The dream isn't so fanciful now and talk of a first Grand Slam since the Jackie Kyle generation of 1948 lives on. In a reprise of their 19-13 victory over England at Twickenham, Ireland beat the World champions for the second year running by the same score at Lansdowne Road yesterday. Groundhog Day for England then, but another glorious one for Eddie O'Sullivan's team, writes Gerry Thornley, Rugby correspondent.
This result leaves Ireland alongside Wales atop the Six Nations table with three wins out of three and, no doubt to the mirth of much of the rugby-playing world, England are bottom of the pile with Italy after three defeats apiece.
England produced their best performance of a profoundly frustrating campaign, growing in confidence as the match progressed and often bombarding the green defensive line. Making 106 tackles, the Irish defence said No and the watching Roy Keane, among others, would surely have approved.
Although the old Lansdowne Road ground fairly throbbed, the tension was also palpable and the game was a good hour old before the crowd was intoxicated enough to clear the throats for the Fields of Athenry.
There was more to it than that, of course, and needless to say cometh the hour, Ireland's talisman and captain Brian O'Driscoll tiptoed down the touchline with customary dexterity to round off an excellent move for the game's decisive try. English coach Andy Robinson queried two key decisions by South African referee Jonathan Kaplan, which denied his side tries by Mark Cueto and Josh Lewsey in either half, but, as O'Driscoll also remarked: "Sure we got the bounce of the ball and you get days like but you have days like that and you have to jump on the back of them."
Ireland will finish their campaign away to Wales on March 19th, completing a week which, aside from St Patrick's Day, also sees the annual Irish pilgrimage to the Cheltenham Festival.
Although it will have been whispered with increasing confidence in the dens and hostelries of Dublin 4 and elsewhere last night, it seems almost too nicely set up for a Grand Slam, winner-takes-all, shoot-out with the Welsh. Next up is the not- so-minor matter of the French, who play Ireland in Lansdowne Road on March 12th after producing their best performance of the season in defeat to Wales on Saturday.
"I'm not sure what that will do to France," O'Sullivan wondered aloud. "Will they come to Dublin with a different team, or be more galvanised by losing that game? One thing we do know is that they're coming to Dublin and we've got to be ready to play them."