Women's Six Nations 2024: England 88-10 Ireland - Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne score hat-tricks

Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne both scored hat-tricks in England's highest points win over Ireland in front of 48,778 at Twickenham to remain on course for the Grand Slam.

Centre Megan Jones and Jess Breach scored two tries each, with Natasha Hunt and Zoe Aldcroft also crossing.

Sadia Kabeya and Maddie Feaunati went over in the second half, with Ireland managing a penalty try in response.

England's previous highest points win over Ireland was a 79-0 win in 2002.

Victory means the Red Roses have set up a potential Grand Slam decider next Saturday with France, who are also undefeated and face winless Wales on Sunday.

England will head to Bordeaux full of confidence that they can secure a third successive Grand Slam and a sixth successive Six Nations title.

• Rugby Union Weekly: England power to record win over Ireland

• Reaction to England's crushing win

Kildunne stars as England's attack clicks

England sealed a Six Nations Grand Slam against France in front of a world record women's crowd of 58,498 in their previous match at Twickenham.

And the Red Roses wasted no time in putting on another show in front of the new second-highest women's crowd, as Dow fended off two Ireland players to superbly finish in the corner.

Head coach John Mitchell has called for his side to play with a higher tempo in attack, with his captain Marlier Packer saying her side must be brave.

Mistakes have been evident with this new style, but it all started to click at Twickenham, with Hunt spotting a gap at the ruck to break clear before eventually finishing off the second score.

Tries from Jones and Aldcroft quickly followed as a relentless Red Roses grabbed a bonus point in 20 minutes.

But it was Kildunne who was again the star performer. The full-back has been England's standout player this championship with her silky running and grabbed her seventh try of the campaign with another sharp finish.

This came after two eye-catching runs when the 24-year-old danced around countless helpless Irish defenders.

Kildunne, who made 190m in the first half, then turned provider for Dow who grabbed her second try.

Ireland struggle on big occasion

Scott Bemand was appointed the new Ireland coach in July, with Irish women's rugby at an all-time low following five loses and a rock bottom finish in last year's Six Nations.

The former England assistant coach has had a positive impact and ended Ireland's miserable run of seven losses in a row with a convincing 36-5 victory over Wales in Cork last weekend.

However, the challenge of England in Twickenham, who the visitors have not beaten in the championship since 2015, was a challenge too far for his side as they struggled to deal with the hosts' lethal backs.

The pick of Dow's three tries came in the second half when the flying winger again used her strong fend before taking off down the wing to run in untouched.

In the victory over Scotland last weekend five of the Red Roses' eight tries came from their back three, and the trio bettered it a week later as Breach showed her sharp finishing ability for two tries.

Bemand's side did manage to score their first try in five years against England after their maul was taken down illegally, to take something away from a miserable afternoon.

Ireland, who are third in the table, host Scotland in their final game next Saturday as they aim to finish in the top three and secure a spot at the World Cup in 2025.

The result stretches England's winning run in the Six Nations to 28 games, extending their record for consecutive wins by a side across both the men's and women's championships.

However, France are the last team to beat the Red Roses in the competition back in 2018 and pose the biggest threat to that record next Saturday.

Women's Six Nations standings

Line-ups

England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Aitchison, Hunt; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Muir, Talling, Aldcroft, Kabeya, Packer (capt), Matthews.

Replacements: Powell, Carson, Clifford, Hanlon, Feaunati, L Packer, Scarratt, Gregson.

Ireland: Delany; Corrigan, Higgins, Dalton, Parsons; O'Brien, Reilly; Djougang, Jones, Haney; Wall, O'Connor, Wafer, McMahon, Hogan.

Replacements: Moloney, O'Dowd, McGrath, Tuite, Ikahihifo, Scuffil-McCabe, Breen, Deely.

Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau