Records broken at Allianz Stadium as Red Roses extend winning run to 34 games

England’s Red Roses kicked off their Guinness Women’s Six Nations campaign with an impressive 33-12 victory against a determined Ireland side.

It was a shaky start for the visitors as Ireland spilled the opening kick of the game, gifting England an early scrum. However, the Red Roses were unable to capitalize immediately, conceding a knock-on of their own. While Ireland looked promising in attack early on—forcing fullback Ellie Kildunne into several defensive tackles—they couldn’t convert that pressure into points.

It took just eight minutes for England to score the first try of the tournament. Following a clinical lineout, hooker Amy Cokayne touched down at the back of a powerful driving maul, with Helena Rowland adding the conversion.

The physical nature of the contest was evident early as Maddie Feaunati was sent for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), replaced temporarily by Abi Burton. While Ireland’s defense held strong against England’s set-piece dominance, the deadlock broke again in the 20th minute. After a relentless period of "pick and go" phases, Sarah Bern breached the line to score under the posts. Rowland again converted to make it 14-0.

Feaunati returned to the field in the 22nd minute, but England’s momentum didn't waver. In the 31st minute, another potent lineout maul was initially disrupted by the Irish defense; however, a sharp offload from Claudia Maloney-MacDonald found Sarah Bern, who drove over for her second of the afternoon.

Ireland had a chance to respond in the 37th minute, but fly-half Dannah O’Brien overshot the touchline on a penalty kick. Just before the break, Ellie Kildunne had a try chalked off for a knock-on. Ireland used the resulting advantage to clear their lines, ending an entertaining first half with England leading 21-0.

The second half began with a blow for the hosts. In the 43rd minute, Morwenna Talling suffered a knee injury during a tackle and was forced off, making way for debutant Ala Lutui. Looking to freshen up the side, Head Coach John Mitchell rang the changes in the 51st minute, bringing on Mackenzie Carson, Maud Muir, Natasha Hunt, and Zoe Harrison.

The momentum shifted back to England when Captain Meg Jones produced a brilliant block on an Irish clearance. She unleashed a perfectly weighted kick-through, which was chased down and touched down by speedster Jess Breach.

Ireland finally found their breakthrough in the 64th minute. Following a strong lineout and maul, Anna McGann powered over to put Ireland on the scoreboard, though the conversion was unsuccessful.

The Allianz Stadium erupted shortly after as Ellie Kildunne showcased her signature footwork, stepping through the Irish defense in the 67th minute to score. Amidst the action, the stadium announcer confirmed a historic moment for the sport: a record-breaking crowd of 77,120 fans—the highest ever for a Women’s Six Nations fixture.

Ireland refused to back down, rewarding their persistence in the 74th minute when Captain Erin King dived over from a pick-and-go. Dannah O’Brien added the extras to bring the final score to 33-12.

Meg Jones was named Player of the Match after a tireless shift, leading by example with 14 carries, 61 meters made, two turnovers, and six defenders beaten.

While the 34th consecutive win keeps England’s historic streak alive, it was by no means a "walk in the park." Ireland’s ability to disrupt England’s flow will give them plenty of optimism heading into their next clash against Italy. John Mitchell will likely be pleased with how his mix of youth and experience blended, though England will be "sweating" on the fitness of Talling and Hunt as they prepare to head to Scotland next week.