Ireland vs England LIVE: Six Nations updates as Ireland look to seal grand slam

Dave Ribbans has carried beefily in this second half but that’s a little foolish from the France-bound lock, fiddling on the floor having made a tackle.

Here is a significant moment – Dan Cole becomes England’s fourth male centurion, replacing Kyle Sinckler.

England are held up inside the Ireland 22. Might it be time for Marcus Smith at some point soon? It would be bold, but I’m not sure England’s current strategy will bring them back into this game.

Ireland make the most of the opportunity!

New tighthead Tom O’Toole draws a penalty advantage out of Ellis Genge and from there it feels inevitable. Two inward hit-ups and then Jamison Gibson-Park goes blind, Bundee Aki taking at first receiver and connecting with his old mucker Robbie Henshaw at the line, who spies a gaping hole and the white line beyond.

Henshaw scores, Sexton converts and Ireland’s lead swells.

Such intelligence from Johnny Sexton. The fly-half immediately kicks towards new man Marchant, turning the new wing with England one-short in their back three. The diagonal lift bounces nastily for the Harlequin, forcing Anthony Watson to hurry across and claim on the second hop.

Watson is carried over his own line. Five metre scrum, Ireland’s feed.

Brilliant from Ryan Baird. The lock has impressed today in the biggest opportunity of his young international career, jackaling wth perfect form after Alex Dombrandt had made initial inroads up the right.

Changes for both teams. Tom O’Toole steps in for Tadhg Furlong, while Henry Arundell, who hasn’t been on the periphery, is replaced by Joe Marchant.

Not for the first time this afternoon, Ireland appear to get a nudge on at the scrum but are penalised, with Andrew Porter again picked out for the angle of his drive.

Handbags! A proper fracas for the first time in a contest of increasing spike and spite is sparked after Jamison Gibson-Park emerges from an English maul with a loose ball.

Gibson-Park chips ahead and a nasty bounce ends up with a leaping James Lowe, but the wing can only bobble it into touch, at which point both teams pile in for some futile pushing and shoving.

Jaco Peyper gives England a hurry up at the lineout, but then calls time off with Dave Ribbans in need of a new contact lens and Ireland readying a change. Peter O’Mahony off; Jack Conan on.

Still Ireland look rattled. An untimely slip from Mack Hansen puts the hosts under pressure. Johnny Sexton skews his clearance away some 30 metres shallower than he would have liked.

Most felt that England’s only hope today was to drag Ireland in to a sloppy, scrappy tussle, and you’d say Steve Borthwick’s side have done precisely that so far. They have little interest in playing more than a couple of phases, kicking early and often in each passage.