No mistake from Sexton. Both kickers have started well both from hand and from the tee.

We see a replay of the Sinckler incident – he was one of the lifters as Maro Itoje was sent high into the Dublin sky, and in trying to get to the lifted player Iain Henderson inadvertently made contact with Sinckler. Nothing wrong with that, as Sinckler seems to have eventually concluded.

Some treatment for Kyle Sinckler as we wait for the scrum to set itself – he’s in some discomfort. It appears to be an eye issue, and the prop alleges a gouge. Mathieu Raynal says it was accidental, and Sinckler will rejoin affairs shaking his head.

Sinckler’s scrum is fine, but on the opposite side Mako Vunipola hinges and down it comes. Raynal’s intervention on this occasion is to point a long arm vaguely in the direction of Ireland – a penalty for Johnny Sexton to line up from the left.

Tadhg Beirne has had a brilliant tournament, and he’s produced another strong half-hour here. Back in the second row, he darts past the pod of lifters and pounces as Maro Itoje is brought safely back down, biceps on to the ball and a maul called as the bodies pile in. Only one conclusion – Itoje and Beirne to floor, ball unplayable, and an Ireland scrum.

Irish eyes turn upwards anxiously as they track Farrell’s flighted kick, but over it goes.

Tom Curry is a little lucky as he contacts the Irish catcher early from the kick-off, perhaps a stud on the floor but no more – Mathieu Raynal is happy for play to continue and Ireland to clear.

England delay the maul and allow Ireland to show their lifting hand, allowing rare unopposed possession, and an efficiently structured maul. Collapsed by Ireland, illegally so – Owen Farrell will look to reduce that newly-widened deficit back towards something more manageable for England. He’s on the ten-metre on the left, about 14 metres infield – a tough kick, but the wind appears to have dropped at the Aviva.

Keith Earls bursts away and Ireland have the try! It’s constructed from the lineout, traditional jumpers eschewed in favour of a fading Jack Conan at the back as Rob Herring’s dart flys beyond the 15. Tom Curry has spotted the option and travels with Conan, but it just evades his fingertips and an inviting space is left between the England openside and the rest of his forward cohort in the lineout.

Earls is on to Conan’s alley-ooped offload over Curry and fills that most inviting space, powering away from the chasing England tacklers and then putting the footwork on Jonny May, who stumbles on the turn and can’t quite haul him back. Earls dots down, Johnny Sexton converts from about ten metres infield on the right.

The Irish lineout, now drilled by Paul O’Connell, drew plenty of focus this week and they are putting the pressure on whenever they can. Iain Henderson can’t quite gather as English ball is again disrupted. The scrum feed will be theirs, and they play away from the left.

Jonny May is brought around from the blindside but his linking hands can’t free Elliot Daly on the right. England thus play back to the left, but Ollie Lawrence is thus the final man on the line and isolated. Mako Vunipola uses Conor Murray’s neck to displace the Ireland scrum-half from the ruck, and is duly penalised.

This opening quarter hasn’t quite captured the imagination as England and France did last week, but this is evolving into a fascinating battle for the Dublin skies. George Ford has developed a most devilish spiral high bomb in recent months and unveils it here, Conor Murray disoriented by its most unpredictable flight and grasping nothing but thin air five out from his own line. He’s fortunate that Bundee Aki is there to snare it on the bounce, and Ireland have possession, and then clear.

A pause, now, and for good reason – Dave Kilcoyne’s head has collided with Kyle Sinckler’s hip as he carried hard before Ford’s hoist. Kilcoyne is back on his feet but will head off for an HIA – Cian Healy gets a slightly earlier introduction than planned.

No mistake from Sexton. All square.

Penalty to Ireland! Their attack initally finds some punch with Robbie Henshaw and Tadhg Beirne prominent, but a brief stall and to the air Johnny Sexton goes.

He weights his up-and-under perfectly, like a seven-iron pitching upon the fringe of a welcoming green as Elliot Daly collects just outside of his 22. Henshaw thumps him, the bodies arrive, and Ireland will look to square things up from right in front…