Once again, England blow their chances

ENGLAND continue to find ways to lose. As in their previous six Tests against tier one opposition, they led at one point in the second half only to fade away. It does not look a question of fitness or even personnel but a collective failure to wrestle back momentum.

- PAUL REES

The turning point in Dublin came at the start of the second half when England were 10-5 ahead. Tom Curry, immense all evening, won a turnover penalty off Hugo Keenan and England launched an attack in Ireland's 22.

Their lead did not properly reflect the way they had subdued Ireland in the opening half. Targeting the raw home outside-half Sam Prendergast, their defence, which was based on line speed but also a capacity to hold the width of the pitch rather than get too narrow, neutered Ireland's passing strategy and the champions struggled to come up with a solution.

England's attack ended when Alex Mitchell's short pass to Ellis Genge was judged to have been forward. Ireland won a penalty at the scrum when Genge was blown for hinging. It was one of those that looked as if it could have gone either way and showed how the nature of sport can be arbitrary.

It gave Ireland the chance to move upfield and when Cadan Mur-ley made a hash of dealing with Jamison Gibson-Park's kick into England's 22, he conceded a scrum five metres out and the tide for the visitors started to go out.

Young Prendergast started to find his passing range, gliding from the ridiculous to the sublime. One, to Keenan, would probably have resulted in a try but for Mitchell's tackle but the move ended with another Ireland penalty.

The pressure started to mount and when another long pass from Prendergast found Bundee Aki on the left wing, the centre bumped off Marcus Smith and had the strength to get through Mitchell and Tommy Freeman for a try that levelled the scores.