Pain of loss to Ireland drives on England to finish job

Two years ago in Dublin, England won the Six Nations title, but the way that triumph was greeted they may as well have been told the winning lottery ticket had been stolen from their possession.
England's players stand dejected after the game during the RBS 6 Nations match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland two years ago.England's players stand dejected after the game during the RBS 6 Nations match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland two years ago.
England's players stand dejected after the game during the RBS 6 Nations match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland two years ago.

England had gone to Ireland chasing a grand slam in the final game of the 2011 tournament.

For the best part of two months Martin Johnson’s side had been unbeaten against their northern hemisphere rivals and with a World Cup looming later in the year, a Six Nations clean sweep would have been the perfect preparation.

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But England effectively failed to turn up that day at the Aviva Stadium at Lansdowne Road.

They were kicked into submission by Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara, who built a 24-3 lead for the Irish and then protected it in the closing stages.

England’s only response was a try by then-Leeds hooker Steve Thompson as they were mercilessly demolished by the men in green shirts, and remorselessly taunted by the Irish hordes in the stands.

Their earlier exploits in the tournament had proved enough to secure the Six Nations title, but the despair was overwhelming.

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England had been soundly beaten, the grand slam ripped from their grasp, and there were very few players, coaches or fans in the mood to celebrate winning anything.

The coronation of the champions, if it could be called that, was carried out later on that evening, in front of a few tournament hangers-on in a soulless room.

It was a bitter-sweet moment, a hollow victory.

One man who lived through it was Leeds-born Danny Care, a second-half replacement for Ben Youngs who was powerless to stop the green tide at Lansdowne Road that day.

“Yeah there’s unfinished business,” he said, as he reflected as briefly as he could on getting his hands on his only piece of international silverware to date.

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“I think you still have to be proud of yourself for winning it, you were the best team throughout the whole tournament.

“But obviously that was a really disappointing way to finish it.

“It was more the performance than the result. We didn’t play well over in Ireland at all.

“That’s two years ago now, and hopefully we’ve learnt a few lessons now and this new team going forward is a stronger one.”

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Playing alongside him that day was Toby Flood – England’s match-winner against Italy on Sunday – who still recalls the defeat in Dublin with remorse.

“There’s a big opportunity to make up for what was a really poor performance and an annoying day for us in 2011. It still hurts now,” said Flood.

“There was nothing to lose for Ireland. That was their emotion – to ruin our party. This one is slightly different. There are two teams who theoretically could win this thing.”

Amid all the talk in the build-up to this Saturday’s title decider with Wales will be about how close England came two years ago.

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There is nearly half a team full of players left over from that fixture, but the dynamic of the group has changed considerably.

England are a lot more disciplined, more structured and better led than they were under Johnson.

They have the sores of two years ago still festering. And they have a level-headed and meticulous coach in Stuart Lancaster, who will not allow for such negative thoughts to occupy the minds of his players as they prepare to decide their grand slam fate in Cardiff.

They have grown steadily as a group since he took charge 14 months ago, with the upward curve accelerating since their win over New Zealand and four straight victories in the Six Nations, with the only downturn this Spring coming on Sunday in the shape of their underwhelming win over Italy.

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There was expectation on the shoulders of the team of two years ago, but it weighed heavily.

There is a sense that the pressure on Lancaster’s men this time around is because they are in the middle of the journey to the next World Cup, and not at the end of it.

And that these players can handle whatever is thrown at them.

“Expectation is a new challenge for this group,” said Care, who is all set to win his 41st cap at the Millennium Stadium.

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“We’re still a group that’s learning, we’re relatively new to each other, but in the way we won that game against New Zealand and the way we started the Six Nations, there is that expectation on us to win the whole tournament.

“We want to win every game we play, but to win a Six Nations grand slam would be awesome.”

In citing an example of how mature England have become, Care recalled the third game of this year’s championship, when they found a way to win against France when they had been outplayed and outfought in the first half.

Care said: “That shows the resolve in the squad, we believed we could win the game, when we went a few points down the way we reacted to that I thought was brilliant.

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“We regrouped, we reacted to that and really went at them. We knew the game would be won or lost in that second half, but our defence was magnificent.”

It is that defensive strength that Care believes will ensure England prevail against Wales.

“The types of defensive stand and physicality we’ve shown at times this year is what we pride our performance on,” he said. “If we impose ourselves and use our physicality, we’re hard to beat.”

Two years ago England won the war but lost the battle. With the wounds still sore from that game in Dublin, Care and this physically formidable and mentally durable England will try to ensure that in Cardiff on Saturday, they win the battle as well as the war.

Experience key for Wales’ hopes

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Shaun Edwards hopes that Wales’ recent experience of big occasions can help them against title rivals England.

Grand slam-chasing England have not completed a tournament clean sweep since 2003, while they suffered final-hurdle falls in 2000, 2001 and 2011, and Wales ended the Five Nations era by thwarting them 32-31 at Wembley 14 years ago.

Wales, in contrast, have achieved three Six Nations grand slams in eight years.

“We’ve had the experience of being in big games before,” said defence coach Edwards.

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“Most of our team has played in a grand slam game, some in two, some in three.

“They’ve also played in a World Cup semi-final, and I am just really hoping that experience will help us on Saturday. It is a huge game.”