Controversy arose in the first half of Ireland's Six Nations defeat to England at Twickenham, with fans questioning whether Ellis Genge should have been shown a red card.
RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content
Despite this, Marcus Smith's last-minute heroics secured a stunning victory for England, marking their standout performance under the Steve Borthwick era.
Trailing by two points after James Lowe's late try, Smith's decisive drop-goal sent Twickenham into ecstasy.
Earlier, George Furbank and Ben Earl had put England in the lead, only for Lowe to seemingly snatch victory for Ireland.
The contentious moment occurred 23 minutes into the first half, with Genge's forceful ruck clearance on Tadhg Furlong prompting debate over its legality.
Although unseen by the officials and unreviewed by the TMO, Furlong continued without undergoing a Head Injury Assessment.
“Wretched” – Three players Steve Borthwick should drop – and who should replace them for France
In a pulsating Six Nations clash, England delivered their most impressive performance under the stewardship of Steve Borthwick, culminating in a dramatic last-minute drop-goal by Marcus Smith to stun Ireland.
Despite the triumph, there's speculation that Borthwick might opt for three changes ahead of England's Six Nations finale in Paris next weekend.
#1. George Ford
Telegraph 5/10: "Beautiful with ball in hand, wretched with the boot. Missing seven points felt crucial and kicking from hand was also not on the money."
RUCK 6.5/10: "A frustrating day personally for Ford, yet he would be delighted to see his side turn the fortunes around in the second half. Had his drop gaol attempt charged down and missed the 30th min pen from the Ireland 10m line. Ford was offside along with Ollie Chessum at 38 minutes, as England worked tirelessly to clear their lines. Missed another conversion after Furbank’s try, as Owen Farrell watched on in the Twickenham stands."
Rugby World 5/10: "Put some nice width on the ball, particularly with the miss passes to a rampaging Ellis Genge in midfield. However, he was guilty of missing a very kickable penalty attempt in the first half and also had a drop goal charged down. Mixed bag."
Replacement: Marcus Smith
#2. George Furbank
Rugby World 5/10: "Looks the part and played a nice hand in the opening Ollie Lawrence try but keeps coming up with handling errors at key junctures. Catching James Lowe’s clearance and stepping into touch gave Ireland the opportunity to extend the lead to 12-8 on the stroke of half-time. Bounced back by taking his try well when racing down the left wing after good hands from the forwards."
Replacement: Freddie Steward
Freddie Steward of England on the break as he slips the tackle of Alex Mann of Wales during the Six Nations Match between England and Wales at Twickenham, London on 10 February 2024 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)
#3. Ellis Genge
RUCK 5/10: "Scrummaged well, but probably could have been sent off for his dangerous hit on Tadhg Furlong during the opening 40. He won't be that lucky again and could be cited."
Replacement: Joe Marler
Isuzu Scratch-Card Game:
If you don't win, don't worry - you get 2 chances to win every day! Have another attempt by simply answering a quick question following your first unsuccessful scratch.
Don't forget to come back every day to try and win big!
