I have to dash over to cover Wales v France, so I’ll leave you with our on-the-whistle report. Thanks to all of you for following from around the world, sorry I couldn’t use more of your emails. Tonight, there are plenty of foreign fields that will be forever Ireland. Thanks for joining me. Bye!
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Ireland’s players embrace at snowy Twickenham, grand slam winners after a perfectly executed and fully deserved victory in their biggest rivals’ backyard. What a performance that was.
Full time: England 15-24 Ireland
The conversion is sliced wide to complete England’s misery. But never mind that. It’s Ireland’s day. It’s Ireland’s year. It’s Ireland’s slam!
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TRY! England 15-24 Ireland (May)
Jonny May goes over after a pass from Ben Te’o. The PA thinks it’s a good idea to blast out ‘One Step Beyond’.
80 mins: Farrell spills the ball over his head and Larmaugh flattens him after sprinting 10 metres. The game in microcosm. Into extra time but England are pushing for a consolation...
79 mins: One more England scrum to see out before the job is done for Ireland...
78 mins: England ramp up the pressure to turn the ball over, but Farrell’s pass sails into touch. The hosts have rallied, but as against Scotland and France, it’s come too late.
77 mins: Robshaw sidles through as Ireland switch off for a split-second. Danny Care passes out wide to Mike Brown, who looks to have touched down - but he’s forced into touch! More exceptional last-ditch defending.
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75 mins: Jonny May crashes forward as England try to avoid a record margin of defeat at Twickenham, in the Six Nations at least.
73 mins: Jordi Murphy and Kieran Marmion come on, replacing Peter O’Mahony and Keith Earls. There’s such a terrific blend of youth and experience through this team.
72 mins: Joe Launchbury is on for George Kruis as Elliott Daly makes headway down the left flank. Ireland’s defence stands firm once again.
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Penalty missed! As ‘Fields of Athenry’ rings around Twickenham, Carbery misses the kick - but it may not matter too much.
68 mins: Stockdale is denied a second try as he steps into touch, but Ireland win the penalty. Carbery will kick for goal...
Changes for both teams: Exeter’s ever-popular Don Armand comes on for Sam Simmonds, while Carbery replaces Sexton for Ireland. Best, Furlong and Ryan all replaced as Ireland make changes to the pack.
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TRY! England 10-24 Ireland (Daly)
Daly gets his second as Ford and Farrell combine well before the latter finds Mike Brown, who rides one tackle and offloads to Daly, who races into the corner! Farrell misses the conversion, but England are within two scores...
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64 mins: Danny Care is on in place of Wigglesworth, as England continue to press...
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62 mins: Daly, England’s brightest attacking spark by a distance, almost gets on to a kick-through, but Keith Earls gets back to cover...
Hello to Gordon in Austria, Mark in New Orleans, John in Kansas City, Ashley from the Japanese mountains, Siobhan in Saudi Arabia, Conor in Berlin, John in Barcelona, Sean in Baku, James near Santiago, Ciaran at Disney World and David on an actual plane. A few Irish expats in that bunch. Some team this, isn’t it?
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England 5-24 Ireland (Murray pen)
Ireland stretch their lead to 19 points, and are surely on course to complete the grand slam. England are on course to finish fifth...
58 mins: Larmour, another of Ireland’s prodigious young backs, almost makes the breakthrough down the right, but England scramble and deny Ireland a fourth try. The brawny forwards step in, Tadhg Furlong forcing a penalty. Conor Murray will kick the three points...
57 mins: Ireland continue to edge forward at their own pace, and win a lineout inside the England 22. George replaces Hartley in the front row.
55 mins: Play is stopped with Aki on his feet but needing to go off for a head injury assessment. He hurt himself making a tackle on Jonathan Joseph. Jordan Larmour replaces him, while George Ford comes on for Joseph.
54 mins: Ireland could miss the bulk of Aki in midfield, as he goes off for treatment. Haskell tries to drive England on, but Ireland turn it over and Stockdale nearly breaks through again. Ireland look like they can snatch the ball, and take it in for a try, at any moment.
53 mins: England changes - Marler and Cole on in the front row, Vunipola and Sinckler off.
52 mins: Sinckler crashes into Kearney but Ireland, as they have done so often, rally in style and Stockdale nearly cracks the England defence with another crafty kick through. Mike Brown collects and faces up to the approaching wave of green shirts.
50 mins: Ireland penalty from the scrum - they are shutting England down here. They’ve come here and played this their way, which is mightily impressive.
49 mins: Irish scrum, and the referee will have another word with the captains. The crowd are in full voice, Irish and English fans exchanging ditties.
Jose in Portugal, Keith and Hannah in Toronto, El in Minneapolis, Daniel in Paris, Fiona in Amman, Maura in Dubai, Michael in Boston, Sarah in Washington, John in Thailand, Dave in Florida, thank you all for tuning into our weird game from these windswept islands.
47 mins: Ireland penalty, and despite five minutes of pressure, England stay 16 points behind.
