Irish management's reaction:  The victory was extra special for Eddie O'Sullivan because of the English performance. Their display would have been good enough to have dismissed Irish teams in bygone days.

The bottom line was Ireland were a better team than England so all they had to do was play to their optimum level to win. Sounds easy.

Also, as O'Sullivan stated, any qualms that after last year's epic win at Twickenham, England could only improve were backed up yesterday. In spades.

"I think last year there was a feeling that England didn't play well and that we won not because we played well but because England played so badly. I think you couldn't take that out of today's game. England played well, we played well.

"There were some parallels to last year's game in that we started well and then they got a soft try. We fought back and in the secon half, we again scored the crucial try at the crucial moment. Then put up the shutters for the last 10 minutes.

"I think if they had played as well in their first two games they would have won them, but that's neither here nor there."

The only disappointment was the shutters needed to come down at all, the absence of an insurance score being the coach's only - mild - criticism of his side's display. Ronan O'Gara's drop goal effort, albeit on his left peg, could have been the clincher.

"A bit of white line fever with that maul," was how O'Sullivan explained it.

"We should of kept our heads a bit to put ourselves in a better position and dropped the goal with more control."

The fear beforehand was the noose of the favourites' tag. But this is where this Irish team have matured this year. "It's a gradual process and we are becoming a bit more accustomed but it's really only this season that we've been able to start playing with that favourites tag," said Brian O'Driscoll.

"Obviously we were delighted. We felt if we performed well today we would win the game. England played well too, which makes it a little more sweet. Sure we got the bounce of the ball and a couple of decisions our way but when you get things like that you have to jump on the back of them."

Of course, with coach Andy Robinson saying England should have had two tries, the question of referee Jonathan Kaplan's performance had to come up. Mark Cueto's 'try' was the real bone of contention. "I couldn't tell for sure, from where I was sitting, whether from that kick he was on or offside," said O'Sullivan. "Now Andy was sitting about two yards from me so I'm not sure how he's so sure.

"The referee called it as he saw it. Their try (by Martin Corry) was obstruction at the ruck. Ronan O'Gara was standing at pillar, he was taken out. It was clean as a whistle and should have been a penalty. So, I mean it's part and parcel of the game."

Robinson also declared that England had dominated the game, especially the lineout. O'Sullivan begged to differ: "I think we lost one lineout in the whole game. They must have lost four or five. I don't know how that adds up to domination."

Johnny O'Connor's name was plucked from a great team effort with a first 80 minutes in green his reward for staying the pace.

"To be fair to Johnny, he's pretty inexperienced when it comes to international rugby. Johnny is not the biggest guy on the paddock but he certainly punches above his weight. We watched him closely with 15 minutes to go and he was still doing the business. He was still knocking people down. Still making a nuisance of himself at the breakdown. Still on the pace of the game."