- England surprises with early lead
- Pastor rallies England fans
- England outperforms, secures victory
The lay pastor was observed at the Whitton Road before Saturday afternoon’s kickoff, carrying a worn-out loudhailer and a tattered copy of the Bible. Although it has been some time since his last sighting at Twickenham, he was once a frequent visitor during game days.
After that crucial second half against Scotland at Murrayfield, he must have returned to his former field, believing England’s supporters could benefit from the positive news. “We are certain that we have faith,” he shouted. Today, we have faith. The young people in wax jackets and flat headwear forming a queue at the pastry stand across the street appeared less than convinced.
It had been over half a century since Ireland began a match at this venue as such substantial favourites. When they arrived in 1976, they had already snatched four victories in this rivalry over the previous four years; England had finished the championship at a flat end each time.
That was the same as it was at this time. Before this, Ireland had defeated England four times by scores of 32-18, 32-15, 29-16, and 29-10. England had yet to approach them by more than two tallies.
It was, in all honesty, the least of Ireland’s achievements. They had won their previous five matches in the Six Nations by a margin of 21, Italy by 36, and Wales by 24. They were on a winning streak of eleven. The last Six Nations team to string together three victories by 20 points was the England squad that went on to win the World Cup in 2003. And the lot for 2024? They were on the verge of defeating both Italy and Wales.
Therefore, faith was essentially the only option left to the supporters of England. They were finally rewarded for it after five minutes. George Furbank initiated a diagonal run across the pitch after collecting a kick deep in his half; the ball was swiftly worked to Tommy Freeman, who rebounded off Calvin Nash.
It was one of those collisions in which the shockwaves pushed everyone backwards, seemingly upsetting the match. Already, Ollie Lawrence was barreling past Jack Crowley down the flank as Ireland struggled. Lawrence stooped to slap the ball down after launching it towards the corner like a cork that had been burst.
The stadium at Twickenham erupted. There has been a considerable interval since the venue exhibited such a lively atmosphere; however, such has been the case for England since they performed as proficiently as they did in the initial minutes. The only problem was that they were four points down after the half.
Although Ireland narrowly avoided England’s 22nd man, they could eliminate that concern by collecting four penalties. That was sufficient to establish their foothold. Given how they were buffeted around the field, the fact that they managed to emerge from the storm with the lead was a testament to their composure. A small amount of good fortune was also required of them.
Lawrence nearly had a second to seize the rebound after chipping ahead and collecting it after the ball ricocheted off Freeman during his struggle with Ciarán Frawley. It was knocked off for a knock-on effect. Nevertheless, it was the finest half for England since their draw with New Zealand in this venue in the autumn of 2022.
Their finest performance, except for the one that followed. England was superior in the second half compared to their performance in the first forty minutes. By virtue of two goals from James Lowe—once in the 43rd minute and again in the 72nd—they wore down a few haymakers.
England returned more strongly. Their second was immediately after Ireland’s first; Furbank completed a play initiated by Maro Itoje and Sam Underhill’s two thunderous runs. Something peculiar occurred fifteen minutes later when Ben Earl scored the team’s third goal. Tens of thousands of England supporters leapt to their feet in delight as Twickenham began to vibrate, rattle, and bounce, the seats creaking, the rafters swaying, and the fixtures pendulum.
England was at work. It felt like the culmination of Steve Borthwick’s laborious efforts during those Pennyhill Park practices had finally materialised. Their pack’s voracious behaviour raised the question of whether Borthwick had deprived them of flesh for an entire week. On the blindside flank, Ollie Chessum appeared to complete every other challenge while George Martin stood before him in complete dominance. Ben Earl, who was named the player of the match, was a human destroying ball, and Maro Itoje and Ellis Genge resumed their heroic ways of playing, the way they used to before becoming accustomed to defeat. This could continue in this manner for the complete set of 23.
Voters Panel: Rachel Reeves wins a large minority of ex-Tories
