England 16-20 Ireland
England 16-20 Ireland
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By Tom Powell. |  |
Saturday, 27, Feb 2010 05:54
By Martyn Thomas at Twickenham.
Tommy Bowe bagged a brace of tries as Ireland ended England's Grand Slam hopes to win a pulsating match at Twickenham.
The winger's second try came with just six minutes left, and moments after Jonny Wilkinson had nudged England in front for the first time in the game.
Keith Earls also grabbed a try, while Jonathan Sexton added a penalty and Ronan O'Gara stepped off the bench to score a conversion.
The result means England's hopes of a Grand Slam and Triple Crown are over for another year, while Ireland's championship is kick-started after defeat to France last time out.
A swarm of green descended on Twickenham before kick-off and it would have been easy to mistake west London for Croke Park as the visitors came out on to the pitch.
The roar the Six Nations champions were greeted with as they entered the pitch is seldom reserved for visitors to HQ. And the travelling army of Ireland fans were again in good voice with just four minutes on the clock as Bowe opened the scoring.
In truth, and despite a bizarre kick-off from Wilkinson that barely trickled the required ten metres, England had started on the front foot. But the home side were unable to trouble the Irish defence, and as the ball was turned over they were made to pay the ultimate price.
The visitors worked a two-on-one on the right wing and as Sexton put a kick through, Ospreys flyer Bowe easily beat Lewis Moody in a foot race for the line.
A bad start for the hosts was made worse as Simon Shaw was forced to hobble off.
England though were still enjoying good possession and territory, and should have registered on the scoreboard with the half entering its second quarter.
However, Wilkinson missed with a drop-goal attempt and then inexplicably hit the post from the ensuing penalty.
Minutes later the home side were unlucky not to score a try of their own as Nick Easter and Dylan Hartley broke through, before Delon Armitage appeared to be taken out off the ball chasing a Wilkinson kick.
Wilkinson eventually got England's first points of the afternoon after 16 minutes with a penalty.
However, as the rain began to fall heavily at Twickenham Ireland began to seize control, and went further in front thanks to a Sexton penalty after he'd missed an earlier attempt.
Keith Earls then broke through some slack English defence but fortunately for the home side, Danny Care was alert to the danger and managed to cut off the Munster man's kick through.
England did manage to close the gap to two points before the break though as Wilkinson slotted over his second penalty of the day.
Wilkinson and Sexton both missed penalty attempts as the second half got underway.
The second forty burst into life in the 54th minute as Care and opposite number Tomas O'Leary enjoyed some handbags on halfway.
From the resulting penalty, Sexton hammered Ireland deep into the English 22, and when O'Connell collected the line-out, the drive was on.
Although the English defence initially held firm, the ball was flashed out to the left wing where some quick hands from Sexton gave Earls an easy score. Sexton missed the conversion though to keep the home side within seven points.
And the Leinster fly-half was made to pay for that miss immediately as England levelled in controversial circumstances.
A smart kick into the Irish 22 forced try-scorer Earls to take the ball over his own line and hand the home side a scrum - their first real attacking position of the second half.
And they made it pay. First Mathew Tait made a half-break before some forward pressure under the posts saw Dan Cole burrow over. The decision had gone upstairs but it wasn't clear-cut by any means.
Minutes after England levelled the scores, Ireland skipper O'Driscoll was forced to leave the action on a stretcher after an accidental collision in midfield with teammate O'Connell.
England were now slightly on top and after spurning an earlier penalty, Wilkinson hammered them in front with a drop-goal after an excellent break from Care.
The visitors weren't about to give up though and launched a raid of their own on the English 22.
After winning a line-out deep inside England territory, O'Connell snaffled it safely before offloading to O'Leary who found Bowe on his shoulder.
The winger then cut through the England defence with ease before brushing off a lame attempted tackle from Ugo Monye.
The difference between the sides was highlighted in the final minute as England toiled to produce one last chance before the ball was cleared to massive Irish cheers at Twickenham.
England: Armitage, Cueto, Tait, Flutey, Monye, Wilkinson, Care, Payne, Hartley, Cole, Shaw, Borthwick (Capt), Haskell, Moody, Easter
Replacements: Mears, Wilson, Deacon, Worsley, Hodgson, Flood, Foden
Try: Cole
Con: Wilkinson
Pen: Wilkinson (2)
Drop-goal: Wilkinson
Ireland: Murphy, Bowe, O'Driscoll (Capt), D'Arcy, Earls, Sexton, O'Leary, Healy, Best, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Ferris, Wallace, Heaslip
Replacements: Cronin, Buckley, Cullen, Jennings, Reddan, O'Gara, Trimble
Try: Bowe (2), Earls
Con: O'Gara
Pen: Sexton
Ref: Mark Lawrence (SARU)