Digby's Minute-by-minute (to save the Ireland thread)

[Mellsblue]

I actually thought I'd get through this quickly for once,

We were all hoping the same.

[Which Tyler]

I actually thought I'd get through this quickly for once,

We were all hoping the same.

Even Puja's taking his newest time, and he did his at 1.00am and was done before he started the postings!

[Digby]

Minute 33

This box kick from Youngs is over corrected and lands 10m or so infield, and it's too long. Quite a few mistakes from Youngs, alongside lots of quick play the balls and basically running the attack.

Also with another camera angle POM didn't only go at the ball with his outside arm in the previous minute.


Stockdale take the Ben Youngs kick, gets tackled by Underhill but not held, tries to go again and fumbles the ball. Ireland are killing themselves with errors.

Going into the scrum there's an interesting aerial shot of the scrum, England have a lot of space between their players, but the foot placement of their back row is hugely more impressive than Ireland's, perhaps it's a bad moment to take a snapshot for Ireland.

England come left off the scrum, there's a strong run by Manu, and then a more stunted one by Marler.

[Digby]

Good things come to those who wait, that has to be true as I heard it on an advert!

[Digby]

Minute 34

Youngs makes passes to Billy and then Ford that are both dipping on the receiver a little, Billy even gets driven backwards in contact. Ford doesn't try to rescue the situation with a miracle play and threads a grubber out of play down into the Irish 22

[Digby]

Minute 35

Plenty of movement in the Irish lineout, but with 3 targets to England's 2 they get picked off again, this time by Kruis.

England get positive carries in succession from Sinckler, Billy and Itoje. England can't make anything of it as POM gets over the ball and knocks it on, scrum to England. In fairness to Owens POM only had the one elbow on the floor and one knee resting on the tackled English player, so scrum is clearly the way to go for that piece of illegally slowing the ball right in front of the posts.

[Digby]

Minute 36

The scrum is a mess, really a mess, but England get the ball out and Billy returns the favour to Youngs by sending a pass to his feet, Ireland don't step in hard on Youngs as they're aware Youngs has Tuilagi and Cokanasiga on a very large blindside. Youngs is composed taking the ball and passing to Manu, the Irish defence (and Stockdale in particular) is very not composed. Manu over far too easily for a try.


Minute 37

Even for a much simpler conversion it takes well over a minute to take the kick, but at least it is converted.

[Digby]

Minute 38

Ireland kick out to the left, this time it's Curry catching and he's again doing well taking it into contact. Another box kick from Youngs, another landing well infield, but a good length on this kick and Underhill not only knocks back the receiver but gets up quickly to drive over the ball, but he's the only one and Ireland play the ball out to the openside. Furlong with the ball drops the ball back on the inside to Best who rumbles up for a positive gain, finally some momentum for Ireland who come again to the openside with reasonably quick ball, but still they have a 3 on 4 underlap

[Digby]

Minute 39

An interesting move in the backfield for Ireland, Larmour is crossing from the blind to the open side and Aki is doing to opposite, neither is bothering the defence to they're basically opting to do shuttle runs in the heat. Kleyn carries up and gets driven back by Marler, Ireland work the ball left where England have two straight lines in defence, we'er pushing forward in defence in the shape of a pyramid, or two sides of a triangle.

Ireland might have had more options on the left, but are a touch unlucky they're down a man, Healy, and they're again going backwards in contact.

After more work going backwards in contact Ringrose drives a few metres the right way, and then Ireland might want a touch more help from Owens as Sinckler rather flops over the tackle, he doesn't take out the 9 but he's off his feet slowing play, and Ireland aren't blessed with footholds in the game, a shot for 3 points would be welcome.

Some of their work into contact isn't poor, but overall Ireland are staying around halfway until they spill the ball forwards in contact and Itoje takes the loose ball

[Digby]

Minute 40

Probably the final entry for today.