46 mins: England try for the other corner, but the green wall remains rock solid - and touch judge Jaco Peyper steps in, spotting a neck roll on Kearney from Elliot Daly...
45 mins: England probe and press along the five metre line, racking up 13 phases before Te’o offloads to May, who is held up just short of the line...
44 mins: Farrell splits the Irish defence with a brilliant long pass to Daly, his go-to winger today - but Keith Earls gets a hand up to push him into touch! A try-saving intervention.
43 mins: A little space down the right for England, the crowd waking up as the backs fling the ball around. The forwards try to make ground now, Kruis, then Vunipola and Robshaw...
42 mins: Sexton has returned for the second half, with Carberry back on the bench.
Here we go again
The second half is under way...
Where in the world are you watching? So far, I’ve heard from happy Irish fans in Tokyo, where it’s 1am, and Costa Rica, where it’s 10am...
@niallmcveigh keep tweeting about the game. Am following in a bus in Costa Rica! #comeonireland 🍀🍀
— Bunks (@SAWFDevon) March 17, 2018
@niallmcveigh can’t find a tv showing the match in Tokyo, Japan so we’re relying on your commentary. COYBIG!
— Snailo (@Snailo86) March 17, 2018
Jacob Stockdale just scored his eighth try of the tournament - a new Six Nations record. It’s also notable because England have expanded the goal areas at Twickenham by two metres - if they had left them alone, Stockdale would have run out of room.
Half time: England 5-21 Ireland
Things were looking good for Ireland as it was, but that try in added time puts them 16 points clear. The grand slam looms, unless England can pull off a comeback for the ages. More soon.
TRY! England 5-21 Ireland (Stockdale)
The ball looks to have run beyond Stockdale but a kind bounce off his knee gives him the chance to touch down, right at the back of the goal area - and he gets there! Carbery converts.
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40 mins: Another Ireland lineout, from which Leavy powers forward and Murray switches the ball left. Ringrose hands it back and Murray picks out Jacob Stockdale, close to the left touchline. He chips over Brown and charges for the try line...
39 mins: Murray kicks for touch, Ireland have a line-out, and Itoje is penalised for tackling in the air. England have conceded seven penalties in this half to Ireland’s three.
38 mins: Lineout in a promising position for England, but Ireland turn it over and O’Mahony will trot back on. It’ll have been a long 10 minutes, perched on a chair in freezing conditions.
36 mins: Mike Brown, on for the injured Watson, helps England clear their lines, and Wigglesworth wins them about 30m with a kick that finds Ireland’s backs out of position.
35 mins: Joey Carbery steps in with Sexton off the field, as Ireland look to run the clock down until O’Mahony can return.
Farrell misses the conversion, quite possibly because a crowd of medics were still tending to Watson a few metres away. One of them even jogged right across his path. Watson has gone off, while Sexton has gone for a head injury assessment.
TRY! England 5-14 Ireland (Daly)
With Watson down injured, Farrell weighs up his options in front of the posts, and picks out a lovely diagonal kick, which Daly scoops up beyond the try line!
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31 mins: You feel England absolutely have to get on the board with the man advantage. They pour forward again, but Ireland’s defence stands firm...
30 mins: Sexton needs to see the physio, with blood pouring from the fly-half’s nose. His treatment consists of a quick wipe with a towel.
29 mins: England have an advantage, and take another line-out, but Ireland claim the ball! Still no points on the board for the hosts.
Yellow card for Peter O'Mahony!
The Irish No6 gets out of position and collapses the maul. He’ll head to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
28 mins: Ringrose looks to have turned the ball over, stripping the ball from Kruis - but Henderson collects it in an offside position. England have another shot...
27 mins: Another scrappy maul from England, but they get a penalty which Farrell kicks into the corner...
26 mins: Replays show that Aki’s tackle on Daly was a little over-exuberant. Penalty, but no yellow card, to the crowd’s dismay.
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25 mins: England scramble for an immediate response, but Elliot Daly loses the ball under pressure. Nothing’s gone right for England so far, and Ireland can almost touch the grand slam...
TRY! England 0-14 Ireland (Stander)
Bundee Aki bursts through the English defence after a hand-off from Furlong, and offloads to CJ Stander, who crashes into the base of the post. TMO is checked, but that’s a try all day long, and Sexton converts!
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23 mins: England clear, but concede a penalty at the line-out. Ireland advantage, and they swarm forward...
22 mins: Sexton hits the post! His kick drifts right and thwacks off the upright, and Farrell is in position to collect the ball...
20 mins: Ireland come again, England unable to escape their own half, and Kyle Sinckler is penalised at the breakdown. Sexton will kick for goal, some 40 metres out...
18 mins: England scrum, which has to be reset - that’s the fourth time already. The Irish pack gets turned by Vunipola, and England get the penalty and line-out.
