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Front-running Ireland justify status by rounding off perfect campaign

T he rain rolled across Dublin in mid-morning. A timely cooling blanket, perhaps, to regulate the collective temperature on this unique weekend in the Irish capital. It felt as if you could sink your teeth into the sheer excitement, anticipation and nervous energy of the occasion; Ireland’s opportunity to clinch a grand slam on home soil for the first time.

With St Patrick’s Day falling on Friday, a dominant display by the Irish contingent at the Cheltenham Festival and a grand slam simply waiting to be sealed and delivered, the mood around the city had been, shall we say, buoyant. As one distinguished Irish writer put it on Saturday morning, the manner in which it was set up for Andy Farrell’s world No 1 team was “unnervingly perfect”.

Yet occasionally in preceding days there had been talk in the city’s bars of that hackneyed trope of Irish rugby, and indeed of Irish sport. Despite their justified status at the top of the rugby’s global rankings, despite 21 victories out of 23 – and a record 13 in a row at home – might the hosts grow to feel a touch uncomfortable in their designated role of overwhelming favourites against England?

Would they be happier with their backs against the wall, hoping to land a punch or two, perhaps stealing away with an unlikely win? Giving it a lash, as it’s known. Or so the theory went.

The solitary problem with such a theory were the facts. Under the previous coach Joe Schmidt and now Farrell, Ireland have long grown accustomed to being front-runners. They looked comfortable, relaxed and focused as the game grew closer: but that is not to say everything went to plan when the match finally began.

A Johnny Sexton pass failed to find its target and skidded across the sodden turf. The

Read more on theguardian.com