The sighs of relief emerging from England throats might have been enough to buffet the 747s passing overhead on the Heathrow flightpath. The hosts of the World Cup that kicks off here on Friday week roared into an early lead in their final warm-up friendly with their renewed strike threat out wide turned into tries by the wings Jonny May and Anthony Watson. Yes, there were too many wobbles to feel sure of a ticket to the final, but it looks like being an enjoyable flight.
Any repeat of the ragged performance away to France two weekends ago would have had critics rushing to align with the Rob Andrew view expressed in midweek on behalf of the RFU, that this England team will peak in 2018, not the next eight weeks.
Instead, it was Ireland, losers last weekend to Wales in Dublin and faltering victors against Scotland earlier in August, who were left clutching at the straw that they have time to hit the World Cup ground running, with Canada and Romania in their opening matches, followed by the likelier deciders versus Italy and France. 
Anthony Watson scored a brilliant try after a cross-field kick
After a spectacularly flat display – a brief third-quarter rally apart – including little open-field threat from Johnny Sexton at fly-half, and his half-back mate Conor Murray removed early by a head knock, the Canadians and Romanians might fancy an upset.
England had auditions going on in various positions, and May and Watson will be happy to have reprised their try-scoring from last month’s friendly win over France here. Together with Mike Brown, they also managed to deal with the aerial bombs which had helped Ireland beat England comfortably in Dublin last March.
This meeting was different, in lots of ways. Considering it was only a marginally forward pass by Tom Youngs that chalked off a second try by May in the 25th minute, England’s fast start was of jet-propelled proportions.
Much attention focused on England’s line-out and though there was some ropey stuff tapped towards Ben Youngs at scrum-half, his brother Tom’s throwing-in suffered no actual steals, despite the presence of Ireland’s uber-tactician Paul O’Connell. It was a timely morale boost for Youngs the hooker, although the England pack were twice shoved off their scrum put-in, and from one of them it needed rapid work by the No 8 Ben Morgan to recover and force what was remarkably his team’s first breakdown turnover of their three warm-up matches.
England’s first-quarter tries demonstrated the sharp thinking and even sharper foot speed possessed by their back division. In the third minute the defensive linchpin Brad Barritt led a charge that forced Ireland’s full-back Simon Zebo to kick to touch on a shallow angle. Geoff Parling, recalled to steady the England line-out, won the throw under pressure from O’Connell, and 12 phases later, a lovely looped pass by Ben Youngs allowed May to brush off Tommy Bowe’s miscalculated tackle – the Ulsterman went too high – for a try that George Ford converted.
It was a rare black mark for the backs when May’s early tackle on Sexton gave Ireland three points.
Paul O'Connell got a try back for the Irish early in the second-half
Even when Parling was off for blood treatment, Courtney Lawes calmly secured a line-out, which set up Ford for a 30-metre cross-kick and England’s second try. Zebo’s footwork might have been better but do not underestimate the athletic leap and catch by Watson, a youngster in his pomp right now.
Parling nicked an Irish line-out to bolster his stock but the lock lasted only four minutes of the second half, gingerly flexing his right shoulder as he went off. Robshaw was not interested in further line-out practice when Ireland stood up in a 47th-minute scrum, as the captain, who topped the tackle count in familiar fashion, just ahead of the impressive Tom Wood, told Ford to go for goal and England led 15-3.
Ireland’s fightback consisted of a 50th-minute penalty by Sexton, with England’s forwards sucked offside, reinforced by O’Connell ‘s try – just his eighth in 104 Tests – converted by Sexton after Jamie Heaslip caught the home pack napping on the fringe of a line-out maul. Rory Best’s clearout helped too.
Slightly alarmed, England sent on the Vunipola brothers among the usual battalion of changes and Ireland eventually had six backs and nine forwards, which was disruptive. Barritt had cemented his place in the World Cup team, after missing last spring’s Six Nations Championship injured, before being replaced by England’s gargantuan wildcard Sam Burgess, whose first contribution was an offload that went forward, followed by a fumble of a fast pass from Richard Wigglesworth that blew a great attacking position off a line-out in the Ireland 22. These and others were edgy errors not associated with potential World Cup winners. 
