Ahead of Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash in Dublin, we’re taking a look at the best Ireland Vs England rugby stats from history.
Ireland host England at the Aviva Stadium in round one of this year’s competition.
Tournament favourites Ireland will be expected to avenge their last-gasp defeat to England at Twickenham in last year’s tournament.
But Steve Borthwick’s England side will be no pushovers and are slowly building towards the World Cup in 2027.
According to the best UK rugby betting sites, Ireland are the favourites at 2/5, with England rated as 13/5 underdogs.
The pendulum of dominance has swung back and forth between these two sides over the years – but who has come out on top more often?
Below are some of the key Ireland Vs England rugby stats from the history books.
Ireland Vs England Rugby Stats
This matchup is one of the oldest international rivalries in all of world sport.
Ireland and England first met on the rugby field all the way back in 1875, with England winning 2-0.
The scoring system in rugby has changed significantly in the last 150 years.
Back then, points were only awarded for successful kicks at goal, with a try only giving teams a chance – or ‘try’ – to kick the conversion and score a point.
Ireland Vs England Head-To-Head Record
England were the winners for the first seven meetings, with the eighth match ending in a draw in 1882.
The first Ireland victory was in 1887, at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.
In total, their have been 142 test matches between England and Ireland. It’s England who lead the head-to-head record, with 81 wins to Ireland’s 53.
There have been eight draws in that time, most recently a 9-9 stalemate in 1968.
The record is far closer in the professional era, though. Since rugby turned professional in 1995, England lead Ireland narrowly with 19 victories to 15.
England have scored 1,763 points against Ireland, compared to 1,314 for the Irish.
The longest winning streak for either team is England’s run of eight straight wins from 1912-1924. Ireland’s longest run of wins is five from 1972-1976.
Biggest Scores In Ireland Vs England Matches
The biggest win in this fixture was England’s 57-15 demolition of Ireland at Twickenham in a warm-up match for the 2019 World Cup.
Ireland’s biggest win against England came in 2007, when 81,000 fans saw them thump England 43-13 at Dublin’s Croke Park.
Ireland Vs England Individual Stats
- Most Tries: Rory Underwood (England) – 7
- Most Points: Jonny Wilkinson (England) – 107
- Most Appearances: Rory Best (Ireland) – 16
