Six minutes and 10 seconds, that’s how long Ireland had to survive after Bundee Aki caught Marcus Smith’s restart following Ireland left wing James Lowe’s second try that put the visitors 22-20 in front.
In that time frame Ireland had the ball on four occasions over an extended sequence of plays before Smith landed the drop goal with the match clock in the red, thereby securing an English victory. Hindsight is informed by the outcome, so there are definitely things that Andy Farrell’s side would do differently if given that time again.
73.50: Aki catches restart and is tackled inside the Irish 22.
74.03: Conor Murray box-kicks the ball and Hugo Keenan, as the lead chaser, tackles Smith as the English outhalf tries to counterattack. England play a few phases and then Theo Dan takes the ball into contact a metre short of the halfway line.
74.25: Maro Itoje cleverly traps Iain Henderson at the breakdown and the Irish player is penalised for not rolling away.
75.34: Elliott Daly pulls the subsequent penalty kick right and wide of the uprights.
76.11: Jack Crowley drops out.
77.04: England scrumhalf Danny Care’s grubber kick inside the Irish 22 is blocked and Henderson rescues the loose ball. Crowley, acting as scrumhalf, passes to Finlay Bealham, who sets up a ruck a metre inside the Irish 22.
77.22: Murray fires the ball back to James Lowe standing a metre from his own line, Lowe then kicks long into the England half, where it is fielded two metres in from the touchline by England fullback George Furbank. Lowe was probably trying for the double whammy of maximum distance while looking to find touch.
77.45: Gibson-Park snuffs out the England counterattack when he forces Furbank into touch.
78.07: England go down to 14 players as Chandler Cunningham-South limps from the fray. The home side have used all their replacements at that point.
78.13: Rónan Kelleher nails the throw to Henderson at the back of the lineout, Ryan Baird takes possession and immediately passes to Jack Conan, who sets up a ruck two metres inside the 22.
78.32: There are 88 seconds left when Murray kicks to touch. The decision was whether to run the clock down with a series of pick-‘n’-jam carries, which is a relatively commonplace choice, though not without risk in such a position on the pitch. Jeopardy awaits if England can poach or if Ireland get pinged for sealing off. Murray doesn’t go for distance with his kick, instead he makes sure it ends up in the stands. It is the last time that Ireland legally touch the ball.
79.07: Dan hits Itoje at a lineout and there follows a sequence of play that Ireland would dearly love to have over. Passive in their line speed and compounding it with a gentle drift against 14 players, they allow England to work the ball without any pressure to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who thunders through the tackles of Aki and Keenan before being grounded deep in the Irish 22.
79.30: England trap Lowe in the ruck and are now playing on penalty advantage. But it’s not a gimme.
80.06: A second penalty advantage. Tadhg Beirne gets his hands on the ball at a ruck a couple of metres out but can’t hear referee Nika Amashukeli, who shout, “no hands, you’ve lost it,” before calling penalty advantage.
80.16: England work the ball back infield and Smith slips into the pocket to land the winning drop goal despite slipping.