England coach Stuart Lancaster watches the action at Twickenham
But Burgess regrouped – well, if one man can do such a thing, it’s him. His lob to May was turned into an attack by the recipient’s dynamic dart, although Owen Farrell, on for Ford, got his angles wrong and ruined a possible overlap, just as Joe Launchbury had done earlier. England also had a try ruled out for both offside by Wood and a failure to ground over the line by Wigglesworth.
Burgess made a charge through a double tackle and a wipeout of a tackle on Ian Madigan prompted a satisfied wink at a team-mate from the rugby league recruit.
Farrelldispatched two closing penalty goals – one from a Courtney Lawes special of a tackle that nailed Dave Kearney – interspersed with a “calm down, lad” ticking-off from the referee Nigel Owens. Keep calm and carry on, England – it would serve as a verdict.
England: M Brown; A Watson, J Joseph, B Barritt (S Burgess, 60), J May; G Ford (O Farrell, 60), B Youngs (R Wigglesworth, 60); J Marler (M Vunipola, 56), T Youngs (J George, 60), D Cole (K Brookes, 62), G Parling (J Launchbury, 13-19, 45), C Lawes, T Wood, C Robshaw (capt), B Morgan (B Vunipola, 56).
Ireland: S Zebo (T Furlong, 69); T Bowe, J Payne, R Henshaw (I Madigan, 60), D Kearney (D Cave, 60); J Sexton, C Murray (E Reddan, 16); J McGrath, R Best (R Strauss, 61), M Ross (N White, 60-75), D Toner, P O’Connell (capt; D Ryan, 66), P O’Mahony, S O’Brien (C Henry, 61), J Heaslip.
Referee: N Owens (Wales)
Scrum-half Murray did not return to action after his 10-minute head injury assessment, raising an immediate World Cup concern for boss Schmidt.
Schmidt gambled on selecting just two scrum-halves in his final World Cup squad, with fly-half Ian Madigan a potential makeshift understudy.
Should Murray's problem prove any lasting concern then Ireland could be forced to look again at calling back either Isaac Boss or Kieran Marmion.
England botched the chance to heap more misery on Ireland, Jonny May denied a second try thanks to a forward pass from Tom Youngs.
Ireland's attempted rally at the death of the half fell flat when Sean O'Brien knocked on in contact.
England drew first blood in the second half thanks to Ford's penalty which, like Sexton's in the first half, bounced on the bar and then over.
Sexton responded from the tee to leave England leading 15-6, but Ireland's pack pulled a well-worked score out of the hat.
Captain Paul O'Connell ground his way over the line after a smart lineout ploy, with Sexton's conversion pulling Ireland within two points of the hosts.
Ireland botched a counter-attack when Robbie Henshaw threw a speculative forward pass, wasting a fine chance to relieve yet more England pressure.
Sam Burgess joined the fray to much acclaim but squandered a potential try with a forward pass, then knocked on poorly in contact.
Johnny Sexton was forced to play through the pain of cramp with his kicking limited, until Dave Kearney returned from the blood-bin to allow him to leave the fray.
Simon Zebo pulled up several times with cramp too as the high-octane pace took its toll, Ireland out of backline replacements and forced to soldier on.
Ireland eventually sent prop Tadhg Furlong into action in Zebo's place, with Chris Henry forced to slot in as an emergency wing.
Replacement Owen Farrell botched a four-man overlap by throwing a speculative miss-three pass.
Richard Wigglesworth thought he had scored from the resulting ruck, but the try was ruled out by video replay after Tom Wood was deemed to be offside at a ruck.
England continued to waste territory and possession but Farrell landed a penalty to move the hosts 18-13 ahead.
Farrell slotted his second penalty as England closed out a victory showing far more poise than in their frustrating loss to France in Paris.
