One of the founding fixtures of the championship, England against Ireland at Allianz Stadium in 2026 marked Maro Itoje’s 100th cap and ended in a 42-21 Irish win.
England played Ireland at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday 21 February 2026, in round three of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations. England had lost the Calcutta Cup in Edinburgh a week earlier.
Ireland were one of the four Home Nations that contested the first championship in 1883, the first international rugby competition of any kind. France joined in 1910 and Italy in 2000, and the older rivalry has kept its own weight.
Ireland had won the 2025 meeting 27-22 in Dublin, England’s only defeat of that championship. England came in on nine straight home wins, their longest run since a 15-match sequence from 2015 to 2018 that Ireland had ended.
Maro Itoje, the captain, won his 100th cap, the ninth man to reach the mark for England. Henry Pollock made his first Test start.
Jamison Gibson-Park, Robert Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien scored inside half an hour. Fraser Dingwall replied on the stroke of half-time, and Ireland led 22-7 at the break.
Dan Sheehan and Jamie Osborne added tries in the second half. Ollie Lawrence and Sam Underhill scored for England, but Ireland won 42-21 and ended the home run at nine.