England looking hapless seem set to lose another player for part of the upcoming tournament after a red card for Billy Vunipola.
For a game overshadowed by the surprise overturning of Owen Farrell's red card last week, subsequent appeal by World Rugby and England's decision to omit him on Saturday, an eerily similar tackle by Vunipola will be the main talking point this week.
Even with 15 men, England caused few problems despite the Six Nations winners lacking rhythm, particularly early on. Vunipola's 52nd-minute red for driving his shoulder into Andrew Porter's head only added to the game's lopsided nature.
"It had a bit of everything - good, bad and ugly," Ireland coach Andy Farrell told a news conference.
England started brightly and led after George Ford, making his first test start since 2021, kicked an early penalty. That was as good as it got for Steve Borthwick's men, however, who have now scored just four tries and conceded 20 in their last five games.
The first came on nine minutes when Ireland cut them apart with Josh van der Flier finding a perfect line run by backrow partner Peter O'Mahony, before Bundee Aki touched down under the posts after another well timed pass.
That accuracy was sorely missing for much of the remainder of an error-strewn half that Ireland controlled but somehow found different ways to hand back possession from each promising move.
Worryingly for coach Andy Farrell, Dan Sheehan also hobbled off before the break. With Ronan Kelleher also struggling for fitness, Farrell can ill afford to lose his explosive first choice hooker who he said requires a scan.
Just as it looked liked the half was petering out, Ireland's attack came alive again, dragging England from one side to the other before Mack Hansen delivered a beautiful cross field kick into the arms of Garry Ringrose, who touched down in the corner.
If England badly needed a rallying performance after another poor Six Nations and flat warm ups, this certainly wasn't it. They looked desperately predictable even as they were given plenty of first-half chances to do something with the ball.
The floodgates threatened to open after the initial yellow card for Vunipola - the only specialist number 8 in England's squad - was upgraded following a review, and wings James Lowe and player of the match Hansen got amongst the tries.
To their credit, the visitors started to play better when down to 14 men, as they did a week ago, with Kyle Sinckler getting a consolation try.
There was still time for the moment of the game though as 100-cap Keith Earls, who got a rousing standing ovation when he led the team out with his three daughters and again when he came on the field late on, finished brilliantly in the corner.
"I think that clearly when you go to 14 men against Ireland, it becomes very, very difficult. But it was a tight battle for a long period," Borthwick said.
"Clearly the area we need to work on is that conversion of opportunities in the final third."
Ireland, who have now won 12 games in a row, have one last warm-up against Samoa in France on August 26 before beginning their World Cup campaign against Romania on September 9.
England host Fiji next week and open their campaign on the same day as Ireland with the far trickier prospect of Argentina.
In other matches this weekend, South Africa logged a big 52-16 win over Wales, and France accounted for Fiji 34-17.
