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As it happenedended

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

Jack de Menezes
Aviva Stadium
Saturday 02 February 2019 19:35 GMT
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Six Nations preview: England in profile

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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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76 mins: TRY FOR ENGLAND!

Jack de Menezes2 February 2019 18:33

77 mins: Ireland are trying anything possible, and Sexton whips a ball across that Henry Slade picks off with a diving catch, before getting back to his feet to score. England have the bonus point, and that coul dbe huge come the end of the championship! Farrell converts. 13-32

Jack de Menezes2 February 2019 18:39

79 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND!

Jack de Menezes2 February 2019 18:40

77 mins: John Cooney, just on for Conor Murray, takes a pop pass off Sean Cronin to score a consolation. 20-32

Jack de Menezes2 February 2019 18:41

80 mins: The ball is intercepted yet again by Slade, and the ball is booted high into the stands!

England beat Ireland 32-20!

Jack de Menezes2 February 2019 18:43
Jack de Menezes2 February 2019 19:02

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