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Hello and welcome to ESPNscrum's live coverage of Ireland v England at the Aviva Stadium.
There has been torrential rain in Dublin today but the conditions seemed to have calmed down as the teams make their way onto the pitch for what is undoubtedly the biggest game of the Six Nations so far.
We've had marching bands, fire and a number of very important guests shaking the hands of each of the players but the build-up is over and it's time to descend into the heat of battle.
This titanic clash has been billed as the title decider, and both sides have roared out their anthems and look suitably pumped up for the occasion. Here we go...
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| 1 |
3 - 0 |
A lot of the talk has been about the two fly-halves today and it's England's George Ford who kicks off, sending the ball spiralling long and deep into the hands of Ireland's Simon Zebo. Ireland then kick high and put England under pressure early on, forcing a turnover on the halfway line.
The crowd enjoyed that and are even happier to see England penalised for an offside just inside their own half. Sexton is going for goal... And he nails it through the posts. Easy.
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| 3 |
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England give away another penalty straight after the restart and Sexton is able to gain a good 40 metres and give his side the first lineout ball of the afternoon, which they win comfortably.
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| 6 |
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Ireland knocking on the door very early on here, diving for the line after a high ball forced Alex Goode to carry it off the pitch deep in his own 22. Scrum down five metres out, Ireland to put in...
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| 7 |
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Sean O'Brien goes inches from scoring under the posts and is stopped but England don't roll away and Sexton has a chance for what looks like an easy three points.
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| 8 |
6 - 0 |
No trouble for Ireland's key man as he blasts another clean strike through the posts.
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| 10 |
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England win their first lineout and play it wide to Jack Nowell - in for Jonny May today - and his chip over the top forces a lineout for England in Ireland's 22.
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| 11 |
6 - 3 |
George Ford takes a big hit from Robbie Henshaw but England keep hold of the ball and look threatening, with James Haskell breaking a couple of challenges only a few metres out from the try line.
It's worked back for Ford who takes a deep breath and calmly slots a drop goal through the posts. There have been very few drop goals this tournament but the young England fly-half showed no fear there. England off the mark.
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| 14 |
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Ireland have clearly got a game plan here. They send another high ball into the swirling wind for England's inexperienced backs to field. It's Ford who claims it this time, before skipping past two lunging tacklers.
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| 16 |
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A very encouraging moment for England as Ireland concede a penalty off their own scrum on the halfway line. Stuart Lancaster will be hoping that sets the tone for the next hour...
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| 17 |
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Ireland concede a penalty near the halfway mark, giving Ford a similar opportunity to the one which Sexton so gratefully seized in the opening minutes. It's a long way out in quite tricky conditions... And he skews it just wide.
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| 18 |
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Ireland are really thriving under the high ball - this time it's Simon Zebo who claims a probing drop-out from the ever-influential Sexton.
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| 21 |
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Rob Kearney tries a classic up-and-under but big Billy Vunipola claims it for England before offloading nicely and winning a penalty for England. Ford smashes it out for a lineout in another menacing position for Chris Robshaw's men.
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| 22 |
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England are looking strong in the set piece here, and Ireland collapse the resulting maul to concede a penalty in their own 22. Ford opts not for the three points but decides to pile more pressure on the Ireland defence. Hartley's lineout throw is wayward, though, and the attack is completely wasted for England.
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| 23 |
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Another lineout lost by England, and that early confidence in the set piece may be sapping at an alarming rate if this continues...
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| 25 |
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Robbie Henshaw does incredibly well to wheel Vunipola around and turn the ball over for Ireland when it looked like the England number 8 was picking up a bit of momentum. The crowd enjoyed that one.
England are then penalised for being offside again - Ireland have the lineout about 30 yards from the try line.
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| 26 |
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Sean O'Brien has been forced off with a possible concussion. The big flanker tried getting back up from a heavy hit but couldn't keep his balance despite his admirable efforts. The issue of head injuries in rugby won't be going away any time soon, then...
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| 29 |
9 - 3 |
Another penalty for Ireland after Luther Burrell was caught all alone in front of his own posts. Should be a simple kick for a player of Sexton's quality, and it is.
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| 31 |
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England are feeling the heat here now, and Ireland are thriving. The away side are penalised again - this time it's Chris Robshaw who doesn't release the ball in a ruck - and Ireland have another platform from which to build their attacking game.
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| 32 |
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Rory Best anchors a rolling maul for Ireland before Sexton pulls back into the pocket with his eyes on matching Ford's drop goal from earlier.
He's pressed very early though, and is forced to jink wide and pass it away instead.
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| 34 |
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Well, well, well. This game has been billed as a clash between Ford and Sexton and here the Irishman makes his mark with an enormous hit on his opposite number, forcing Ford to concede yet another penalty.
Up steps Sexton to put the icing on that particular cake, but he pulls the kick from the left to the near side of the posts.
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| 37 |
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Stuart Lancaster won't be happy with the number of penalties England are giving away here. Another moment of ill-discipline has cost them territory and possession, allowing Ireland to build through the phases before Sexton sends another high ball into the arms of Goode, who marks. England clear... for now.
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| 39 |
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Robbie Henshaw nearly breaks through the England line but a good tackle slows him down before mishandling in the backs gives England possession.
They counter with an electric dart from Nowell, who then kicks excellently down the line and chases Rob Kearney as the full-back shepherds it out for an Ireland lineout.
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| 40 |
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Last chance of the half for England as Luther Burrell finally shows his power by storming into three Irish tacklers and offloading for what looked at first like a promising move down the left.
Nowell was forced into touch on the far touchline, though, and that's the end of an interesting and somewhat cagey half. England have been sloppy both with and without the ball but may feel encouraged to only be six points down at half-time.
