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England 33-12 Ireland: hosts win Women’s Six Nations rugby union opener – live | Women’s Six Nations
Key events
A reminder that France beat Italy 40-7 earlier today.
Wales v Scotland to come.
Here’s the player of the match, England’s skipper, Meg Jones:
There were always going to be nerves after the back of a World Cup. We found ways, that’s what winning teams do. I’m sure we’ll brush up and I’m proud of the girls.
We have huge growth potential. Players have stepped into leadership roles. They will have more of a voice now and own their roles.
I’ll probably head home and doing some washing to keep me grounded. I’ll reflect. Coming out of the tunnel was amazing and singing the anthem was second to none.
Full-time! England 33-12 Ireland
34 wins in a row! Can’t say they don’t deserve that. By far the better team but Ireland will leave with some credit in the bank. This was closer than I thought it would be but nowhere near a close contest. Credit to England and Jones in particular.
80 min: Ireland are running this from inside their own half. Oh, a wonderful line from Dalton meets the perfect pass and she’s through a gap. Kildunne snaffles it as she runs back and recovers the ball. That’ll be that.
79 min: England win a penalty. They kick it out but from the line-out they knock-on. This game is fizzling out as Meg Jones is announced the deserving recipient of the player of the match award.
78 min: Another scrum penalty for England allows Harrison the opportunity to kick it long and far and for a line-out just inside her own half.
77 min: A little knock-on on England’s 22, from Ireland, means that attack comes to an end. It looked promising after a fingertip secured the line-out, but the line speed from the English put the Irish midfield under pressure.
76 min: Momentum is with Ireland now as they win a penalty on the floor. It’s too little, too late of course, but they can take great heart from this second half performance. It’s the first time since 2013 that they’ve scored two tries against England. O’Brien’s kicking has (mostly) been very good. She lands another raking penalty out just short of the 22. One more try perhaps?
TRY! England 33-12 Ireland (King, 74)
On her captaincy debut, King scores! Ireland won’t be denied for long. Amidst the morass of bodies, King spotted some free grass beyond the try line and hit the line hard and carried it over from close range. Lovely stuff. The conversion from under the poles is good.
73rd min: Held up over England’s line! Ireland were efficient off the top of the line-out from the penalty and they inched their way forward. A series of strong carries brought them close. They had the advantage so worth a dart. They couldn’t dot down but will go again.
72 min: It’s been ding-dong in the scrums. Ireland win a penalty. O’Brien, from her own half, pings a touch finder beyond England’s 22. Good nudge that.
70 min: Ireland will have the scrum as the stadium announcer lets us know that this is a record crowd for the Women’s Six Nations. A crowd of 77, 120 in the house.
TRY! England 33-5 Ireland (Kildunne, 67)
England hit back immedaitely! Kildunne brings out the cowboy celebration as she skins her opposite number down in the left corner. It all started with Jones running over a tackler, kicking ahead and then making a tackle as England pinned Ireland down in their own red zone. O’Brien’s return kick didn’t have enough oomph on it and England could attack from the 22. By the time they found Kildunne joining the line and charging down the left, the writing was on the wall. Rowland fails from the tee for the first time.
TRY! England 28-5 Ireland (McGann, 65)
Ireland are on the board! Finally, they land a blow. Off the back of the rolling maul, they come close, but not close enough. They need to go again and McGann showed immense strength to hold off a challenge and stay infield as she dotted down in the right corner. Her smile as she comes up from the ground tells a story. The conversion is missed, but at least Ireland won’t leave London empty handed.
63 min: Penalty now for Ireland. O’Brien hoofs it towards the corner and finds touch. C’mon Ireland! Let’s see what you’ve got from here!
62 min: We’re back with a mighty England scrum that monsters the Irish pack. They win another penalty and though they run the ball with an advantage, they’ll come back with Harrison kicking to touch.
60 min: Hunt is back on her feet and will stay out there. She’s getting some cover on her knee but looks OK.
