Ireland’s power play wins the day and crushes England’s hopes

A final quarter dip by Ireland, or rally from England, may have taken some small sheen off this huge performance and victory, but their compelling superiority over that first hour or so was beyond anything anybody could have dreamed, much less forecast. Over the 80 minutes, this win was as deserved as it was immense.

It's to their credit that Ireland made light of Jamie Heaslip's absence and Seán O'Brien's loss, with Tommy O'Donnell called in after 24 minutes here. Aside from his clearing out and carrying, O'Donnell was Ireland's joint leading tackler with Robbie Henshaw.

However, the loss of Johnny Sexton would hurt any team and it left Ireland looking a little rudderless in the last 20. That said, an England side who retained a threat from deep through the twinkle-toed Anthony Watson and rampaging Billy Vunipola, were probably always going to come back into the game.

All told, Ireland kicked 44 times out of hand, often with significant dividends, and 13 of their points could be traced to regaining some of these kicks. They also really tested England for much of the first hour, showing more variety in attack with some switch back passes inside and some strike moves, running ferociously into contact and generally clearing out well.

White wall

Yet the white wall was fairly unyielding, helped by officials who mostly ignored whether the advancing men in white started from in front of the hindmost – save for three exceptions which were so blatant they could not be overlooked. So strong were England in the collisions that Ireland had to commit plenty to the clear-outs and were thus compelled to attack narrowly.

Ireland’s exit strategy, in tandem with the hang time of their kicking in the air and chasing, ensured they spent comparative little of that first period in their own half. In particular, the ball seemed attracted to Simon Zebo like a magnet as he gathered and ran back Ford’s restarts strongly infield, while also picking off an intercept and one wonderful take from a hanging 22 drop out.

Setting the tone of typically error-free start, after a good chase, George Ford was engulfed from Murray's first bomb and Murphy ripped the ball for Devin Toner to win it on the deck. After a strong carry by McGrath, Dan Cole was penalised for offside and Sexton opened the scoring.

The exit pattern was repeated before Sexton's high crosskick left Bowe one-on-one in the air with Jack Nowell and Payne tackled Alex Goode into touch-in-goal for the first of two attacking scrums. After O'Brien, Rob Kearney and Rory Best all went close in the narrow drives which followed, came another Sexton three-pointer against Haskell for killing the ball. That Ford opened England's account soon after scarcely interrupted Ireland's momentum.

When they didn’t have the ball, Ireland’s hounding was like something out of sepia-tinged days of yore. Henshaw, fired up and on fire, shot up along with Sexton to engulf Jonathan Joseph. Welcome to the Aviva. Sexton made it 9-3 from the penalty for holding on. Both outhalves also had misses with Ireland possibly disappointed at such a slender lead.

Jugular

Upon the resumption, Ireland had more joy from another Murray box kick off a defensive lineout when O’Mahony latched onto a spillage for the scrumhalf to make an openfield break and Henshaw to hack on his offload. Goode looked to be corralled in his own in-goal area, but classily escaped the clutches of Henshaw and Sexton.

After a good wrap and carry by Sexton, and recycle by O’Connell, Chris Robshaw was penalised for a side entry and Sexton landed a finely struck 45 minute penalty to make it 12-3. A speculative up-and-under by Ford was gathered comfortably by Kearney, and a patient, controlled Ireland scrum earned a penalty.

They went for the jugular off the lineout and again had joy from a Sexton cross kick as Zebo tackled Watson. It was like feeding time in the zoo as Irish bodies piled in. They had to regroup under pressure in the ensuing recycling – rarely has Murray’s strength been so vital – and with a penalty advantage Murray chipped into the in-goal area where Henshaw used his GAA routes to outmuscle Goode in the air and score adroitly.

Alas, Sexton soon departed after twanging his hamstring with the superb touchline conversion. Vunipola broke out off the base of a scrum after Toner fumbled a lineout, Murray cutting off the pass to Nowell as the number eight grubbered dead.

Even so, Marty Moore was pinged at his first scrum upon replacing Ross for Ford to make it 19-6, although Moore promptly won a turnover penalty in the loose. That said, when Ireland twice came calling, Ian Madigan overcooked a cross kick and an up-and-under.

O’Mahony was penalised for not releasing for Ford to make it a ten-point game with 12 minutes to go. Payne also departed, Felix Jones coming onto the wing and Bowe moving to outside centre as England’s running and recycling hardened.

To home relief, Twelvetrees was pinged for shielding Tom Youngs' drive for the line, which became an indirect penalty for an English shove, and prompted a rendition of The Fields.

Ireland were then grateful for a knock-on and poor pass by Twelvetrees either side of a big hit by Healy on Nick Easter, before Nowell and England were denied the try they probably deserved with the game’s last play for a forward pass.

They may not be finishing games as they’d like, but they sure are starting them well and sure are seeing them out as winners. SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: Sexton pen 3-0; 9: Sexton pen 6-0; 12: Ford pen 6-3; 30: Sexton pen 9-3; (half-time 9-3); 48: Sexton pen 12-3; 53: Henshaw try, Sexton con 19-3; 59: Ford pen 19-6; 68: Ford pen 19-9.