An accident waiting to happen for Ireland

When Ireland last fielded their front line troops at the Aviva Stadium, against New Zealand in November, the rapturous response from players and fans alike at the final whistle could not have been more exuberant. Unbridled joy. Kings of the world.
On Saturday, French referee Jerome Garcès’ whistle to signal the end of our Six Nations opener just couldn’t come quick enough. Having failed to score a single try against Ireland in Dublin since 2011, England registered a first 1 minute 35 seconds into the game and bagged three more for a bonus point win to signal a seismic victory, not only in the context of this championship, but with a view on what’s to follow in a World Cup year.