Hello everyone and welcome to our liveblog of Ireland v England.

After two weeks of intense build-up today feels like Christmas for Irish rugby fans as the English finally come to the Aviva.

Win and a second straight Six Nations title is very achievable, lose and England will almost certainly win the Grand Slam.

The stakes couldn’t be much higher.

If you haven’t heard, the Aviva is being covered in snow at the moment.

Hopefully it clears before kick-off but even if it doesn’t you just know that Joe Schmidt has a 48-page dossier on how to execute the kick-chase in the snow.

And here are how the two teams will line out. They look very even on paper.

Ireland:15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jordi Murphy, 7 Sean O’Brien, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Paul O’Connell (c), 4 Devin Toner, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Jack McGrath
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Martin Moore, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Tommy O’Donnell, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Felix Jones

England: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 6 James Haskell, 5 George Kruis, 4 Dave Attwood, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Nick Easter, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Billy Twelvetrees.

Clive Woodward has made his prediction and in Sir Clive-esque fashion he is very bullish on England’s chances.

Also, if you are looking for some pre-match reading Jonny Wilkinson spoke to The42 about injuries, dealing with life after THAT drop goal and whether he should have left Newcastle sooner.

EMPICS Sports Photo Agency EMPICS Sports Photo Agency

Who will be the first team to hoist this fancy new trophy?

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Here’s the RTE promo for today. It might be sacrilegious to say this but I think their promo game has seriously slipped this Six Nations.

What do you think of this one?

ROG and Shaggy missed the cut for the studio but they’ve just executed a nice West Wing-style walk-and-talk through the bowels of the Aviva Stadium.

Thankfully the weather has cleared up so our man at the ground won’t get pneumonia.

It is worth remembering that Ireland have yet to beat England during Stuart Lancaster’s time in charge. The last time Ireland beat their rivals in the Six Nations was back in 2011 when Martin Johnson was coach.

It worked out well for the home side that day.

Lancaster makes, perhaps, the biggest mistake he could in the pre-match interview.

Given Ireland have four players in the backline who can cover fullback should Luke Fitzgerald have been included on the bench instead of Felix Jones?

15 minutes to kick-off now, although I’m sure this picture was taken considerably earlier.

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Do you agree?

Almost there now!

All three panelists are picking Ireland anyway! Good or bad sign?

The England players and coaches belt out God Save The Queen.

Ireland match them with two rousing songs of their own.

We are off!

George Ford catches the first box-kick of the game and is smashed. The Irish forwards pile into the ruck and win a turnover.

Jack McGrath carries into the England half and Dan Cole gets pinged for offside. Sexton to kick for goal from the 10m line slightly to the left of the posts.

Ireland 3-0 England

Sexton gives Ireland the perfect start.

Strangely Ford has gone long with both kick-offs allowing Ireland to clear at their leisure. This time Vunipola goes in at the side and Ireland will have a lineout on the English 10m line.

Very poor start by the visitors. Two silly penalties conceded and two ineffective kick-offs.

5m scrum to Ireland after a high, hanging kick by Sexton is batted down by Jack Nowell and carried dead by Alex Goode. Great chance for the home side to launch a power-play.

Held up and Ireland will have another scrum. A missed opportunity though because Ireland had numbers left but persisted with keeping it tight.

Rob Kearney and Sean O’Brien get within inches of the line and then England are penalised for not rolling away. Sexton will take the points and it should be 6-0.

Ireland 6-0 England

Great start by Ireland but a missed opportunity there as they had two very good chances to score the first try. They went a bit narrow when they had numbers to spare.

England have a lineout in the Ireland 22 after Simon Zebo carries a clever Jack Nowell chip into touch.

Ireland are tackling ferociously but England have possession 15m from the line.

Ireland 6-3 England

Ford drops a goal in the 22 with a penalty advantage. England changed the point of attack well during the move.

Ford fields a kick and skips past Zebo for a 15m gain on the right but the Munster wing tracks back and intercepts his offload to reclaim possession. England then knock on after a Murray box-kick and Ireland have a scrum just inside the opposition half.

