After a tepid opening 10 minutes, Ireland have kicked into gear against England at the Aviva today. In recent years, Ireland have struggled to create try-scoring opportunities against England, so inventiveness was an absolute imperative from Ireland in attack. With a 22nd minute lineout around the halfway line, Ireland unleashed an absolutely beautiful try off the lineout that was arguably the most memorable Ireland try of the Andy Farrell era.
KEITH EARLS! ⚡️
MAGIC FROM THE MUNSTER MAN!
JACK CONAN WITH QUALITY HANDS TOO! #IREvENG #GuinnessSixNations #VMTVRugby pic.twitter.com/VoFp834JCJ— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 20, 2021
In real time, it looked like a broken play. When you watch the replay back, it's clear it was a beautifully scripted play right off the training ground. Jack Conan peels off the scrum. Keith Earls sits dangerously in the pocket as Rob Herring deliberately overthrows the lineout. A touch from Conan is all that's required to unleash the Ireland winger. However England's Tom Curry was wise to the whole thing, and it took an incredible piece of skill from Conan to get the pass into Earls's lane. The Limerick man set onto the ball like a cannonball, and left Jonny May for dead with dagger cut up the opposite end of the field.
And as rugby analyst Brett Igoe pointed out on Twitter, this was no fluke. In the background of this prematch interview with Simon Easterby, you can see the Ireland team working through the lineout, with Conan tapping right into Earls's path.
Check out the background . #preparation #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/6mvDbmeFaH
— Brett Igoe (@brettruganalyst) March 20, 2021
Practice makes perfect. Try Ireland and they haven't looked back. They went into halftime up 20-6.
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