England 13 Ireland 10:
By the smallest of margins are such games decided. Today, with the Triple Crown there for the taking, this vicious battle turned England’s way after a miscued re-start from Ireland’s most effective player Jonathan Sexton.
It happened 15 minutes into the second half. England flyhalf Owen Farrell had just reduced arrears to four points with a penalty but England were gifted front foot possession when Sexton’s re-start was short and out on the full.
There were so many other crucial moments – with Ireland, as expected, lording it at scrum time – but that felt like the big one.
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A few plays later Danny Care sprinted away for an instant classic English try to give them a lead that they refused to surrender.
A fascinating opening 40 minutes had both teams feeling they should have crossed the whitewash. Really though the inexperienced winger Jonny May butchered a seventh minute opportunity near the left corner flag. Conor Murray must get credit for getting a hand to the ball while the presence of Peter O’Mahony and Andrew Trimble also disrupted the Gloucester sprinter’s path to the line.
But it was a huge chance gone a begging.
That scare prompted a huge reaction from Ireland, with some fantastic fielding by the Kearney brothers, the latest O’Mahony turnover and unreal industry from Cian Healy all leading up to a move straight off the Clonmel training paddock.
Any Irish try was going to have to come off first or second phase possession as the English defence looked too organised, and far too impregnable.
Sure enough, with three decoy runners fixing the English midfield, Sexton put a sumptuous kick pass into Trimble’s hands, his offload finding Rob Kearney, who did superbly to recover a fumble, only to be stopped short.
The Irish pack sensed the opportunity and thundered around the corner but a thumping hit from Tom Wood saw Trimble cough up possession.
England duly went through the phases, with Devin Toner, Jamie Heaslip and Gordon D’Arcy all contributing to a marvellous turnover on the 12th English carry.
As Murray cleared Farrell belted him late with his shoulder. Craig Joubert looked at it several times on the big screen before deeming it to be an Irish penalty yet not a yellow card. Farrell has history in this regard but he escaped further sanction.
Four minutes later he put England 3-0 ahead with a well struck penalty of his own.
Farrell missed his second shot at goal six minutes before half-time, perhaps influencing Chris Robshaw’s decision to crank up their lineout maul from seven metres out. Paul O’Connell and the others decimated it, fracturing three attempts to rumble over.
Ireland cleared and disappeared under the stand.
It had been a costly last attack for England as Billy Vunipola was forced off with a leg injury after an innocuous enough tackle from Toner (who was having another storming afternoon). Still, Ben Morgan was a largely like for like replacement.
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