Earls marks milestone with try in routine Ireland win over England

It was a win with a whole lot of homework to do.

Andy Farrell's Ireland finished their home Summer Nations Series with a by-the-numbers victory over a disinterested and ill-disciplined England outfit, while the Grand Slam champions were also guilty performing well below their best.

It may have been Ireland’s second outing of the summer but with Farrell having selected 15 new starters from the win over Italy, a measure of rustiness was to be expected.

Billed as a proper Test match, it had none of the bite or niggle that is usually associated with this fixture.

If we learn in later years that a gentleman’s agreement was reached between the parties prior to kick off it will not come as a surprise.

It was, in fact, all very civilised, until Billy Vunipola’s 53rd-minute red card for a dangerous tackle on Andrew Porter.

But the game was lifted as Keith Earls celebrated his 100th cap milestone with a spectacular try, while man of the match Mack Hansen was superb throughout as Ireland beat England for the fourth time in a row and stretched their winning streak to a record-equalling 12 games.

Farrell will also anxiously await a medical report on hooker Dan Sheehan who was substituted before half-time.

The first half was a poor excuse, the murmur of the crowd audible before the break as they chatted among themselves.

There's no guarantee the subject was rugby but possible topics could have been the sloppy lineouts, the slow scrums, the overcooked kicks and the bad passes.

England, led by half-backs Ben Youngs and George Ford, appeared to be aiming all their kicks into the welcoming arms of an ever-ready Hansen.

When he fielded one up and under, Ireland recycled quickly and after James Lowe made some ground out wide, soft hands by Josh van