcus Smith tries a cross-field kick out right for Tom Curry, but it’s overcooked.

Smith led a lovely break earlier and whipped out a fine pass to Freeman.

This is good from England so far.

Ireland 0-0 England

16:48 , George Flood

2 mins: England show their attacking intent from the first whistle as Ireland then safely take in their first lineout ball.

An early test for debutant Murley under the high ball, which he passes.

Ireland vs England

16:47 , George Flood

Here we go!

England already on the front foot from the off...

Ireland vs England

16:46 , George Flood

Typically rousing stuff with the anthems.

Kick-off now imminent at the Aviva!

New Zealander Ben O'Keeffe is the referee.

The national anthems singer is now belting out The Fields of Athenry...

Ireland vs England

16:41 , George Flood

Here come the teams!

Brilliant noise and a huge moment for Itoje as he leads England out as captain for the very first time.

This has the feel of a massive occasion, as ever with Ireland vs England in the Six Nations.

Time for the national anthems, with God Save the King up first.

Ireland vs England

16:39

‘Right Here, Right Now’ by Fatboy Slim is blaring out at the Aviva with the pyrotechnics already going off amid a superb atmosphere.

Itoje leads England from the dressing room to the tunnel.

Ireland vs England

16:31 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium

England finish their warm-up with Itoje giving a rousing team talk.

He has vowed to lead by example, but that looked like a passionate speech from the new skipper.

Andy Farrell in attendance at Aviva Stadium

16:31 , George Flood

Television cameras show Andy Farrell up in the stands at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon.

No pressure on Simon Easterby!

You wonder how much influence Farrell might still have on this Ireland campaign, despite technically standing back temporarily to prepare for the Lions’ summer tour of Australia.

Sam Prendergast wins battle with Jack Crowley... for now

16:19 , George Flood

In the post-Johnny Sexton era, Sam Prendergast vs Jack Crowley is the major fly-half debate in Ireland.

Leinster’s Prendergast, who turns 22 during the Six Nations, closed the autumn in possession of the No10 shirt and retains it this weekend after more fine performances at club level.

It’s a huge afternoon for him here, anything other than a strong performance will no doubt see calls for Munster’s more experienced Crowley to come back in.

Ireland vs England

16:14 , George Flood

Pre-match thoughts from Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium...

Huw Jones hat-trick as Scotland see off Italy fightback

16:08 , George Flood

It’s all over at Murrayfield, where Scotland have kicked off their Six Nations campaign with a hard-fought and thrilling 31-19 win over Italy.

The Azzurri fought back from a 19-9 half-time deficit to level the match after an intercept try from centre Juan Ignacio Brex and more Tommaso Allan penalties.

However, Huw Jones completed his hat-trick with two scores after the hour mark to seal victory for Gregor Townsend’s men.

Jones needed to step up even more in the absence of injured captain Sione Tuipulotu and the Glasgow man has done just that.

Scotland host Ireland next in round two, while Italy entertain Wales in a massive game.

Ireland vs England

15:56 , George Flood

Standard Sport correspondent Simon Collings is in position at the Aviva Stadium.

We’ll be getting his pre-match thoughts very shortly...

Easterby: Ireland must use home-field advantage

15:52 , George Flood

Also a big afternoon of course for Simon Easterby, the former Ireland back-rower and forwards and defence coach who is leading the Men in Green for this Six Nations with Andy Farrell on sojourn with the Lions - whose upcoming summer tour to Australia adds another massive layer of intrigue to the competition as a whole.

He is helped by Ireland’s remarkable home record which has seen them win 28 of their last 30 games in Dublin, with their sloppy 23-13 autumn defeat by the All Blacks representing a first loss in front of their own fans since 2021.

It feels silly to ask questions of a team that were a whisker away from recording historic back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams 12 months ago, but Ireland will be eager to issue a firm riposte to claims over a potential slight regression after a bit of an underwhelming autumn.

"I don't expect this place to be anything other than bouncing," Easterby said of the atmosphere at the Aviva.

"It is England at home, first game of the Six Nations. It is so exciting to have this first up.

"When we play well and give the crowd that type of experience on the pitch, they have bought into it and generated a great atmosphere.

"So we have a responsibility as a team to ensure that we get the crowd onside and use that to our advantage."

15:44

Here’s England arriving at the Aviva Stadium earlier this afternoon...