60 min: Muir is munched in contact just as she passes and spills it. We’ll have an Irish scrum inside England’s half. No, in fact we’ll have an English line-out as the ball didn’t go forward, but in fact came off Hogan’s hand. Doesn’t matter in the end as Hunt is crunched and stays down. She might be in a spot of bother here. Not sure what the decision is. The main bit is that Hunt needs some medical attention.
58 min: That seems to have knocked the stuffing out of Ireland. Once again a promising move comes to nothing as Kabeya pinches it. But they’re back on the ball as Feaunati spills in contact. Wafer runs it back but she’s drilled hard. Dalton now and she is also hammered. They kick ahead after failing to breach the line and Kildunne mops up.
TRY! England 28-0 Ireland (Breach, 54)
Turn of pace! A lightning bolt from the blue! Ireland had it but then the ball was charged down by Jones who then pounced on the bouncing pill before feeding the onrushing Breach. She did brilliantly to ride the challenge Kinlan who almost held the ball up, but Breach managed to roll in the contact and dot down over her head. Brilliant stuff from the flying winger who deserved that. Rowland keeps the score ticking with another conversion.
54 min: Harrison is on the park and is flinging passes. But England lose the ball in contact so Ireland come back at them. Maloney-MacDonald has it. Woah! In a flash, England are back on the ball….
51 min: England replace their props and their halfbacks in time for this Irish scrum five out from the Irish line.
50 min: An unreal steal from Ireland’s Maloney-MacDonald! My word, that is stunning work. It was needed, too. England came within inches of the try line after Kildunne off-loaded for the other Maloney-MacDonald who burst down the left wing. England came flooding forward with Jones and then Matthews hitting the line at pace. But just as the try seemed an inevitability, the Irish hooker stole in and came away with the ball. The passage ends with Ireland winning the scrum feed close to their own line after repelling another English attack, holding up the ball carrier under the shade of their own sticks.
48 min: Cokayne roars like a Viking as England’s front row secures a scrum penalty. England might not be at their best today, but they are stubbornly refusing Ireland a tow-hold in the contest.
46 min: Kildunne drops the ball in the backfield. She’s not having a great game. O’Brien, with a free-kick following the Irish scrum, hoiked a high kick into the sunshine that caused the England full-back some grief. Still, the reigning player of the year should be snaffling that. Ireland with a chance to launch from a scrum in the middle of the park inside England’s patch.
45 min: Lutui’s first carry is meaty and gives her team go-forward. Kildunne runs a lovely line and makes ground. Good continuity from England. Rowland finds Breach who finds Kabeya in the right tram. But Ireland come away with it as England spill it around the ruck. Sloppy from the world champions. A shame. That move was starting to look slick.
44 min: Talling will be stretchered off. She gets a round of applause as she makes way for teenager Luitui, who will make her debut in the second row.
44 min: Poor from Ireland as Hogan strays offside as O’Brien rakes a lovely kick into space in the far right corner. But Hogan wasn’t paying attention and Ireland give away a soft penalty. There’s a delay as Talling has stayed down. She doesn’t look in good touch. England’s troubles in the second row could get worse.
42 min: Parsons is wrapped up by Kildunne near the left touch – as Ireland would see iot. O’Brien kicks across for Hogan. Ireland are keeping the ball and inching forward. Better from them but still around halfway. O’Brien kicks and it’s a little meek as she coughs away possession. England comfortably mop up on their own 22 before they execute a slick exit.
41 min: Aitchison, such a slick player, rakes a good touch finder to get the half under way after Ireland’s restart. The Irish win the line-out and rumble beyond the 10 metre line.
The players are sprinting out for the second half. They can’t wait to get going again. Ireland with all to prove if you’re asking me. Are they the real deal? Let’s find out.
Half-time: England 21-0 Ireland
That brings the half to an end. England utterly dominant. Ireland were decent, but not consistent. One turnover became a spilled ball. A solid scrum morphed into a penalty given away on the floor. England never left third gear though that was more than good enough for a commanding lead. Back in a bit.
40 min: Has Kildunne scored!? It was a brilliant move off the scrum and a wonder off-load after contact by Jones, but has Kildunne spilled the ball? Yes, she has! Oh wow, that was a brilliant recovery tackle from Kinlan who motored back and put in a hit that dislodged the ball just as Kildunne was about to dot down. Fantastic work from the Irish winger but Kildunne really should have scored there.