Guy Hornsby is feeling optimistic:
15 mins in and it's more of the same from England @niallmcveigh. Stupid penalties, simple errors, and the result is field position and points. We've looked sparky in defense but still no continuity. This could be a really long day.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) March 17, 2018
17 mins: Bundee Aki almost finds a gap but England hold firm. Conor Murray switches play back to the left wing, where Aki can’t reel it in. Ireland very much in the ascendancy early on.
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15 mins: Both captains are warned about their impatience in the scrum. When they do engage, Ireland win the ball and work through the phases, forcing their way to within 5m in the left corner...
14 mins: Watson makes a slaloming run from deep in England territory, before Farrell attempts to apply pressure with a kick downfield. He succeeds only in hitting George Kruis, who is accidentally offside. Ireland scrum, the mistakes mounting for England...
12 mins: England see their attacking momentum dissolve as Maro Itoje is penalised at the line-out.
@niallmcveigh In children's ward at hospital, no access to TV or radio for live commentary. Relying on your deft fingers to keep me engaged via Twitter.
— London City (mum) (@LondonCityMum) March 17, 2018
Alternatively may stick head out of window to hear crowd as within spitting distance of T'ham
Glad to have you on board; there’s not a lot of noise coming from Twickenham just now.
9 mins: So, a terrible start for England and Anthony Watson, and just what Ireland were after. England win a penalty in midfield, but Ireland’s defence is strong from the line-out, and the visitors have a scrum.
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England 0-7 Ireland: Sexton, whose crafty kick created that try, converts from an angle. There was a slight hint of a knock-on from Kearney after Watson’s drop, but the TMO didn’t flag it up.
TRY! England 0-5 Ireland (Ringrose)
Ireland are awarded the try, Watson spilling the ball and failing to ground it, allowing Kearney and Ringrose to close in. It’s the centre who gets enough downward pressure, and Ireland lead!
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6 mins: TRY? Ireland’s kick to touch isn’t the best, but from the line-out, Sexton sends a testing kick high in the air, where a breeze is whipping across the ground. Watson is under it, but spills it, and Garry Ringrose touches it down! Ireland celebrate, but this is going to the TMO...
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4 mins: Ireland set out their stall with some big early tackles, and earn a penalty on their own 10m line as Owen Farrell clatters into Kearney late. Just letting him know he’s there...
2 mins: Keith earls chases his own kick and looks to be cut off by Sinckler, but there’s no whistle. Wigglesworth tries a kick-through on the counter, but Ireland regroup and clear.
1 min: Wigglesworth hooks the ball upfield and Kearney collects, before an early exchange of kicks...
Here we go!
Australia’s Angus Gardner blows his whistle, and Ireland kick off.
The anthems ring out, with snow still falling at Twickenham. It’s time!
Joe Schmidt speaks: “England have made a lot of changes, I think they’ll be a lot more mobile. We’ll have to be on our mettle at the breakdown.”
“It’s an enormously special day and we’re focused on getting a result at the end of it. We’ll do our best.”
Predictions? If you’re looking for scoreline pointers, Ireland won the trainers’ battle at Cheltenham 17-11, while in the women’s Six Nations, England won 33-11:
Ireland’s only change sees Iain Henderson return to the second row, with Devin Toner dropping to the bench. Eddie Jones makes seven changes, with Chris Robshaw, Dylan Hartley, Richard Wigglesworth and James Haskell among the players coming in. Owen Farrell moves to fly half with Ben Te’o at inside-centre.
It’s finished Italy 27-29 Scotland in Rome, Greig Laidlaw’s late penalty breaking Italian hearts:
Or stay focused on the big one, with our pre-game previews:
You can join me for the last 20 minutes of Italy v Scotland, where the hosts have an unexpected 24-19 lead...
The teams
England: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Jonny May, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ben Te’o, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 James Haskell, 8 Sam Simmonds.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Don Armand, 21 Danny Care
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 1 Cian Healy, 2 Rory Best (c), 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 James Ryan, 5 Iain Henderson, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 7 Dan Leavy, 8 CJ Stander.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Andrew Porter, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Jordan Larmour
Preamble
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, England went to Dublin chasing back-to-back grand slams and a record 19th straight Test victory. As they had done against the All Blacks in Chicago, Ireland spoiled the party, and threw the first spanner in Eddie Jones’ England machine.
Now, it’s England welcoming a freewheeling Irish team chasing only their third ever grand slam, and the title of the northern hemisphere’s most likely at next year’s World Cup. The Six Nations crown is already in the bag but as with last year, the final game is the difference between a great campaign and a historic one.
The spotlight is Ireland’s, but there is plenty of pressure on the hosts too. Jones’ juggernaut has stalled dramatically with defeats to Scotland and France. A first loss at Twickenham since the ill-fated 2015 World Cup would ensure a bottom-half position and a step up into crisis mode. Win, and those prior blips will be forgiven.
Throw in Eddie Jones’ off-colour comments this week, plus the fact it’s St. Patrick’s Day, and this feels like a massive 80 minutes. Ireland have their shot at glory, but the stakes are sky-high for all concerned. Kick-off: 2.45pm.
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