Itoje to ground, May sort of grabs Aki around the neck but doesn't follow through, Aki then picks up the ball behind him and gets pinged, and then Owens stops play for an injury on the far side, which wasn't done for the head injury earlier.

England kick to touch, win the lineout and feed Cokanasiga in the middle of the park. There's a positive carry from Curry, and then Billy tries hard but isn't going anywhere and Ireland force a penalty for holding on. Easy to see from the sidelines but that wasn't an impossible ball for Marler to protect as first man in.

Ireland take the penalty and end the half at 22-10 to England

[Digby]

Minute 41

England, kick off down the middle, Ireland kick the ball back up over halfway towards the right touchline, May and Daly pass the ball rather laboriously back across to our right where Cokanasiga gathers and he spins POM to gain a few metres and take a ruck just over halfway. Tuilagi is keeping two players honest on the right, England lead left with Sinckler at the tip of a 3 man pod. Sinckler pulls it back to Ford, and Ford pulls it back to Daly. Daly nicely gets the ball to Billy who carries a good few metres, that said Daly is marked by Stander and Stander is very aware Billy is outside, and inside Stander it's Furlong, Daly has run to the outside shoulder on Stander but I do wonder if there's not the chance to step inside Stander. Having gone left England come back to the right, a nice pass from Youngs to Ford, and Ford sends it to George, George would be taking that pass under a little pressure, but he's going to be cross he spills is.

Ireland kick the ball into England's 22, Daly has the ball and sends a decent kick into touch just up over halfway

[Digby]

Minute 42

Ireland win ball in the middle of the line out, and then having spent I don't know how long practicing always kicking the ball away keep close to support pass to the left touchline where Stockdale has a few metres but is quickly closed down on the covering angle by Cokanasiga, and now Ireland have marooned the ball on attack, I'm all in favour of Ireland looking to use more width and looking to get more from the likes of Ringrose but I don't know why they're suddenly starting now or in this fashion. Tuilagi gets over the ball to force another turnover for England, Ringrose tries to counter ruck but Big Joe is back to his feet and not having any of that.

Lots of turnovers today, probably says a fair amount about the ref, and this will not always replicate.

VdF doe his level best to turn the ball back, and failing that tries to flop on the England side having a minor epileptic fit pretending he's not interfering. England though spin the ball to the left and Youngs has Curry and more importantly May outside him, either might spot a gap and release the other, but Youngs throws a slightly forward pass into touch, someone got him the How to Butcher Backs Moves book by O. Farrell as a present perhaps.

[Digby]

Minute 43

Nothing happens


Minute 44

Ireland with the put in at a scrum, from which the come left (open) and Kearny is able to cut back inside Ford a bit too easily with Ford rather over running his channel, but Youngs is covering on the inside and does well actually to get a piece of Kearny which puts him down given Ringrose is in the way.

Ireland run a number of phases, 3 man pods and some ball down the line, I suppose Ringrose cutting back across looks nice enough, but none of it is really doing anything. Eventually Underhill gets over the ball with a very low body position and forces the ball loose in contact. With a knock on advantage Owens is screaming at Ireland to leave the ball alone, do they have to? Could Ireland not choose to play the ball accepting that'll be a scrum to white, or do you now have wait for the other side to pick up?

England boot the ball down via Daly almost up to the Irish 22

[Digby]

Minute 45

Ireland get the timing wrong or simply overthrow the lineout, Ford gives the ball to Underhill who carries into the Ireland 22. At that ruck Youngs is looking left as he runs across so must get a shout from Itoje on his inside as he gives a (very flat at best) pass to Itoje, not all Youngs as Itoje has run right up to the ball, and with England coming back the other way McGrath just abandons his role as a guard and starts tracking back left, and Itoje is left with a massive hold to run in under the posts unopposed. Someone has probably already reminded McGrath not to just run away from his job and look too much what's happening outside.

