England vs. Ireland: Score and Reaction from 2016 Six Nations Round 3

A second-half resurgence saw England stride to a 21-10 win over Ireland on Saturday and extend their 100 per cent winning record in the 2016 RBS Six Nations as they returned to the top of the standings.

The Twickenham hosts were frustrated in the opening period and went in at the break with a 6-3 lead, but Anthony Watson and Mike Brown went over the whitewash to seal a convincing second half for coach Eddie Jones' side.

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Ireland did well to hold off England's assault for the opening hour, but legs eventually tired as the travelling party deservedly came off second best in London. 

Ireland's hopes for a hat-trick of Six Nations titles now lay in rubble, but as Kicca's Ian Stafford noted, England have a Grand Slam in their sights after Saturday's win:

Fly-halves Owen Farrell and Jonny Sexton were called into action as the primary point sources in the first half, and a cagey affair unfolded as the two sides jostled for territory.

England No. 8 Billy Vunipola stood out throughout the fixture, however, and was unfortunate not to lead his side to the line in the first 40 minutes, his hulking frame causing a constant concern for the Irish.

Sexton was the first to fire over a penalty after just five minutes, but Farrell slotted two kicks of his own before the interval to ensure England had the slightest of leads at half-time.

BT Sport's Nick Mullins put Ireland's defensive graft into numbers at the halfway mark and sounded out strong praise for the barnstorming Vunipola:

Despite being under the screw for vast stretches of the game, it was Ireland who took the initiative in the second half, however, and Conor Murray reclaimed the lead for the visitors just five minutes after the restart.

England flanker James Haskell was sent to the bin for a high tackle in the 44th minute, and scrum-half Murray leapt over the line from the resulting lineout, with Sexton kicking the extras:

Ireland were happy to take a 10-6 lead before Farrell pulled the Red Rose back to within a single point after slotting his third penalty of the match, but the worst was yet to come for coach Joe Schmidt's side.

After playing through the phases, an overlap eventually opened up on the left flank for England, and Anthony Watson was alert to the space as he thrust England back into a 14-10 lead:

Irish stamina was wavering at this point, and the introduction of scrum-half Danny Care gave England another gear as they went for the jugular in front of a baying home audience.

This time it was Mike Brown who found space on the right wing before gliding over for a second try, and Bet365 illustrated just how quickly the tide turned in favour of the home team:

Ireland refused to let the game slip by, and Connacht centre Robbie Henshaw might have reduced the deficit with a break from 30 metres out, but he just lost control of the ball, and with that, the result went to England.

Care sat out the last nine minutes of the match in the bin after failing to roll away at the ruck, but Coach Jones will have been impressed with the resolve of his 14 remaining men as they saw out an 11-point win.

A third win of the tournament means England are a point clear at the top of the table, and they'll now enjoy a deserved week off before facing what looks likely to be a title decider against Wales.

Meanwhile, Ireland's frustrations continue, and the search for a first win of the competition goes on as Schmidt's reigning champions wave goodbye to their chances of a Six Nations title defence.