This chariot of fire put a spoke in Irish invincibility

ON A bitter winter’s night by the shores of Dublin Bay, the sounds of Swing Low Sweet Chariot rang around the Aviva Stadium.

The strains of England’s anthem will be heard far beyond Ireland’s capital, though. After this momentous victory at the home of the rivals who have thwarted them so often here, they will echo across the rest of the Six Nations and all the way to Japan.

This was more than a victory for England. It was a reassertion of their superiority.

It was a restoration of their confidence. Seven months out from the start of the World Cup, this 32-20 humbling of Ireland against all expectations could scarcely have been better timed.

The message from this stunning performance is that Eddie Jones’ side is peaking when it matters.

‘Praise can make you weak,’ Jones had said in the build-up to this match, probing away at any pockets of doubt that may have been lingering amidst an Ireland side that has been deluged with plaudits for the last 12 months and has been widely tipped as the Northern Hemisphere’s best hope of dethroning the All Blacks in Japan in the autumn.

This encounter changed all that. This match of thunder and anvils altered the landscape.

Owen Farrell, England’s captain, set the tone as he prepared to take the kick off, beating the ball against his chest as he waited. England matched Ireland’s intensity and raised it.

They forced turnovers, they created indiscipline in the Irish ranks, they kicked superbly, they defended for their lives.

And in the end, as Ireland sensed the game slipping away, England broke their best player, Jonny Sexton, and forced him into a rash of errors that allowed England to extend their advantage.

England won victory after victory in one triumph.

The reason for that? The boost to their own confidence will be matched by the hit that Ireland’s self-belief will take. Many will see this as proof they peaked too early. England went into this game with the vast majority of observers predicting Ireland would be too good for them. It did not turn out that way.

Another Ireland victory over the All Blacks in the autumn internationals strengthened their status as favourites for this titanic encounter.

Still, maybe because of an innate superiority complex, maybe because it is relatively recently that Jones’ team were carrying all before them and winning 18 matches in succession, it adds a strange dynamic to a match when England are expected to lose.

Less than a year ago, some were starting to talk about them as favourites for the World Cup — but then they lost in Dublin in March 2017 and have not regained their mastery since as the Irish have established themselves as the best team in the northern hemisphere.

There was near unanimity in expecting an Irish triumph. It was less of a surprise that that opinion was shared in Ireland.

The headline on the front of the sports section of the Irish

Independent newspaper yesterday morning was ‘Stand and Deliver’.

England were portrayed as a test of Ireland’s mettle rather than a genuine rival to their hegemony. They were an obstacle to be negotiated rather than an opponent to be feared. The sponsors were at it, too. Volkswagen, one of the Ireland team’s backers, ran a social media advert, which boasted it was ‘now accepting trade-ins on broken chariots’.

The boldness of that caused a few raised eyebrows. That kind of chutzpah is usually England’s domain. But then Ireland had the results to back it up. They have beaten the All Blacks twice in two years and they sealed the Grand Slam at Twickenham last March with a 24-15 victory. They are the No2ranked team in the world and the gold standard for European sides.

And in fact, a better gauge of the gap that appeared to have opened between the two sides was the pessimism of some Ireland fans.

It was the pessimism that comes with being favoured. It was the pessimism that comes with knowing that you ought to win.

It was the pessimism that comes with not wanting to tempt fate. It was the pessimism that is actually optimism that dare not speak its name.

It had its vindication after less than two minutes.

England started with a ferocity of purpose that seemed to unsettle even the Irish, who are usually so resolute in the opening stages and, when Farrell spread the ball wide, Keith Earls missed the interception and Jonny May darted in to score in the corner.

It was England’s first try in Dublin for eight years.

Murmurs of concern spread around the stadium. Fallibility had sneaked up on Ireland right at the start. But they began to claw their way back into the game.

There was cathedral quiet when Jonny Sexton lined up a penalty to reduce the arrears and after Tom Curry had been sin-binned for a high tackle on Earls, Ireland sensed their opportunity.

They eschewed the chance to add another penalty and Sexton kicked for the corner instead. Curry ran back on but neither he nor his team-mates could prevent Cian Healy forcing his way over the line.

Ireland were back in the lead, their equilibrium restored.

But England were still the more assured team. They had paid heed to the promptings of Jones.

They forced turnovers, their kicking with the ball put Ireland under pressure and their defence was ferocious. Ten minutes before half-time, a grubber kick from Elliot Daly took a nasty bounce that deceived Jacob Stockdale as he tried to gather it.

Harrassed by Jack Nowell, Stockdale spilled it and Daly fell on it gratefully.

Farrell kicked the conversion and, after Mako Vunipola had come within inches of adding another score seconds before the interval, Farrell kicked a penalty to put England 17-10 ahead.

Maro Itoje, who had been superb in the pack, went off injured after 55 minutes and another Sexton penalty reduced the arrears to four points but England would not yield. Henry Slade ran on to a May kick to touch down and give England more breathing space.

Five minutes from the end, Slade picked off a Sexton pass and crawled over the line with it.

By the time John Cooney scored a late reply, the game was beyond the hosts.

Volkswagen must be ruing that ad now. They can repent at leisure. England’s chariot is broken no more.