Keenan: Victory all that matters at Twickenham

Hugo Keenan admitted that it was far from perfect, but an away win over England, complete with the bonus point, was what Ireland set out to achieve at Twickenham today.

The dismissal of England lock Charlie Ewels in the second minute and James Lowe's early try suggested the visitors would enjoy a relatively comfortable afternoon, but it proved anything but.

Ill-discipline and handling errors meant Andy Farrell’s side led by just six points at the break, and with 15 minutes left on the clock, it was all-square.

Ireland however finished strong with 17 unanswered points to claim a bonus-point 32-15 win. It means the men in green remain in the hunt going into the final weekend of the competition.

Full-back Keenan, who crossed just before the break, said it was all about getting the job done.

"We’re delighted with the win. It wasn’t easy, it probably wasn’t our best performance," he told RTÉ Sport.

"England made it difficult for us. Our set-piece wasn’t firing. We’re absolutely delighted, we know how hard it is to come here and win. Ultimately that’s all that matters. We’ll take it."

A satisfied Hugo Keenan is hoping to lift a bit of silverware at the Aviva Stadium next week #RTErugby pic.twitter.com/3nMkODuQlx

So what did Eddie Jones’ side do to disrupt the Irish game plan so effectively?

"They (England) were playing pressure rugby. We probably weren’t accurate enough.

"Our intent was there and we were trying to play to the space, but we were one or two per cent off maybe. The fact they had 14 men, we probably didn’t respect that enough, especially at the start, but we learned our lessons and finished really well."

Ireland host Scotland next weekend, but are reliant on England doing them a favour when they take on undefeated France who