39 min: Lovely strike move after a well contested scrum sees England canter 40 metres in no time. The ball is flung left for the onrushing Kildunne who then feeds Maloney-Macdonald on the wing. Kildunne has it back and then they go infield. Aitchison kicks long and straight to Kinlan who makes a mess of things, dropping a goober on her own 22. England will have one final chance to add to their tally before halftime.
37 min: Another chance for Ireland to set up a line-out after winning a penalty on the floor, but it’s bad to worse for the women in green. O’Brien goes for the perfect kick but misses, kicking it beyond the try area and she hands possession away. England opt for the scrum just beyond their own 22.
35 min: Ireland win a penalty inside England’s half and O’Brien finds touch just outside the 22. Can they do anything with this? No! Ives Campion rises high and steals the ball. Once again, Ireland fluff their lines. Aitchison clears and finds touch 10 metres down field.
I Am Maximus wins the Grand National for the second time for trainer Willie Mullins at Aintree – pulling off a feat last achieved by Red Rum in doing so.
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A man, 37, is arrested in relation to the incident and remains in custody, police say.
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Key events
League One: It’s all going on at Home Park, Jayden Wareham had restored Exeter’s lead in the 87th minute but just 180 sconds later Malachi Boateng bundled in from close range from a scrappy set-pice. Lovely stuff.
Championship: Coventry are still struggling to find a breakthrough against Sheffield Wednesday. A couple of big chances in succession as Josh Eccles heads narrowly wide and Ellis Simms could not convert as he came on to a low cross swept in from the right.
League Two: Louis Watson has pulled one back for Crawley a Bristol Rovers to make it 2-1. The Sussex side have around 10 minutes to find an equaliser.
League Two: It did not take long for Bromley to take advantage of MK Dons going down to 10 men. Marcus Ifil has pulled one back and halved Dons’ lead, it’s 2-1 in MK.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth (Scott 75)
The Cherries are back in front with 15 minutes to go at the Emirates. Barry Glendenning has full coverage of that one here:
League One: Promoted Lincoln were 2-0 up against Leyton Orient but Dominic Ballard has pulled one back for the Os.
Elsewhere, Lorent Tolaj has equalised for Plymouth in their local derby clash with Exeter.
League Two: MK Dons are 2-0 up against Bromley, a scoreline that would deny the Ravens promotions, but the league leaders have a lifeline with Jon Mellish earning a red card for a second bookable offence.
I’ll leave you in the very capable hands of Tom Bassam while I grab a bite to eat.
Premier League: Raya playing with fire, taking a risk passing out to Zubimendi with Bournemouth’s strikers nearly on top of him. Not the first time he has done that today, either. Howls from the Emirates crowd. The home side have only had one shot on target so far – the penalty converted by Gyokeres.
A nervy final 25 minutes ahead for the league leaders, looking for a winner.
National League: York are a goal to the good against Tamworth and set to stay top of the table as things stand. Automatic promotion rivals Rochdale play Wealdstone this evening. Only the champion goes up, it is likely to go all the way to the wire.
Boreham Wood’s Matt Rush has scored a couple within five minutes for them against Hartlepool. They are certain to be in the play-offs.
Premier League: Arteta rings in the changes. Eze, Trossard and Dowman are off the bench and on the pitch. Cometh the hour, cometh the man child? The highly-tipped teenager could make his most important impact to date.
Meanwhile, 55 minutes in at top versus bottom in the Championship, Coventry are yet to break the deadlock against Sheffield Wednesday, though they nearly sprung the offside trap moments ago for a simple finish.
League One: Deadlock broken in the Devon derby as Reece Cole puts Exeter ahead away to playoff-pursuing Plymouth. That goal could be crucial in keeping them up. Their fans are unsurprisingly going loco, bragging rights potentially in the offing too.
At the other end, Cardiff go a goal up at Bolton with a header from Osmari Kellyman, taking them ten points clear in second place as things stand.
Two minutes later, Chris Willock adds a second!
