England 15-32 Ireland: Visitors claim Six Nations bonus-point win after early Charlie Ewels red card

Ireland celebrate beating 14-man England at Twickenham to stay in the Six Nations title hunt

England second row Charlie Ewels was shown the earliest red card in Six Nations history as Ireland eventually notched a 32-15 victory at Twickenham to remain in the title hunt. 

Ewels was sent from the field by referee Mathieu Raynal just 82 seconds into Saturday's contest, having made an upright, head-on-head tackle on Ireland lock James Ryan, before James Lowe, Hugo Keenan, Jack Conan and Finlay Bealham scored tries for the visitors as they registered a bonus-point win.

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton added two penalties and three conversions in what was likely to be his final appearance at Twickenham in the championship, and though the boot of Marcus Smith kept a physical England in touch at a fervid Twickenham, the task proved too tall an order in the end.

Charlie Ewels leaves the pitch after being shown a red card only 82 seconds in

Ireland started brightly with ball in hand, as Lowe carried for big metres down the left and the visitors got into their continuity game early. Amidst the play, Ryan was taken out by a head-on-head collision from opposite number Ewels, who saw red after a review with TMO Marius Jonker in line with rugby's high tackle framework.

Ryan departed and would not return, as Sexton registered his first points of the Test off the tee from the forthcoming penalty to jeers from a displeased home support.

Referee Mathieu Raynal shows a red card to Ewels after a TMO review

In the sixth minute, further early damage came England's way when Lowe sprinted in for the opening try after Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan and openside Josh van der Flier combined to set him away into space.

James Lowe scored Ireland's opening try early after sprinting down the left

Sexton's conversion fell wide across the face of the posts, but Ireland thought they had a second try in the 13th minute when Caelan Doris finished an incessant period of pressure to score in the same corner Lowe had before him, viciously handing off England's Harry Randall as he did so.

On review with the TMO, centre Garry Ringrose was found to have knocked on the ball in the lead up under pressure from Maro Itoje, however, and England survived.

Tom Curry limped off soon after with what appeared a hamstring injury, but England's scrum was finding joy from French referee Raynal as a second penalty at the set-piece handed Smith his first chance for points, which he struck low and hard through the uprights.

Maro Itoje was a major thorn in Ireland's side during the match

Tadhg Beirne knocked on Ireland's next promising attacking spell, before a pretty blatant Joe Marchant forward pass was missed by the officials for England down the other end as the hosts earned a five-metre attacking lineout chance. Ireland's defence was rock solid to keep England out and clear their lines though.

Strong maul defence from Itoje turned over Ireland just outside the England 22 approaching the half hour, before consecutive penalties against the visitors - Cian Healy and Iain Henderson at scrum and maul respectively - presented Smith a second attempt which he should have converted, but missed wide.

The young England playmaker was presented with another kick moments later, as Sexton was caught offside, and this time Smith would not miss to reduce the Ireland lead to two points.

A high tackle by Itoje on Ringrose saw Ireland back into the England 22, and with three minutes left of the opening period Keenan flew over for their second try, as scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park took an intelligent quick-tap penalty under the posts before passing wide after Keenan had spotted the chance and ran hard on a loop.

Hugo Keenan scored Ireland's second try at Twickenham near half-time

Sexton converted crisply but England would have the final say of the half through Smith's third penalty, after Jack Nowell had done well to recover the restart and Henderson was caught playing the ball off-feet.

That left things 15-9 to Ireland at the break, but their second-half restart was fumbled by Henderson, Lowe twice failed to pass with overlaps on and a Beirne offload was knocked on after Gibson-Park had tapped and ran a very kickable penalty - Beirne having done well to earn it at the breakdown.

The first scrum of the second half brought another England penalty to compound Irish frustration, and though a remarkable Andrew Conway 50:22 got them back onto the front-foot, another knock-on followed in the 22 as Tadhg Furlong sought to offload to Bundee Aki.

A fifth England scrum penalty allowed them to clear the danger, before Marchant forced a breakdown penalty at the opposite end and Smith notched his fourth effort for 15-12.

Marcus Smith kept England in the game with penalties, and levelled the contest on the hour mark

Yet another scrum penalty for England followed - this time in attack after Freddie Steward had forced a Keenan knock-on - allowing Smith, quite implausibly, to level the game from close range on the hour.

A second exquisite Conway 50:22 provided Ireland with much-needed territory, and when Itoje was penalised for cynical play near the try-line with 14 minutes left - fortunately avoiding a sin-binning after a TMO review - Sexton kicked the away side back into a slender lead.

Conway blotted his copybook by kicking out on the full with 12 minutes remaining, but he had provincial colleague Beirne to thank for a priceless lineout steal as Irish fans started up renditions of 'The Fields of Athenry'

Ireland should have killed the game when Doris sprinted through thereafter, but his inaccurate offload to Conor Murray was knocked on within the 22. With eight minutes to go, Ireland finally did wrap up the Test when Conan crashed over after 13 phases of excellent Irish attack which saw 13 players involved for 43 touches and 32 passes.

Ireland replacement back-row Jack Conan scored the decisive second-half try for Ireland

Replacement tighthead Bealham then grabbed the bonus-point clinching fourth try with little time remaining, as Beirne latched onto his shoulder to propel him forward from close-range after Lowe had accelerated up to the line but been stopped just short.

Stats of the match

What's next?

England conclude their 2022 Six Nations campaign with a visit to face France in Paris next Saturday, March 19 (8pm kick-off GMT), with Les Bleus seeking a first Six Nations title and Grand Slam since 2010.

Ireland, also in action next Saturday on the tournament's final day, face Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (4.45pm kick-off GMT), and after Saturday's victory at Twickenham, will be involved in the title mix as well as playing for a Triple Crown.