Jamison Gibson-Park is interviewed after Ireland beat England (Image: ITV)
Ireland star Jamison Gibson-Park demonstrated his class both on and off the pitch as he opened his post-match interview by congratulating England captain Maro Itoje on reaching his 100th cap. Itoje led his side out to thunderous applause on the landmark occasion but things went disastrously wrong as England suffered a humiliating 42-21 defeat – their worst home result against the Irish.
Scrum-half Gibson-Park was awarded player of the match but ensured Itoje received proper recognition when he started his interview following the final whistle. When questioned about Ireland’s display, he said: “Sorry, can I just start off by saying I want to congratulate Maro on his 100 Tests. It’s a pretty phenomenal feat. He’s a great bloke and a great player. I had the privilege of sharing the summer with him. He’s an unbelievable player, leader and person and I just want to congratulate him firstly.”
The classy gesture followed an extraordinary match in which England was dismantled by the Irish.
Seven days after suffering another defeat at Murrayfield, Steve Borthwick’s side conceded 22 consecutive points during a catastrophic opening half hour, with Luke Cowan-Dickie and Freddie Steward withdrawn before half-time. The struggles persisted after the interval as a fragile England side barely threatened in their first home defeat since November 2024.
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
Every weakness identified by Scotland re-emerged with a vengeance through a catalogue of self-inflicted errors, insufficient physicality, especially in defence, underperforming senior players, and a vacuum of leadership.
Ironic applause greeted George Ford when he finally found touch, encapsulating his difficult performance, whilst it proved a disappointing occasion for England captain Itoje to commemorate his 100th cap on an afternoon when Twickenham resembled the Aviva Stadium in atmosphere.
Ireland excelled at exploiting the favourites’ vulnerabilities, securing their sixth triumph in seven meetings and delivering a shock result that has revitalised their Six Nations campaign, following an underwhelming start to the opening two fixtures.
Gibson-Park orchestrated proceedings brilliantly with Stuart McCloskey and Caelan Doris amongst those delivering commanding performances in a victory that has eased the mounting pressure on head coach Andy Farrell.
Both nations entered the contest aware that another loss would end their championship aspirations – and it was Ireland who stepped up when it mattered.
Robert Baloucoune of Ireland celebrates with team-mates Jamie Osborne and Jamison Gibson-Park after scoring (Image: Getty Images)
England opened proceedings with a succession of unforced mistakes, epitomised by Ford’s kicking difficulties as he missed touch with one penalty before sending a second out dead.
A lapse in concentration then enabled Gibson-Park to race over from a quick tap penalty after Ireland had counter-attacked from deep, and they demonstrated their clinical edge once more by capitalising on another English mistake, this time at a line-out.
Alex Mitchell hobbled off, and the hosts’ troubles mounted when McCloskey powered past Ollie Lawrence with ease, and one phase later, Robert Baloucoune touched down in the right corner.
To compound their misery, Freddie Steward was sin-binned for playing Gibson-Park without the ball.
Ireland appeared unstoppable as they crossed for their third try through a combination of their creativity and the hosts’ disintegrating defence, with Tommy O’Brien completing a fluid move down the left.
Driven by their urgency, England concluded a spell of intense pressure with a Fraser Dingwall try, but just seconds after the restart, Henry Pollock was sin-binned for not releasing, and Dan Sheehan dived over for a straightforward finish.
Lawrence strolled over to cap off an encouraging attack, but consecutive penalties by Jack Crowley stretched Ireland’s lead to 21 points.
England were utterly directionless and their defence collapsed for a fifth time as Jamie Osborne finished off sustained attacks, though they had the last say when Sam Underhill scored, there was no disguising the hammering they had endured.
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page