England win a penalty in midfield after Jordi Murphy doesn’t roll away.  Ford to kick for goal.

Ford pushes it to the right and wide. He will be disappointed with that because it was in a central enough area.

Zebo claims Sexton’s drop-out beautifully and Ireland attack from their own territory.

Ireland have a scrum on halfway after an England knock-on.

Jared Payne cuts a hard line off Sexton and makes five yards over the gain line inside the England half. However, a few phases later Toner knocks on.

England kick towards the corner after Ireland fail to retreat ten yards from Kearney’s kick. Lineout on the 22.

Ireland get penalised for collapsing the maul and Ford will go for the corner. Big call.

But big Devin Toner gets up and steals it and Murray kicks to outside the 22.

Ireland steal another lineout and Sean O’Brien thunders into George Ford. Ireland have possession on their own 10m line now.

Sean O’Brien looks out cold after that carry. He may have to come off.

Tommy O’Donnell is on for Ireland as Rory Best wins a turnover penalty in midfield. Lineout on the English 22 on the left.

Ireland struggling to make inroads into the English defence until a Sexton wraparound brings play into the 22.

Peter O’Mahony takes the ball into contact and Vunipola wins the turnover penalty. Both sides have missed plenty of chances already.

England try to play their way out of their own 22 but Sexton tackles Burrell and Henshaw is the first man in. Penalty Ireland in front of the posts.

Ireland 9-3 England

After good work from Robbie Henshaw at the ruck, Sexton extends Ireland’s lead.

Ford makes a nice little break to take play over the Ireland 10m line. The young out-half has shown some nice touches thus far.

But a few rucks later Jordi Murphy makes up for his earlier penalty concession by winning a turnover. Lineout to Ireland on the English 10m line.

A nice Ireland maul brings play into the 22 but Haskell turns it over. As England move to counter, Sexton dumps Ford onto his backside and Anthony Watson picks up the loose ball in an offside position. Mammoth hit by Sexton and he will have a chance to widen Ireland’s lead to nine.

Surprisingly Sexton pulls his kick wide and the lead remains at six.

Dave Atwood gets penalised for offside as Sexton launches a high kick. Another sloppy piece of play by England as their in indiscipline adds up. Ireland have a lineout on the 22 with less than five minutes to play.

George Kruis does well to legally collapse the maul and then Alex Goode calls a mark from Sexton’s garryowen. Ireland will have another lineout halfway between the 22 and the 10m line.

A lovely set-piece move that sees Tommy O’Donnell swivel and put Henshaw into the 22 is undone a few moments later with a knock-on. Then another Jack Nowell chips pins Ireland in their own 22.

HT Ireland 9-3 England

That’s half time and Ireland hold a six-point lead but it could well be more. Both Ford and Sexton have missed a kick each but Ireland will be bitterly disappointed not to have crossed for a try after two spells of possession around the English line early on.

Ireland have been very busy at the breakdown in the first half.

Sean O’Brien was very unsteady on his feet after he hammered into George Ford.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

We are off in the second half!

Jack Nowell gets a bit of space on the left wing but Kearney does well to toss him into touch on halfway.

Conor Murray makes a lovely break and offloads to Payne who kicks to the England 5m line. Goode carries the ball over the dead ball line but Sexton misses him badly and the fullback escapes for a 20m gain to save England.

Anthony Watson counters beautifully from his 22 and glides past a few defenders before throwing a poor offload forward and Ireland have a scrum on the halfway line.

Chris Robshaw gives away another penalty for offside as he tries to harass Conor Murray at the ruck and Sexton will kick from the 10m line to the right of the posts.

Ireland 12-3 England

Ireland get that crucial two-score buffer as Sexton splits the posts.

Ireland have a scrum just outside their own 22 as Tommy Bowe is tackled after fielding a high ball and everyone piles in, making the ball unplayable.