Lineout questions as Borthwick gambles with back-row selection

15:29 , George Flood

Many feel today’s game will be decided with the kicking and aerial battle and who wins the physical contest.

Whether star tighthead Tadhg Furlong’s continued absence makes the scrum an area for England to target remains to be seen, but the lineout is likely to play a crucial role.

It has been a rare weakness in the Irish arsenal of late, but despite that Steve Borthwick has gambled by picking three opensides in the back row with the Curry twins and Ben Earl, prioritising mobility around the pitch and breakdown work in a bid to knock Ireland out of their rhythm.

It could be costly at the lineout, though Maro Itoje insists England still have enough to win that particular battle.

"We have enough line-out jumpers. The line-out is a massive part of the game and we have a well-oiled machine," he said.

"If you were to look at our statistics over the last autumn, it's an area that we're pretty strong at in terms of ball winning.

"Ireland have got a good lineout, they've always had a good lineout. We're built differently, we want to go about the game in a different way, but the set-piece is massive for us as well and I think we'll do well."

Aviva Stadium ready to go

15:20

The calm before the storm in Dublin, where conditions are overcast and cloudy with no rain and low winds.

Shouldn’t be any impact from the weather on today’s huge game, which is what we like to see.

This place will be absolutely bouncing very soon.

Maro Itoje: England ready to go with 'clear plan'

15:15

Today is obviously a huge day in the career of Maro Itoje.

Some eyebrows were raised when it was announced a couple of weeks ago that the star second row had replaced Saracens team-mate Jamie George as full-time England captain after the latter succeeded Owen Farrell just a year ago.

Itoje has been tipped as captain material ever since bursting onto the international scene young back in 2016, though he mostly does his talking with his consistent high-level performances rather than necessarily being a huge voice on the pitch.

"We've prepared well, the boys have trained well and we've come together quite nicely. We're clear on the plan. We're ready to go," Itoje said this week.

"It's a really big task. Obviously Ireland are a very good team. They're a team that in their recent history have put together a string of notable performances.

"They have quality players and continuity, more so than most other nations due to the Leinster connection.

"They're a team full of good players and they have that strong Leinster core to what they do and their selection.

"It's a team that's played together before, a team that know what they're about. But we're a good team too."

England must keep discipline after reds mar Dublin trips

14:58

England’s thrilling last-gasp 23-22 win at Twickenham last year thanks to Marcus Smith’s latest of drop goals snapped a four-match losing streak against Ireland that dated back to the 2021 Six Nations.

England had won four in a row themselves before that as sustained runs of momentum continued to swing back and forth in this famous old fixture.

England lost 29-10 on their last visit to Dublin in a warm-up fixture for the 2023 World Cup in France, with Ireland running in five tries and Billy Vunipola sent off for a high tackle.

Their last trip to the Aviva Stadium in the Six Nations was earlier that same year, when they lost 29-16 in an attritional affair on the final day as Ireland wrapped up a Grand Slam with four tries and Freddie Steward was harshly shown red just before half-time for a collision with Hugo Keenan.

Sendings off have been a constant theme of these games in Dublin for England in recent years and Steve Borthwick will be desperate for his side to keep their discipline and composure this afternoon.

England have not won at the Aviva since the 2019 Six Nations, when they delivered a supreme performance under Eddie Jones - signed up as a pundit for ITV for this tournament - to emerge 32-20 victors with four tries, including the first after only 95 seconds through Jonny May.

Six Nations round one: The story so far

14:45 , George Flood

So what’s already happened in Six Nations round one so far?

Well, last night we saw exactly why mighty France are being tipped as favourites and sorry Wales for a second successive wooden spoon after Les Bleus ran out dominant 43-0 winners at a bouncing Stade de France in Paris.

Antoine Dupont - who missed last year’s tournament as he prepared to lead his nation to rugby sevens glory at their home Olympic Games in the summer - was typically mesmerising as France wrapped up a bonus point before half-time.

They scored seven tries in total despite some injury issues, with a brace each for wings Theo Attissogbe and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, plus further efforts from No8 Gregory Alldritt and replacements Julien Marchand and Emilien Gailleton.

The only negative for Fabien Galthie’s side was a late red card for fly-half Romain Ntamack on his first France appearance since 2023 after injury which looks certain to lead to a ban that will rule him out of next weekend’s trip to Twickenham.

Crisis-stricken Wales have now lost 13 Tests in a row, having failed to win a single game last year and not tasted victory since the 2023 World Cup. It was the first time in the Six Nations era that they have failed to score a point and their joint-heaviest loss ever in the competition.

