Donal Lenihan: Defeat against rejuvenated England a tough pill to swallow

The victory -- and the nature of how it was achieved -- will be a huge boost for a Steve Borthwick's callow side.

FIRST BLOOD: Ireland’s Andrew Porter with blood pouring down his face. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

A classic game even if the result will hurt for a while to come. The prospect of Ireland becoming the first side to land back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams may have evaporated on the back of this stinging defeat but the consolation prize of securing successive championships is big enough to elicit an immediate response when the Scots arrive in Dublin on Saturday.

Ironically, despite their catastrophic defeat to a wondrous Italian side in Rome, Scotland too have something tangible to play for as the last man standing when it comes to winning a Triple Crown. That however will feel hollow having fallen victim to the first ambush on a captivating Saturday afternoon of championship fare with Gonzalo Quisada’s ever-improving Italian side finally getting their just rewards after an impressive campaign when hanging onto a highly merited two-point win.