England 13
Ireland 10
Take a bow Mrs Brown.
Your boy’s a real England hero and he just keeps getting better!
Mike Brown is a real
multi-tasking master: A rock of reliability in defence and an
inspiration on the counter-attack.
His performance against
Ireland at Twickenham today showcased all of his talents.
© Getty Images
He displayed the
agility of a football goalkeeper to dive full stretch to gather one
Irish punt through … the dancing, darting footwork to create space
with the ball … and the speed to leave defenders in his wake.
No surprise then, it
was his clean break and smart pass which sent his Harlequins
team-mate Danny Care over for England’s match-clinching try under
the posts, which Owen Farrell converted.
And no surprise then,
that Mr Brown was named Man of the Match.
The stark statistics
will show that England won by 13 points to 10. But this was a match
of high intensity, hard hits and high tension, with the result in
doubt right up to the final whistle.
The first half was
frenetic, fast-flowing and absorbing, with both teams’ attacking
charges being repelled by super resilient defences. But for all the
attack and counter attack, a penalty from Owen Farrell was the only
score of the first half, although he did hit a post with another
attempt.
Ireland then put 10
unanswered points on the board within eight minutes of the restart.
Rob Kearney burst into the line to scythe through the England defence
and put the ball down under the posts, while many in the crowd were
still taking their seats. Sexton converted and then added a penalty.
Another Owen Farrell
penalty soon after, brought it back to 6 -10, but then a Sexton error
turned the game.
His restart drop kick
didn’t go 10 metres and also went straight into touch. Scrum to
England on the centre spot. Time for Mike Brown to take centre stage
– along with several of his Harlequins’ club-mates! Danny Care
threw a long pass to Chris Robshaw, who off-loaded to Brown, who cut
through the Ireland defence at pace. He then drew a tackler to feed
Care on a good support run and create the decisive moment of the
match.
The remaining 20
minutes were no less intense or absorbing but it was the Men in White
who held tight.
They began the match
knowing they had to win, to have a chance of winning the Six Nations
championship. But in the event, they gave a character-defining
performance that will be seen as a far more important step on the way
to the World Cup next year.
England 13
Try : 56 mins Care
Con: 57 mins Farrell
Pens. 23 mins, 53 mins
Farrell (2)
Ireland 10
Try: 41 mins Kearney
Con: 42 mins Sexton
Pen: 48 mins Sexton