England 30-9 Ireland - Lancaster’s England win again

Stuart Lancaster’s England added further confirmation to their growing promise with a fourth win of the RBS 6 Nations Championship that sees them finish second behind grand slam winners Wales.

A penalty try and a score by Ben Youngs put the gloss on a spirited second-half performance from England, after a ragged first hour from both teams.

The fact that Wales had celebrated the grand slam in Cardiff 15 minutes before kick-off left both teams feeling flat, with the game beset by handling errors.

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But it was Lancaster’s men - dominant in the scrum - who awoke from the slumber.

After Owen Farrell had edged Jonathan Sexton 4-3 on penalties, England’s powerful scrum earned a penalty try on the hour mark.

And they put the game beyond reach when replacement scrum-half Youngs - who had been underfire in recent weeks - responded to the criticism with a quick-tap penalty 10 metres from the line that he carried all the way over the whitewash.

Farrell scored 20 points in all with six penalties and a conversion.

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Although a largely dire game, the manner in which England rose above the mediocrity was a fitting finale to the Lancaster reign.

Whether former Leeds player and coach Lancaster is give the job full-time will be determined in the coming weeks, with Nick Mallett his main opponent for the post.

But since taking charge in an interim capacity for the duration of the Six Nations, he could hardly have done a better job.

Don’t miss Sports Monday for Nick Westby’s report from Twickenham.