DUBLIN, 1 March 2005 — Captain Brian O’Driscoll kept Ireland’s grand slam dreams alive on Sunday with his first try against world champions England during a hard-fought 19-13 victory at Lansdowne Road. O’Driscoll, returning after injury, crossed in the 57th minutes to give Ireland a lead they held through fierce late pressure from an England team who have now lost their first three games of the tournament.
The victory sets up a potential grand slam showdown with Wales in Cardiff on the last day of the championship on March 19. While Ireland can dream of their first championship for 20 years and only their second grand slam in history, England travel home in disarray.
This third successive defeat represents their worst championship performance since 1987 and means they have now lost nine of their 13 games since winning the World Cup in 2003.
Their remaining fixtures against Italy and Scotland, both at Twickenham, will enable them to stop the run of defeats but will not disguise the problems facing coach Andy Robinson.
As expected, Ireland came out firing and, roared on by a crowd who have had to wait a month for a first-hand view of their heroes, turned their early pressure into a 3-0 lead with a Ronan O’Gara drop goal. England hit back out of the blue in the seventh minute when a ruck disintegrated midway into the Irish half and number eight Martin Corry scooped the ball up to run in unmolested. The visitors, though, were struggling to impose themselves and, just as against France two weeks ago, were guilty of giving away a rash of penalties, two of which O’Gara turned into six points. Charlie Hodgson, who had slotted the simple conversion earlier, then gave his fragile confidence a lift when he landed a wind-assisted penalty from the halfway line, only for O’Gara to chip in another drop goal to edge the Irish 12-10 ahead.
It was a lead they deserved and probably should have been greater. Captain Brian O’Driscoll, his center partner Shane Horgan and full-back Geordan Murphy were combining well with some slick passing but were unable to pierce a well-organized England defense.
