The night sky had just fallen over Twickenham, the atmosphere starting to crackle, and Marcus Smith sent his kick towards the stars. The stadium held its breath, a flash point where time stood still, and watched his drop-kick sail towards the posts.
He knew it was good, so good that it sparked a feeling that has not been felt in this place for years. The final play of the game, the clutch move that ended Ireland’s unbeaten run. This was the moment Smith had been waiting for. England’s poster boy, finally having his poster boy moment. Lift off.
For England’s slam busters, it was their biggest win of the Steve Borthwick era. A performance loaded with venom, attacking intent and a belief that did not die until the final play of the game. Even the mild-mannered Borthwick joined the fight, exchanging words with Ireland coach at Andy Farrell at half-time. The crowd loved it.
This was expected to be a precession for Ireland’s Grand Slam coronation in Dublin next weekend. A day to put out the bunting, blast Zombie over the sound system and send the Irish home with a few bottles of red from the Twickenham wine cellar? Think again.
A few hours before kick-off, at the bookmakers on London Road, punters with twitchy fingers perched over the electronic betting machines. Rarely have England been such outsiders for a match at Twickenham, handed a 12-point handicap. A rabble of England fans discussed their chances, sticking a fiver on Henry Slade to score first in a home victory at 8/1. ‘Ain’t gonna happen,’ muttered one of the group.
Marcus Smith kicked a last-gasp drop-goal as England stunned Ireland in a Six Nations thriller
Smith struck in the final act of the game to deny Ireland back-to-back Grand Slams
Ollie Lawrence opened the scoring for England in a blistering start at Twickenham
Ben Earl forced his way over after Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony was sent to the sin-bin
England had been written off all week and the messages filtered back into their dressing room. Judging by England’s intent, the players had taken it personally. They attacked with purpose, accelerating into collisions, shaking the Twickenham crowd out of its slumber.
Ellis Genge, George Martin and Sam Underhill flew into tackles, knocking the wind out of Irish carries. Tommy Freeman and Manny Feyi-Waboso came off their wings, looking for the ball and running it back. After an early penalty from Jack Crowley, England scored the opening try after six minutes.
It was a night where the new generation stepped up.
Running back James Lowe’s booming left foot kick, George Furbank stepped on the gas and showed his running prowess that earned him selection ahead of Freddie Steward. Freeman ran so hard at Calvin Nash that the Ireland winger was taken off injured, before Ollie Lawrence broke clear down the blindside to score on the left wing.
George Ford kicked a penalty and England were on top of every attacking statistic. They dominated carries, territory and possession but their failure to convert in the 22 left the home crowd feeling that they could be in for another painful train journey home.
Bundee Aki muscled up and Josh van der Flier was potent at the breakdown, killing English attacks as the visitors went into survival mode. Confidence in Irish rugby is at an all-time high and they weathered the storm. Their former captain Jamie Heaslip had suggested that England’s only chance of winning was if Ireland were reduced to 13-men. And so they fought back, penalty by penalty, with Crowley edging them to a four-point lead at half-time.
Ireland’s leading club is thriving and Farrell is fast becoming the country’s favourite Englishman. Going into the match, it felt like England were not just taking on their best 23 players, but their entire rugby system. A team that can afford to leave Garry Ringrose out of their matchday 23 entirely.
When England were penalised for side entry at the ruck in their opening attack of the half, Ireland cleared their lines for a lineout near the halfway line. Of the 15 Irish tries scored in the opening rounds of this year’s competition, 13 have come off the back of a lineout. England shifted 6ft7in Ollie Chessum into the back-row to combat their set piece but it was not enough to stop them adding another. Hugo Keenan claimed Jamison Gibson-Park’s box-kick and they quickly shipped the ball, forcing England’s blitz defence to overshot, allowing Lowe to score down the left.
Yet in the 48th minute, they struck back. Running back Gibson-Park’s box kick, Furbank went on the charge. Ford spotted that Ireland’s defenders has bunched down the right so he sent the ball to the left, with Martin and Maro Itoje combining to set up a try for Furbank.
George Furbank raced over to score in the left corner after slick approach work from England
James Lowe scored two tries to put Ireland on verge of retaining the Six Nations title
Ireland, suddenly, looked rattled. Aki knocked on, their lineout malfunctioned and Peter O’Mahony was sin-binned for taking out Alex Mitchell at the ruck. Marcus Smith came onto the pitch at the same time and the expectation lifted.
Theo Dann, with his first throw of the game, hit Sam Underhill at the tail of the lineout and England moved the ball from side to side, sniffing for an opening. The ball fell into the hands of their most threatening player, Earl, and he danced around Aki for a try that suddenly swung the odds in England’s favour.
Enter Danny Care, the centurion, but he was soon watching Lowe score another to snatch the lead in the 73rd minute. Elliot Daly sent a long-range penalty wide as England missed 10 points from the kicking tee – a figure that could have come back to haunt them.
But there was a fearlessness in their youthful ranks. Ireland tried to run down the clock and it came back to haunt them. Smith sprinkled his magic all over the pitch, a no-look pass to Chandler Cunningham-South in the championship minutes. Cometh the moment, cometh the man, as Smith watched his kick sail between the sticks for one of England’s great, unexpected victories.
