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.
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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