London (AFP)

England completely smothered Ireland for 40 minutes to shatter their dreams of grand slam on Sunday, on the third day of a Six Nations Tournament that the XV of the rose can still win.

This year, the grand slam will be blue or not, France remaining the only nation vying for this honor, after its third success in as many matches in Wales Saturday (27-23).

But it is far from having its hands on the trophy, France-Ireland of the last day having every chance of being decisive.

In the meantime, this match was full of lessons for the French, with the English having offered them a lesson worthy of a blackboard on how to dominate Ireland.

Lessons that will not be totally enough, because they will probably not benefit from the guilty procrastination of Johnny Sexton on the first try by George Ford (7-0, 8th) or the naivety of Jacob Stockdale, pushed bluntly by Eliott Daly on the second (14-0, 25th), on two balls to follow in the in-goal.

But the score of 17-0, the biggest gap for 18 years at the break between these two teams, and the English territorial domination at the end of the first act (67% / 33%) shows how much the XV with clubs played .

Do not hesitate to use vice - Maro Itodje, on the ground, who retained two players by the jersey at the start of the action of the second try, Owen Farrell who clings to the leg of CJ Stander to prevent him from challenge a ball - Eddie Jones' men have highlighted the limits of an Irish team in transition.

- First defeat for A. Farrell -

With a group more in continuity and a coach in office for a long time, England has especially benefited from its well-established collective, especially in front.

And it is therefore not surprising that a group entering the school after a five-meter touchdown, won on a battered scrum, sent the substitute hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie beyond the line to widen a decisive gap (24 -5, 63e).

The men of Andy Farrell, whose first defeat at the head of Ireland, saved the honor at the start of the second act, when they finally managed to chain play times in the 22 meters opponents, by Robbie Henshaw (17-5, 50th), then on a second in added time (24-12, 80 + 2).

But Ireland will not have too much of its match against Italy, in two weeks, to recover the ideas to the place before its displacement at the Stade de France, so much the bankruptcy touched all the sectors.

As for the English, there is no doubt that Eddie Jones is not fooled by the ease of this success which is nothing but a sham.

It will probably be necessary to show more during the reception of Wales to hope to dream again during the final trip to Rome.

© 2020 AFP