Premier League: The players are back out at the Emirates. Big half ahead for Mikel Arteta’s side, who flattered to deceive for much of that first half. Going a goal down seemed to spur them into action, mind.
No changes from either manager at half-time.
Some half-time reading for you: Barney Ronay’s bid to turn £10 into £1,000 at the bookies
“I knew Arsenal were going to lose because I stare at sport all the time and I can see when something is crap. I’m the crap whisperer.
They duly lost. And this was my high point. Ten pounds had become £120. Yes, somehow only that tiny amount after all this winning and omniscience. But still a vast return in five days! I’ve got the key. I’ve got the secret. I am invincible. I … cannot lose.”
Lunchtime half-time scores
How things stand in the 12.30pm kick-offs.
Premier League
Championship
League One
League Two
Championship: George Hirst doubles Ipswich’s lead at Carrow Road in first-half stoppage time. Firmly in control of the East Anglia derby, they have two more games in hand over promotion rivals Middlesbrough and Millwall. They will be favourites to go up to the Premier League – if they can hang on.
The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for?
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Bournemouth (Gyökeres 35 pen)
Arsenal are level: Viktor Gyökeres scores his 18th goal of the season, lashing the ball beyond Petrovic. He went the right way, but there was too much pace and precision on it.
However, the decision to award the penalty will be dissected at half-time and beyond. The ball was hit against Ryan Christie’s out-stretched hand at point-blank range and Michael Oliver awarded it. Many referees would not have given that one.
Premier League: Arsenal are playing like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Their opponents are more fluid and pressing them back into their own half.
At Coventry, the Championship leaders nearly fashion a messy opening from a corner but the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper falls on the ball.
League Two: MK Dons have made it 2-0 against leaders Bromley with a Ben Wiles goal. The south Londoners may have to wait another match or two to confirm their promotion.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Bournemouth (Kroupi Jr 17)
The leaders are behind at the Emirates. Arsenal’s defence was caught asleep and failed to play Truffert offside as he surged down the left, his cross pinged off Saliba’s boot and sat up perfectly for Eli Junior Kroupi to put away at the back post.
Championship: Ipswich go ahead at Norwich, thanks to a Jaden Philogene penalty, sending the goalie the wrong way.
Pretty stonewall, as Ben Slimane nearly inadvertently takes off Taylor’s head with a wild swing at the ball, going for a clearance from a free kick.
The table as things stand:
Championship: Dear me, bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday (one league win all season) nearly take a shock lead at Coventry through an absolute howler.
Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth slipped as he kicked the ball and got the ball caught under his feet. Jerry Yates nearly picked his pocket for the most straightforward goal, but somehow Rushworth recovered and got away with it.
League Two: Second-placed MK Dons are a goal up inside 34 seconds. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing charges through and slips the ball low into the net. No time wasted, just what Paul Warne would have wanted.
Their opponents, league leaders Bromley have a slim chance of securing promotion if results go their ways, but they are already on the back foot here.
Lunchtime games kick off
The whistle blows for the lunchtime games. Plenty of important matches, we’ll keep the focus on Arsenal, Coventry, the East Anglian and Devon derbies and the League Two table-top clash.
Whether at the match or watching on the telly, feel free to send me your thoughts, hopes or fears here.
How De Zerbi is aiming to keep Spurs up
After West Ham’s thumping of Wolves last night, the heat has been turned up even higher on Spurs, in the relegation zone for the first time since August 2015. How will they stay in the Premier League, then? The new manager has a cunning plan.
“I want to keep the ball,” De Zerbi said. “I want to see again the Tottenham I watched with Postecoglou because, in my second season in Brighton, there was Postecoglou here with a lot of these players and it was one of the best teams in terms of quality of play. With Pedro Porro, with [Destiny] Udogie, with [Micky] van de Ven, with [Cristian] Romero, and I would like to see it again.”
Some Spurs fans may have their heads in their hands reading that, but they and you can read more about his masterplan here:
Expat Coventry fan Dan from Perth (Australia, not Scotland) writes in: “Have just been reflecting on the 2016/17 Checkatrade final when, all alone at a casino’s sports bar, with a moon-bound spaceship’s range of screens showing all manner of local footy varietals to no one in particular, I still had to beg the bemused manager (who knew not of this competition or my team) to allocate the tiniest box in the corner so I could experience Wembley and the first real bright spot in my Cov supporting adult life (being 19 when we were relegated to the championship and then on down that slippery slide).