Ireland, meanwhile, will surely need to be more ruthless with ball in hand if they are to put this game out of sight any time soon.
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| 40 |
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Sexton gets us underway in the second half and England launch it right back to him. As was the case throughout the first half, the Ireland's fly-half's first thought is to launch it skyward and test Goode again.
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| 42 |
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We got our first glimpse of the mercurial Anthony Watson on the England wing there, with a little skip and a jump inside just proving a little reminder of his speed of foot. England work it over to his counterpart Nowell, though, who is forced off the pitch for an Ireland lineout.
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| 43 |
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What was so nearly a try for Ireland turned into the moment of the match for England as Alex Goode - who has impressed all game under the high ball - is forced to chase the ball and carry into his own 22. With three tacklers hunting him down, he dodges and ducks past all of them before buying England some valuable time and an opportunity to clear.
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| 45 |
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It's opening up now! First Rob Kearney tries an outrageous drop-kick from near the halfway line and then Anthony Watson gets hold of the ball again and spears through the Irish defence. He eventually knocks on, though, and it's an Ireland scrum.
Watson is starting to look more dangerous, however. And that can only be good news for England.
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| 47 |
12 - 3 |
Different half, same problem for England. Chris Robshaw comes into a ruck at the side and gives a cheap penalty to Sexton 41 metres out. It's certainly within range...
And he makes it with ease. Nine-point lead for Ireland now.
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| 50 |
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England's players and management have spent much of the last few weeks talking about playing rugby "in the right areas" and they certainly seem reluctant to spin it out to their inexperienced backs. Instead, Ford copies Sexton and punts it straight into the air. Ireland gather and win a scrum, from which England are - inevitably - penalised. More territory for Ireland and more practice for Johnny Sexton's right boot.
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| 52 |
19 - 3 |
The Irish crowd can smell blood now. Their team are going through the phases just five or six metres from the try line...
And it's a try for Ireland! It's been coming and England have paid the price for their ill-discipline. The referee asked for a video replay, which only served to show the excellent Robbie Henshaw's skill in claiming the ball and grounding it after a tactful box kick from Conor Murray.
It's as hard a conversion as Sexton could have asked for it, but he strikes cleanly through the posts and extends Ireland's lead.
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| 53 |
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Penalty to Ireland again. England can't seem to gain any momentum here and they'll struggle to do so if they can't keep their discipline.
The good news for them will be that Sexton has been forced off with what looks like a hamstring injury... Ian Madigan is on for him.
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| 56 |
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Billy Vunipola breaks free and gains a good twenty yards with those huge legs thundering downfield. But with Nowell on his left he opts for the grubber kick which, perhaps unsurprisingly for a number 8, is woefully overcooked. Another England attack fizzles out.
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| 57 |
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A momentary role reversal here as Ireland collapse a scrum and give George Ford a chance to claw three points back for England with a relatively straightforward kick.
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| 58 |
19 - 6 |
And he makes no mistake. They will need more than that to make a difference to the result, but it's a move in the right direction for England.
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| 61 |
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Forget that glimmer of hope for Stuart Lancaster, his boys have just reverted to type by conceding another penalty. Ireland back in possession and back building more attacks on the tiring English defence.
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| 62 |
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George Ford, you're a lucky boy. The young fly-half tries an extravagant missed pass in the most risky of situations and is saved only by the Irish failing to capitalise on a relatively easy interception opportunity.
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| 64 |
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It's all Ireland now and it's very hard to see how England could get back into this. That said, they do have a lineout in opposition territory, which is a decent place to start.
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| 66 |
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Ford's pass to his Bath team-mate Jonathan Joseph is fizzed a bit too powerfully and the centre can't hold it. The golden boy of England's campaign then tries a series of jinks and twists but there's no escaping the mob of Irish forwards and they swiftly put a stop to that.
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| 67 |
19 - 9 |
Another penalty opportunity for Ford from a similar position as his last successful kick. It's an easy one and he slots it home to give England a slither of encouragement as we near the last ten minutes.
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| 71 |
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Substitute Richard Wigglesworth makes a darting break after a ruck and makes good ground. For the first time in this half, England are working through the phases in Ireland's 22.
The crowd are doing the best to help their weary defenders, as chants of "Ireland! Ireland!" obscure the England calls.
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| 72 |
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England come so close to a try. It has been a spirited fightback and Ireland now have a scrum only five metres out from the try line. A big push followed by a converted try and suddenly the last seven minutes here become very interesting indeed...
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| 73 |
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Predictably, England waste the chance by conceding a penalty again. Ireland can clear and Ford will have to orchestrate his runners from about 40 yards further back than he was. Time is running out now for the men in white.
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| 77 |
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Jack Nowell has had a mixed return to the England team today, but his afternoon hasn't been helped by a shocking pass into his ankles when his team-mates were starting to get the ball moving through hands. Ireland get possession and will try and see this out with minimal fuss now.
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| 79 |
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Ireland are going through the phases here, but England have won a late penalty which George Ford has laced into the corner. Last chance to get a try...
And they thought they'd done it. Jack Nowell looked to have slid into the corner but Twelvetrees' pass was adjudged to have been forward so it won't count. On that disappointing note for England, the referee blows his whistle and brings a feisty, at times scrappy encounter to an end.
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| 80 |
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England's second half of the second half will be of some encouragement to Stuart Lancaster but, ultimately, they weren't good enough today. Ireland were solid throughout and made the most of England's lack of discipline. A thoroughly deserved victory for them and they will be confident of retaining their Six Nations crown come the end of the championship.
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