In a historic moment, Ireland claimed their fourth-ever Grand Slam, with their first-ever Grand Slam-clinching victory in Dublin against old rivals England. Ireland v England was surprisingly close. On a beautiful spring day, Ireland managed a tense 29-16 victory over an English team eager to halt the Irish domination of the tournament. Despite a nervous start marked by uncharacteristic errors, Ireland capitalised on England's first-half red card that left them with only 14 players, and went on to secure a bonus point win.
Here's how we assessed the Irish player performances.
Ireland v England: Ireland player ratings
15 Hugo Keenan – 8
A smart and skilful performance, arguably the best positional full back in the world. Showcased good line breaks in the first half and won crucial aerial battles.
14 Mack Hansen - 7
Effective when handling the ball but made several sloppy mistakes at the breakdown.
13 Robbie Henshaw - 7
Secured the game with a fantastic try and excelled in defence.
12 Bundee Aki – 8
Carried the ball with great effort, but decision-making was occasionally poor, especially when needing to pass rather than charge into the English defence. Improved with a pass that led to Henshaw's try.
11 James Lowe – 6
An patchy performance, scrambling well in defence but making a few careless passes in the first half.
18 March 2023; James Lowe of Ireland celebrates his side's second try during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and England at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
10 Johnny Sexton (Capt.) - 7
Became the top point scorer in Six Nations history. Made some smart kicks but questionable decision to go for a quick tap instead of an easy three points.
9 Jamison Gibson-Park - 7
Energetic and bright performance. His passing is still one of the best around.
1 Andrew Porter – 7
Contributed to a crucial penalty win in the first 10 minutes but gave away needless scrum penalties. His work in the tight exchanges was brilliant. Made 10 tackles.
18 March 2023; Andrew Porter of Ireland is tackled by Owen Farrell, left, and Manu Tuilagi of England during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and England at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
2 Dan Sheehan – 8
Ireland's two-try hero, displaying great skill in the first half and always eager for work. 10 ball carries/10 tackles.
3 Tadhg Furlong - 7
Gave away an unnecessary scrum penalty but put in a strong defensive effort with big tackle impacts. 11 tackles.
4 Ryan Baird - 6
A mixed performance. Tried too hard at times, resulting in errors. Managed a crucial penalty win in the 59th minute to halt English momentum.
5 James Ryan – 7
Outstanding defensive effort with 14 tackles and vital clear-outs. Worked very hard in defence and involved in some big clearouts/lineout wins.
6 Peter O’Mahony - 6
A quiet performance with some good lineout takes. 3 tackles.
7 Josh Van Der Flier - 7
Provided a beautiful pass for Sheehan's first try and showed excellent defensive work. 12 tackles.
8 Caelan Doris - 7
Worked hard in defence. 11 tackles. Made a significant impact with his carrying.
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Replacements:
Here's the player ratings from Ireland v England from Ireland's subs.
Rob Herring - 7
Scored his first Six Nations try, securing the bonus point.
Cian Healy – 6
Limited to defensive duties in his 5 minutes on the field. Made 3 tackles.
Tom O’Toole - 7
Impressive scrum before Henshaw's try. Made some good hits. 7 tackles.
Kieran Treadwell - 6
Only on the field for 7 minutes.
Jack Conan - 8
Made a significant impact off the bench, assisting Sheehan's crucial score with an excellent pass. 14 ball carries.
Conor Murray - 6
Played for 7 minutes, making a good tackle to finish the game.
Ross Byrne - 6
Played for 7 minutes, helping to close out the game.
Jimmy O’Brien 6
Demonstrated positional flexibility when replacing Keenan after his head injury.
That's our Ireland v England player ratings.
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