Henry Slade double sees England stun favourites Ireland in Six Nations opener
Relive all the action from the Six Nations clash at the Aviva Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.England stunned reigning Six Nations champions Ireland 32-20 to take a giant step towards reclaiming their crown with a first win in Dublin for six years.
Leading 17-13 in an epic opening-weekend title showdown that lived up to expectations, they engineered the decisive moment in the 66th minute when Henry Slade and Jonny May combined brilliantly from a scrum for Slade to touch down.
It was a try made possible by the pace of May, who along with Jack Nowell on the opposite wing was magnificent throughout an afternoon of drama and high-quality rugby.
Owen Farrell was on target with a penalty to put the game beyond Ireland's reach as the Aviva Stadium was stormed for the first time in the Six Nations since 2013, securing Eddie Jones' 29th win in 36 Tests.
Joe Schmidt's Grand Slam champions fell apart in the closing stages, enabling Slade to plunder his second try, before replacement John Cooney restored some scoreboard credibility in the final seconds.
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10 mins: May quickly atones for the error as he collects Sexton's high bomb with Earls looming and calls for the mark. Ireland had a penaltt advantage though as Billy Vunipola followed through and hit Sexton slightly late, so Sexton will go for goal from in front of the posts.
11 mins: Sexton successfully kicks the penalty and Ireland are on the board. 3-7
13 mins: The boos ring out as Earls is hit late by Curry, and referee Jerome Garces wants a look at this. He speaks with his assistant referee, and there's no need for a TMO review as it's a yellow card. England will play with 14 men for the next 10 minutes, and you'd say it was deserved.
15 mins: Earls receives a bit of treatment but is fit to continue, and Ireland go through the phases to move towards the England 22, only to cough up the ball. England try to counter but there's nothing on and we'll come back for the scrum.
18 mins: Yet another penalty against England and this time it's Itoje who gives it needlessly away, taking out Earls as he jumps for the ball. Itoje gets up first but clatters into the Irish wing, who's takjing one hell of a battering out there, but it's deemed worthy of a penalty only.
20 mins: Ireland break wide and find the space with the extra man. Ringrose chips into the ENgland 22 and May makes a dogs dinner of trying to gather it, with the ball rolling between his legs. He gets back to savage possession and England clear the danger...for now.
22 mins: Itoje does well to rip possession off Stander, and with no one at home for Ireland there's tonnes of space in behind. Youngs fails to notice it though and by the time England finally kick clear, Stockdale and Henshaw are back. Ireland counter down the right and Stockdale breaks free, and Ireland then win the penalty about 40m out for offside after a knock-on from England. Sexton turns down the kick at goal and goes for the corner just as Curry returns from the sin-bin.
24 mins: Sexton finds touch on the 5m and the rolling maul from a full lineout - and I mean everyone but Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton - is stopped just short. Ireland recycle...
TRY FOR IRELAND!
25 mins: When the bodies emerge, it's Cian Healy who emerges with the ball in his hands and there's no doubt that he got the ball grounded there. Sexton kicks to conversion from out wide and Ireland have a three-point lead and are growing into the game. 10-7
29 mins: Ireland come close to pinning Wilson on his feet but Billy Vunipola and Kruis do well to get the ball to ground and free it up. Farrell chips in behind, and when Henshaw responds Nowell charges up field through the middle. Farrell sends another kick deep, and Henshaw slices it into touch.
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