England’s Rugby World Cup campaign is now in full disarray, some 21 days before their first match in France.
Steve Borthwick’s men could well now face Argentina in Marseille on Saturday, September 9 without both captain Owen Farrell and talismanic No 8 Billy Vunipola.
Vunipola will surely miss the start of England’s World Cup campaign after his red card in Ireland’s 29-10 victory over Steve Borthwick’s men in Dublin.
Talisman No 8 Vunipola will doubtless receive a ban next week, for a head-high tackle on Ireland prop Andrew Porter.
Boss Borthwick has put all his No 8 eggs into Vunipola’s basket, with the 30-year-old selected as England’s only specialist in the position in their 33-man World Cup squad.
Ben Earl and Lewis Ludlam can deputise, but England omitted Harlequins specialist Alex Dombrandt from their World Cup ranks.
The length of Vunipola’s ban will determine whether Borthwick keeps faith with the Sydney-born wrecking ball, or opts to replace the Saracens star.
Vunipola hit Porter’s face with his shoulder, and saw his yellow card upgraded to a red by the television bunker official Ben Whitehouse.
Welsh official Whitehouse told referee Paul Williams that Vunipola’s tackle carried a “high degree of danger, with no mitigation and no wrap”.
Just one week after Farrell was sent off after another bunker review for a high tackle on Wales’ Taine Basham, England again failed to clean up their disciplinary act.
Skipper Farrell will face an appeal on Tuesday, where World Rugby will argue against the 31-year-old’s rescinded red card from last week’s first hearing.
Only four days ago, Farrell thought he was in the clear to start the World Cup.
Now, not only is Farrell sweating on his World Cup participation all over again – but Vunipola too will be in a panic.
Whitehouse’s words that there was no mitigation will prove key in Vunipola’s eventual disciplinary hearing.
High-profile barrister Richard Smith played an initial blinder to convince the disciplinary panel last week that Farrell was unable to avoid his head-high tackle on Basham because Jamie George pushed the Wales flanker at the last second.
World Rugby believe there should have been no mitigation applied, and that will be the crux of the England captain’s appeal hearing.
Whitehouse’s clear instruction to referee Williams at the Aviva Stadium this week that mitigation should not apply will now in all likelihood seal Vunipola’s ban meanwhile.
Beyond the obligatory disciplinary horror show, Ireland flexed all their world number-one Test team muscle.
Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Mack Hansen and Keith Earls – toasting his 100th cap – all crossed for Andy Farrell’s composed and comfortable men.
England finally showed some attacking shape, but still lacked for penetration and incision.
Replacement prop Kyle Sinckler bundled home for the visitors’ only score, in yet another chastening outing for England.
England played more rugby in the first four minutes here than in their previous two matches.
Ford offered shape and invention from fly-half, and then posted a penalty for an early 3-0 lead.
But in a flash – and more specifically two passes – Ireland were under the posts with Aki the gleeful try scorer.
England had no defensive answer whatsoever to Ireland’s variety of running lines, passes and decoys.
The hosts’ opener was all too facile, but then, Ireland in full flow are wonderful to behold.
Ford missed a regulation penalty shot as England clawed at fluency without ever forcing Ireland to fold.
England brought Ireland’s second score upon themselves by compounding errors to gift the hosts field position.
Elliot Daly missed touch with a penalty, then Vunipola knocked on poorly trying to retrieve James Lowe’s clearance.
The crowd jumped on Vunipola’s back, and the big No 8’s reaction, though harmless, betrayed huge frustration.
Ireland attacked with relish from the scrum, whipping the ball right, then all the way back left.
And when Hansen stepped off his wing to deliver a sumptuous crossfield punt, Ringrose knew all he had to do was collect and step inside the cover to score.
The classy centre did all of the above with ease, almost floating to the line leaving a clutch of white-clad defenders in his wake.
Ireland took a 12-3 lead into the break, and quickly set about extending their advantage after the interval, and Vunipola’s red card.
Lowe walked in on the wing after Vunipola’s dismissal, before Hansen fielded Byrne’s fine long pass to score in the other corner.
Sinckler crossed for England’s consolation, only for replacement Earls to finish acrobatically on the left flank to hand Ireland the last word.
Another day, another England dismissal – another week of World Cup worry ahead.
Defence coach Kevin Sinfield has waxed lyrical about England’s hard work to lower their tackle height.
Despite the best of intentions, England simply now have to accept that those efforts are yet to bear proper fruit.
