Ireland stuns England at Twickenham in a 42-21 rout and revives Six Nations hopes

By Canadian Press on February 21, 2026.

LONDON (AP) — The rumors of Ireland’s demise have been exaggerated.

Ireland revived its Six Nations title hopes and killed off England’s after a shocking 42-21 blowout win at Twickenham on Saturday.

The script was expected to go the other way. England had not lost at home since autumn 2024, and a fiery retort after losing to Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend was expected to celebrate captain Maro Itoje’s 100th England cap.

But Ireland looked and played like the No. 1-ranked team from 2023; energetic, confident, efficient and fearless. Having slipped to No. 5, the Irish beat a team ranked higher than themselves for the first time since July 2024.

And it was historic: Ireland’s highest score and biggest margin against England at Twickenham with a bonus point from scoring five tries to three.

Ireland shot to 22-0, led 22-7 at halftime, scored straight after the break and piled on. Jack Crowley booted seven from 10 for a personal 17 points in his second Six Nations start in two tournaments.

The clash of British and Irish Lions — 13 on Ireland’s side and nine on England’s — was a reminder of why Ireland dominated the successful squad in Australia last year.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

The Associated Press