[Digby]

Minute 46

With the easiest kick possible in rugby Farrell bangs over the conversion just about on 60 seconds.

Ireland vary their restart going short, Henderson I think gets up above George and taps back for Ireland to claim the ball. I don't know how England markup at a restart, Itoje might have been thinking about the try and not making sure he could get to Henderson.

[Digby]

Minute 47

Straight away Ireland at best gain parity in contact, and some laboured passing gives Kleyn no chance to build any momentum before he's put down by Billy and Underhill. Ball back to Byrne, and he just drops it when looking to put a kick up.

England just about win ball at the scrum, aa number of these moments could have gone another way, and kick the ball down into the Irish 22 near the right touchline.

[Digby]

Minute 48

Still sprightly for a chap fast closing on 45 Kearny makes a reasonable effort to kick back up the left touchline, and gets the ball out around the Irish 10m line, not much more to be done there.

England win lineout ball at the tail with Curry going up, Ireland were not close to reading that. And Youngs is now 10m closer to his first receiver than he sometimes is when England ask him to move ball away from the set piece. England with the ball in midfield are brought to a halt on attack when Kruis just drops the ball, Ireland don't have the ball for long though as Furlong just can't decide on taking it into contact or moving the ball, and ends up throwing the ball away slightly forward whilst going into contact.

[Digby]

Minute 49

England win the scrum. Youngs grabs the ball from the 2nd row and sends it open to Ford who has a 3 man pod outside him of Tuilagi, Cokanasiga and Daly, the two big lads hold the defence and Ford feeds Daly who fades off the back arcing away to the left, Daly is caught by Larmour covering across and back but it's a big gain for England going down the left.

[Digby]

Minute 50

England play away from the ruck set up by Daly, Itoje gets an iffy pass from Youngs and the ball goes forward with Underhill looking to scamper through.

[Digby]

Minute 51

Ireland resist a big shove from England in the scrum, run a couple of phases not really going anywhere, I did ponder we're not seeing a lot from Aki, and then pass back into their 22

[Digby]

Minute 52

With the ball being passed back into the 22 Byrne boots it out on the full.

England win the lineout at the tail with Kruis, and it's a nice pass away from Billy as the acting 9. Youngs takes back over as England are playing with pace, but no striking purpose, hard carries from Manu and Sinckler I suppose ask an ongoing physical question of Ireland.

[Digby]

Minute 53

England play to the left touchline, and a miss pass from Farrell gives May a little space to run into. May loses the ball backwards trying an audacious flip out the back in contact at pace, England tidy up a little and then Kruis drops over the line. Watching live I'd have bet good money it wasn't a try, but it's excellent manipulation of the ball by Kruis to get that down

[Digby]

Minute 54

Farrell makes the conversion inside 60 seconds, though he was able to get ready during time off as the possibly knock on and grounding went to TMO review.

Ireland restart out to the left again, Curry takes a good catch given Cokanasiga is also almost climbing over him looking to take the catch too, some communication to work on there. England run another phase and Heinz newly on gets ready to make the exit play

[Digby]

Minute 55

Good height and distance on the box kick from Heinz, just as well as it's landing 17m infield, but it's contestable and Tuilagi nails Larmour, and the ball goes forward. England get offload happy with the advantage but can't make it stick, so it's back to the scrum for the original knock on.

Barnes says great stuff by Heinz happily ignoring a large part of it entailed more inaccuracy than we saw from Youngs for which Barnes was reasonably quite critical. He's an odd chap.

[Digby]

Minute 56

England head left from another very messy scrum, lots of players going down.

Farrell carries into contact and must come close to be judged as holding on. England recover and Curry makes a very positive run. Heinz passes to Ford's feet, Ford adjusts quickly and gets the ball to Farrell on a straight line, and Farrell gets an offload out the back to LCD. England present a variety of targets to the Ireland defence, none of it is breaking the line, but they're composed, playing at a good tempo and offering variety.