ENGLAND, in line with general expectation, won the Triple Crown with a 28-15 victory over Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday. And, as events transpired, England also retained the International Championship as a consequence of what happened in Cardiff, where the unpredictable did happen as Wales defeated France.

While hope of another famous Ireland win at Twickenham looked more than a remote possibility when Ireland led at the interval by 15-12, England established territorial dominance in the second period based on the strength of their pack. They kept Ireland in a tight grip and then scored the victory points in a contest notable more for some tremendous defence by Ireland than for the quality of the encounter.

So Ireland's championship season came to an end on an over cast afternoon in the refurbished setting of this famous old ground as it had started on a dark and dismal day at Lansdowne Road last January - with defeat. That, allied to Wales's win over France meant that Ireland finished at the bottom of the championship table on inferior points difference to Wales and it was by the same yardstick that England took the title from Scotland.

While there have been times in the recent past when Irish supporters have left opponents' grounds enveloped in dejection, this was not such an occasion. This was no abject or passive surrender. On the contrary, Ireland played with full hearted commitment for every one of the 80 minutes, but the stronger England pack imposed a stranglehold on the match in the closing quarter and the points came to give England a deserved victory.

It was not a performance to charm by England but a match in which flair was subservient to the serviceable and it was not until, the 77th minute that England eventually cracked the Irish defence when right wing John Sleightholme came in off the blind side wing to join a movement going left and he cut through with a telling diagonal run to score wide out. That removed any semblance of doubt about England's win and the Triple Crown was assured.

That try raised the biggest cheer of the afternoon - it was only England's third in this year's championship.

Outside half Paul Grayson, who had a golden afternoon with his kicking, converted from the left touchline and England led 28-15. The Irish challenge had been irretrievably broken, yet the fact that it was so late in the game that England managed to break the Irish defensive barrier, is a striking tribute to magnificent tackling by the Ireland team, who for the previous 20 minutes had a rearguard action imposed upon them.

Strength rather than ingenuity saw England through allied to Grayson's accurate place kicking. He contributed 23 of England's points with six penalties, a dropped goal and a conversion. They had, too, what one might term a level of street wisdom that proved very profitable on occasions, such as deliberately falling on the wrong side of rucks and, like much else in this match, referee Ed Murray did not pick it up.

When Ireland led 15-12 at the interval it was by no means a flattering advantage. The forwards yielded nothing. Jeremy Davidson had a tremendous first half in the line out as he constantly took Allen Clarke's accurate throws. The Irish pack did well in ruck and maul and the scrum was not in any trouble. David Corkery was outstanding and Dean Richards, England's saviour against Scotland could make little impact. In fact, there were times when he seemed well off the pace of the hectic forward exchanges.

The Irish half backs Niall Hogan and David Humphreys kicked very well for position and much of the first period wash played in England's half as, three times, Ireland built a six points advantage and when Ireland led 12-6 30 minutes into the first half, such had been the trend that another famous victory was by no means outside the realm of possibility.

Humphreys got Ireland off to a great start when he dropped a goal after less than a minute and a half and then Simon Mason kicked an excellent penalty to make it six points. Grayson kicked two penalties for England to bring the scores level. But Mason, kicking superbly, landed two more penalties to put Ireland six points ahead yet again by the 20th minute.

Then Hogan gave away a needless penalty when he was penalised for an off the ball tussle with Grayson after a touch judge intervened and Grayson kicked the goal. But Mason's accuracy came into play again in the 30th minute when he kicked his fourth goal and Ireland once more had a six points advantage at 15-9.

Then in the 40th minute Clarke was deemed to have infringed when he dived on a loose ball after it came back on the England side. Clarke shook his head in disagreement with the decision, but Grayson kicked a crucial goal to leave his side three points adrift at the interval.

The Irish pack had, to a man, done splendidly in that half Humphreys underlined his ability and Mason was solid at full back and had a 100 per cent return from his place kicking. There was not much in the way of back line attacking running from either side and when there was an attempt the tackles went in.

The initial stages of the second period did not bring much change" in the pattern of the game but Grayson kicked an equalising penalty in the 46th minute. The England pack was beginning to get on top and when Ireland did get into the England half, some mistakes were made and attacking chances lost. Hogan, under more pressure now, got ragged with some of his passing. Victor Costello tried to break over the advantage line on occasions, but invariably the English regrouped.

England took the lead for the first time 19 minutes from the end when Gray son dropped a goal and in the 68th minute he kicked a penalty to stretch their advantage to 21-15. But for all their territorial advantage and possession England could not break the Irish defence. The tackling was magnificent, and a great tackle by Mark McCall, a first half replacement for Maurice Field, on Jeremy Guscott was typical of the kind of defence Ireland offered.

The flankers Corkery and Denis McBride kept on putting in the tackles and Ireland's excursions out of their own "25" were becoming rarer.

But, in the end, Sleightholme broke the defence after he came inside between Grayson and Guscott and scored in the left corner as time was running out.

Ireland lost by a margin of 13 points and on the overall balance of the 80 minutes, that did not quite do justice to their efforts. But Ireland did not leave Twickenham in crisis, far from it. Much young blood has been brought into this Irish side, and the youngsters served the cause well.