“Fast forward and I’ll be in front of another small screen in my study streaming the match with a significant plus one – my eight-year-old who, while not actually yet a fan (and who may, in fact, not be paying attention at all while making loom bracelets) has been here for the entire journey back.
“Can’t believe we’re finally maybe going back up; fingers crossed today is the day.”
Today’s key fixtures
My pick of the matches this fine Saturday afternoon (3pm BST unless stated). Plenty of lunchtime action and some matches pitting promotion and relegation rivals against one another in League Two:
Premier League
Championship
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Coventry City (1st) v Sheffield Wednesday (24th) – 12.30pm
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Norwich City (9th) v Ipswich Town (3rd) – 12.30pm
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Middlesbrough (4th) v Portsmouth (21st)
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Southampton (6th) v Derby (8th)
League One
-
Plymouth Argyle (7th) v Exeter City (21st) – 12.30pm
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Cardiff City (2nd) v Bolton Wanderers (4th) – 12.30pm
-
Bradford City (3rd) v Stevenage (6th)
League Two
-
MK Dons (2nd) v Bromley (1st) – 12.30pm
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Cambridge United (3rd) v Notts County (4th)
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Newport County (22nd) v Harrogate Town (24th)
Scottish Premiership
Arsenal v Bournemouth team news
Seven games left for Arsenal, who are nine points up on Manchester City with a game in hand.
Piece of cake, right? Ha ha ha. More like seven chances to slip up, especially if their recent domestic form is anything to go by. After Carabao Cup final defeat and a surprise loss to Southampton in the FA Cup, Mikel Arteta will be keen to canter away to their first title in 22 years with minimal fuss and put the lid on talk of bottling it.
Three changes from the XI which beat Sporting, with Lewis-Skelly, Havertz and Martinelli coming in. Barry Glendenning has all the latest updates for us here.
Taking three points against Bournemouth will be no easy feat. They are unbeaten in 11 matches and only the top three Premier League sides have lost fewer matches than Andoni Iraola’s team. However, hampered by being draw specialists – fifteen in the Prem this year! – they are only 13th in the table.
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz, Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Hincapie, Jesus, Eze, Norgaard, Trossard, Dowman, Salmon
Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Truffert, Senesi, Scott, Christie, Rayan, Tavernier, Kroupi Jr, Evanilson
Subs: Mandas, Adams, Brooks, Gannon-Doak, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Unal, Toth
Preamble
To paraphrase the Titanic old lady, it feels like it’s been 84 years but after a 19-day intermission, the Premier League was back with a bang last night.
We’ll have all the reaction to West Ham’s 4-0 win over Wolves, lifting themselves out of the relegation zone and putting Tottenham Hotspur into the bottom three. Your move, Roberto De Zerbi.
At the other end of the table, Arsenal are at home to Bournemouth in today’s first kick-off (12.30pm BST), while Liverpool host Fulham this evening, last season’s winners seeking to get over their Champions League stinker and qualify for the continent’s premier club competition again.
In the Championship, leaders Coventry City could effectively ensure promotion today if they beat abject Sheffield Wednesday, in a lunchtime kick-off, and rivals Middlesbrough drop points at home to Portsmouth. After 25 years away from the top division, it is surely only a matter of time for Frank Lampard’s side, given their vastly superior goal difference.
The other choice fixture is the East Anglian derby, as Norwich City could dent Ipswich’s promotion push. Spicy.
In League One, second-placed Cardiff City could take a big step towards promotion if they can see off Bolton Wanderers. And in League Two, first plays second, with Bromley v MK Dons. The south Londoners (just about, even if it feels like Kent) could secure promotion today, and just need a win.
At the top of the Scottish Premiership, it’s all to play for. Hearts face Motherwell and if they lose, Celtic would be on the same number of points if they beat St Mirren.
As ever, please do get in touch with comments, tangents and matchday musings.
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