At least England don’t need to practice their runner-up look. A really exciting match that and you can why these two are the front-runners for the title. England surged back into it but, as Manchester post-punk rockers Pins put it on their new single, it was too little, too late. Ireland used their greater experience and smarts, were more disciplined and held on for a well-deserved win.
That makes Joe Schmidt’s team heavy favourites to defend their title, unless (a) Wales suddenly remember how to play and give them a hiding or (b) Italy clone Sergio Parisse 14 times. A fine performance, if imperfect.
Robbie Henshaw has been named man-of-the-match. Peter O’Mahoney should be seething at that.
Right that’s all from me. The Six Nations takes a break next weekend, so either join me then for silly o’clock cricket or do so in a couple of weeks when all this resumes. Thanks for reading, for your emails and your tweets. Sorry I couldn’t use them all – it was rather frantic. Bye!
80 min Free-kick to England at the lineout. Up they go and drive to within 5m. Now they go left and Twelvetrees puts Nowell into the corner! But he’s thrown a forward pass! And with that the whistle goes.
79 min Penalty England for holding on after several phases and then Craig Joubert marches them forward 10m when an Irishman chats back. Ford sticks it into touch on the 22.
78 min Henderson takes it in and Ireland maul, but it’s going nowhere. Inside they go, but this is going to be stuck up the jumper for the next two minutes.
77 min Brilliant take from Watson and England look to counter from deep again. They sling it left to Nowell, who knocks on and then Twelvetrees plays it from an offside position. Madigan finds touch 10m outside the England 22 and that’s just about that.
76 min Ireland secure the ball but Kearney’s kick to the corner is inaccurate and fielded by Goode. He kicks it straight back though and we’re at the stage where England can’t afford to throw the ball away now.
74 min Madigan clears to touch midway between his own 22 and 10m line. Sean Cronin comes on for Rory Best. England win the lineout and the forwards look to punch holes around the fringes, but then when they go along the line Twelvetrees throws his pass behind Burrell. I genuinely don’t know why Twelvetrees is there.
72 min In the middle of the park and England keep it tight, driving slowly towards the line. Tom Youngs and Easter crash it up the middle, then Nowell surges to within 5m. On they go, a metre out now.
70 min Ford dummies to kick then runs around the long way, behind the ruck and up to halfway. Now the kick does come, from Wigglesworth, but it’s too deep and Bowe claims an easy mark. The winger kicks to touch on the right, on his own 10m line. Payne off, Felix Jones on.
69 min Wigglesworth is on for Ben Youngs too. England charge out of the 22 after Nowell secured the kick-off, but it’s slow ball as Ireland counterruck well. Wigglesworth clears to Kearney midway inside the Ireland half and Ireland have possession again, but Vunipola catches Murray’s high ball neatly.
67 min Dan Cole goes on the charge now and completely wipes Healy out when the Irishman goes in too high. England then get a penalty when Ireland go off their feet at the ruck. Really good work there from the Leicester man Cole.
66 min Burrell and Mako Vunipola charge upfield and then Kruis drives up to the 22. England go left but Joseph is wrapped up by O’Mahoney. Healy comes into the ruck and drives England further back.
65 min Madigan kicks long to Goode who calls the mark, then clears to touch 70m down the field. For Ireland, Iain Henderson comes on for the excellent Devin Toner and for England Mako Vunipola replaces Marler.
64 min Patient from Ireland but then Madigan steps inside when he should go along the line. Kearney stabs through but Goode gathers and just about evades his opposite number and Youngs clears.
63 min Ireland nab the lineout and sling it left. Henshaw carries up to the 22 and now they go through the phases, that man O’Mahoney making yet more ground.
62 min Ireland go left off the lineout but Kearney spills it forward. England play the advantage and sling it wide, where Henshaw is inches away from intercepting Ford’s pass just outside the 22! It goes loose and for a second it looks like Nowell might be away but he can’t gather, then O’Connell charges Ben Youngs’ kick down into touch.
61 min Goode again up into the Ireland half. Back it comes to Haskell, who takes it into contact just over Ireland’s 10m line, but Moore seals him off on the ground and it’s another penalty. Madigan kicks to touch on the right as Croft comes on for Haskell.
60 min England clear to halfway and Ireland spot a bit of space on the left, where O’Mahoney makes ground. He’s stopped and it comes back right, but Madigan’s high kick for Bowe goes out on the full. England take it quickly and kick tennis takes place.
57 min Goode sends up a high one and it looks to have bounced back off Madigan on his own 22. The replay reveals it came off Goode’s fingertips and thus it’s a very good call by the referee to award the knock-on. Martin Moore replaces Ross, who held his own brilliantly against Marler.
55 min Devin Toner takes it but then, cursed by my colleague Ian McCourt, apparently, knocks on. Vunipola comes off the back of the scrum and bursts 40m up the pitch. He obviously hasn’t got the pace to go clear, so kicks ahead. He overcooks it though and the ball goes into the in-goal area, where Kearney safely grounds it.
54 min O’Mahoney wins the lineout and Ireland maul. Tom Youngs goes offside and it’s another penalty. England are falling apart here, although Sexton is a big loss for Ireland. I say that – Madigan puts a lovely touchfinder down the right and 5m into the England 22. The crowd is getting noisy.
53 min Tom Youngs is on for Hartley. Murray puts up a high kick yet again and Goode knocks on. Ireland play the advantage and kick ahead, but Goode fields in the 22 and quickly cracks a long free-kick to touch on halfway. Sexton looks to have done his hamstring and is replaced by Madigan.
Ireland go through the backs and get advantage for offside as Nowell flies out the line. Murray chips over with the box-kick, Henshaw outjumps Goode, gathers on the full over the line and tumbles over in the corner! What a finish!
Robbie Henshaw touches down the ball to score the opening try despite the efforts of Alex Goode. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images
52 min Advantage Ireland and Sexton chips across to the left. Watson gets it but he’s scragged and turned over 8m from his own line! Ireland are very narrow and drive towards the line, O’Mahoney battering away at the defence. Great tackling from England though.
50 min It’s pleasing to see these two sides using the scrum to restart the game rather than to earn penalties. Of course as I write that, Ireland get a penalty for England wheeling the scrum.
49 min Nowell takes Murray’s box-kick well over his shoulder. He knocks it backwards but it’s OK as he regathers, then Ford hangs the ball up high. Bowe takes and is immediately run over by Vunipola. The ball’s not coming out of this one and it’s a scrum to Ireland on their own 22.
From the 10m line, on the right about 17m infield, Sexton will look to extend the lead beyond seven points. Dead-eyed, he sticks it through the middle.
