Andy Farrell pinpoints moment that defined Ireland’s thrashing of England

Ireland secured their biggest ever win over England at Twickenham SportRugbyRugby UnionAndy Farrell pinpoints moment that defined Ireland’s thrashing of EnglandIreland secured their biggest ever win over England at TwickenhamHarry Latham-Coyle at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Saturday 21 February 2026 18:02 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in gallery(Getty Images)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreIreland boss Andy Farrell hailed Stuart McCloskey’s late cover tackle on Marcus Smith as a moment that defined his side’s superb Six Nations performance against England.The visitors secured their biggest win over England at Twickenham, stunning the hosts in a 42-21 success that kept their title hopes alive.It was a showing that stood in stark contrast to a flat performance against France on the opening night, with much of the Irish older guard delivering after being backed by Farrell to give a better account of themselves.open image in gallery(Getty Images)Centre McCloskey stood out throughout, with the 33-year-old showing an impressive turn of speed to haul in Smith with ease after the England replacement full-back had intercepted a pass near halfway. Wing Robert Baloucoune later scrambled to deny Tommy Freeman a try in two moments that Farrell believes showed his side’s spirit.RecommendedSteve Borthwick explains early substitutions in chastening England defeat to IrelandIreland’s old guard roll back the years in record Six Nations win to leave England with huge questionsSix Nations 2026 schedule in full: Fixtures and results“I suppose the telling parts of Stu McCloskey chasing back Marcus there and being able to put him in touch just shows the fight,” Farrell explained. “And also, the Rob Baloucoune one on the far side just shows the fight and the spirit that these lads have got for one another and what it means to them.“It looked like we was hunting people down throughout the game. You know, it's one thing going up with a good start and getting the bonus point there as far as four tries is concerned, but how we kick-chased, how we kept hunting down the breakdown, all that type of stuff, it shows that that's a proper performance where there's no egos, that everyone's just going for it together and trying to gain a little bit more respect off one another.”open image in gallery(Getty Images)While British and Irish Lions Jamison Gibson-Park and Tadhg Beirne were also among Ireland’s best, there were coming of age performances from young wings Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien.O’Brien had been introduced for James Lowe after his Leinster teammate suffered an injury that “didn’t look too good”, according to Farrell, and combined superbly with the rest of the Irish back three to tear England apart in wider channels.WIth McCloskey, winning his 26th cap after a career largely spent on the periphery of Farrell’s first choice side, also going well, the Ireland head coach believes it was a performance that showed depth developing that some felt Ireland lacked.“The growth in the team is with the likes of Rob Baloucoune and Stu McCloskey dominating at this type of level in such a big game like that,” Farrell stressed. Cian Prendergast coming on and showing that he belongs at this level. Nick Timoney coming on and doing exactly the same. The respect that they have now got from their peers is pretty solid.”After the fallow week, Ireland host Wales in Dublin on Friday 6 March as they continue their Six Nations campaign.More aboutAndy FarrellIreland RugbyStuart McCloskeyMarcus SmithEngland RugbyJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next