Ireland win a huge scrum penalty after great work by McGrath, Best and Ross. The home side have a lineout inside the English half now.

Sexton chips beautifully into the English 22 and after Zebo smashes Watson Peter O’Mahony snaffles possession. Ireland have the ball 10m from the line.

Possible try here for Ireland after Henshaw spectacularly claims a Murray box-kick and looks to touch down in the corner. It would be a sensational score but Ireland have a penalty advantage anyway.

TRY! Ireland 19-3 England

What a try! If you thought the Henshaw hype was big before wait until you see his spectacular high catch and classy touchdown. All that gaelic football as a youngster has paid off.

Ireland have a lineout just inside their own half after an Alex Goode clearance. Madigan replaces Sexton who seemed to tweak a hamstring.

Penalty to Ireland after yet another England offside. Madigan kicks deep into the 22.

Toner fumbles Rory Best’s throw in the air and England have a scrum. Poor from Toner, who has had an excellent game otherwise.

Ireland get lucky as Vunipola makes a massive break from the back of the scrum but his grubber kick rolls just over the tryline.

Marty Moore is on for Mike Ross who has had a great game at scrum-time.

Not a good start for the Ireland scrum with Moore as England win a penalty in front of the posts. Strange that they went for the corner when down three and go for the posts when down 16.

Ireland 19-6 England

Ford reduces the gap but it is still a long way back for the visitors.

Madigan tries to replicate Sexton’s delicate chip from earlier but it goes out on the full. England go quickly and have possession in the Irish half before Marty Moore wins a turnover penalty.

Paul O’Connell charges down a Ben Youngs box-kick and for a moment it looks like he might be on a run to the line but the ball bounces into touch inside the English 22.

Cian Healy is on for Jack McGrath.

Tom Youngs is on for Hartley and Iain Henderson is on for Toner.

England have a lineout in the Irish half now.

Cian Healy times his run perfectly and smashes Youngs back 10m the second he puts his hands on the ball. England still have possession though.

Peter O’Mahony gets penalised for not supporting his body weight as he stole the ball but it looked very harsh. Ford will go for the posts again from straight in front.

Ireland 19-9 England

Ford reduces the gap to ten but penalties won’t be enough for England now.

England are on the attack again but wastefully kick into the hands of Tommy Bowe who calls a mark. It is a little worrying for Ireland at the moment because the visitors are in control.

Tommy Bowe moves to centre as Felix Jones replaces Jared Payne.

England move into the Irish 22 after a big carry from Billy Vunipola.

England up to within 5m of the line after a Jack Nowell burst.

England get done for accidental offside a metre from the line. Even with a ten-point lead Ireland are holding on here. 5m scrum for the home side. Easter, Croft and Vunipola are on for England now.

Free kick for Ireland gives Madigan a chance to clear Ireland’s lines.

England will have a lineout halfway between the 10m line and the Ireland 22. Sean Cronin is on for Best.

Knock-on by Burrell and Murray clears to halfway where Goode is tackled.

A phase later Easter knocks on after a big hit by Healy and Ireland have a scrum on halfway. Five to go now.

England back on the attack with four to go after Watson fields a Murray box-kick. Two phases later Nowell knocks on and Burrell is in an offside position. Madigan kicks to touch just outside the 22.

Cronin barrels over the gain line in midfield as Ireland look to close it out. Two to go and Ireland have the ball on the English 10m line.

England win a penalty and the visitors have a lineout on the Irish 22 with one to go. Not enough time for England to win now.

FT Ireland 19-9 England

Jack Nowell goes over in the corner but there was a forward pass and the Ireland Grand Slam dream is still alive.

What a game that was! Had England scored a try with ten to go there is every chance they would have gone on to win but overall Joe Schmidt’s men deserved their victory. However, one frustration is that in the last two wins Ireland have been holding on at the end rather than kicking on. Regardless, they are two wins away from a Grand Slam.

That’s it for our liveblog today but make sure to check the site immediately for all the best reaction from the Aviva Stadium.