Yet more pressure builds on Warren Gatland ahead of a titanic battle with Italy in Rome in round two, though they are already down several more players with injuries to the likes of Owen Watkin and Aaron Wainwright.

Speaking of the Azzurri, they are currently trailing 14-6 to Scotland at Murrayfield in the second game of opening weekend.

Two Tommaso Allan penalties have trimmed the Scottish lead created by early tries from Rory Darge and Huw Jones, both converted by Finn Russell.

Just over 25 minutes gone in that one.

Ireland vs England prediction

14:35 , George Flood

There is certainly no easing into this year’s Six Nations for England, who will have to hit the ground running immediately in a bid not to open with back-to-back defeats to pile more pressure on Steve Borthwick before they host Scotland looking to avoid a fifth successive Calcutta Cup loss.

Ireland won’t be short on confidence as the double defending champions and have history in their sights as the first team ever to win the title three years on the bounce, though it will be intriguing to see how seamless the transition can be between Andy Farrell and Simon Easterby.

England will hope that their opponents’ error-strewn loss to the All Blacks and only narrow wins over Argentina and Australia in a bit of an underwhelming autumn showing will prove more than just a minor regression, though it is likely to be wishful thinking.

Ireland to win, by seven points.

Ireland vs England lineups

14:30 , George Flood

Ireland XV: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; Ryan, Beirne; Baird, Van der Flier, Doris (c)

Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Clarkson, Henderson, Conan, Murray, Crowley, Henshaw

England XV: Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Murley; M Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart; Itoje (c), Martin; T Curry, B Curry, Earl

Replacements: Dan, Baxter, Heyes, Chessum, Cunningham-South, Willis, Randall, F Smith

England team news

14:25

A few surprises in England’s team selection today, with Steve Borthwick handing an international debut to Harlequins wing Cadan Murley in the absence of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who is sidelined after shoulder surgery.

Curry twins Ben and Tom also start together for England for the first time in a bit of a shock decision in the back row, with the likes of Ollie Chessum and Chandler Cunningham-South on the bench.

Freddie Steward - sent off on England’s last visit to Dublin two years ago - starts at full-back with George Furbank having fractured his arm playing for Northampton last month.

Alex Mitchell - a big miss through injury in the autumn - is back fit and starts at scrum-half in a huge boost for Borthwick, resuming his partnership with Marcus Smith, who fights off competition from namesake Fin to keep the No10 jersey after a really impressive 2024.

Luke Cowan-Dickie is at hooker with Jamie George out with a hamstring injury, with the latter having also been replaced as captain after only a year by Maro Itoje.

Borthwick has gone with a 6-2 bench split, with Saracens’ in-form No8 Tom Willis among the forwards.

Only Fin Smith and back-up scrum-half Harry Randall provide backline cover.

Ireland team news

14:18 , George Flood

Simon Easterby, taking the reins as Ireland head coach for the Six Nations with usual boss Andy Farrell currently preparing for this summer’s Lions tour of Australia, has made two changes to the team that edged to a comeback win over Joe Schmidt’s resurgent Wallabies in their final autumn international in Dublin in November.

Garry Ringrose is preferred to Robbie Henshaw alongside Bundee Aki in the centres, while there’s a rare start in the back row for Ryan Baird, with Tadhg Beirne shifting into the second row due to an injury to Joe McCarthy.

Sam Prendergast gets the nod over Jack Crowley in a big call at fly-half, while James Lowe is back on the wing and Finlay Bealham continues at tighthead prop with Tadhg Furlong out injured again.

Star hooker Dan Sheehan also returns from injury, though he starts on the bench with Ronan Kelleher retaining the No2 jersey for now.

How to watch Ireland vs England

14:13 , George Flood

TV channel: Today’s contest is being broadcast live and free-to-air in the UK on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 4pm GMT.

Live stream: Fans can also catch live coverage of the game online via ITVX, which is free with a registration.

Ireland vs England live

14:10 , George Flood

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport‘s live coverage of Ireland vs England in the Six Nations.

A blockbuster clash in Dublin both headlines and concludes round one of the 2025 competition, with fireworks and drama absolutely guaranteed in what is likely to be a thrilling showdown between these old rivals.

Kick-off this afternoon is at 4:45pm GMT, so stick with us for all your match build-up, team news and live updates, including expert analysis from Simon Collings at the Aviva Stadium.