Well, fancy meeting you here. You’ve arrived in loads of time for Ireland big Six Nations showdown against England at the Aviva Stadium.

News just filtering around bustling crowd that Brian O’Driscoll is no longer just the Daddy of Irish centres, he’s just a daddy.

Congrats to Mr and Mrs. Drico on that.

From what we can gather at the minute, Little Miss BOD was born this morning, so here’s hoping the former Ireland captain got his full night’s sleep in before-hand…. we jest, of course. More important things than rugby, BUT this is a rather big game.

Like a hammer-blow to a delicate blooming flower. The booming PA drowns out the natural atmosphere generated as Ireland’s 23 finest head out on a warm-up run.

We’re looking down from high in the west stand and (at least from this range) BOD does not appear to have a brandy or a cigar in hand. Good omen.

Around 25 minutes to go before kick off now, why not get in the mood with this AMAZING picture of a dog, or this spine-tingling montage from the RTE archives.

So, here’s the cast of characters. Despite injury fears over Gordon D’Arcy, Mike Ross and Peter O’Mahony Ireland are unchanged from the win over Wales.

England number eight, meanwhile, was ruled out early in the week. So his place in the team is taken by James Haskell and Tom Wood takes over at the back of the scrum.

Ireland: R Kearney; C Gilroy, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, S Zebo; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross;  M McCarthy, D Ryan; P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, J Heaslip (c).

Replacements: D Kilcoyne, S Cronin, D Fitzpatrick, D O’Callaghan, C Henry, E Reddan, R O’Gara, K Earls.

England: A Goode; C Ashton, B Barritt, B Twelvetrees, M Brown; O Farrell, B Youngs: J Marler, T Youngs, D Cole; J Launchbury, G Parling; J Haskell, C Robshaw (c), T Wood.

Replacements: D Hartley, D Wilson, M Vunipola, C Lawes, T Waldrom, D Care, T Flood, M Tuilagi.

Right, we’re nearly there. England slowly take the field to murmured applause before a boom of fireworks lifts me off my seat.

Here come Ireland.

Sparks will fly.

The President has made his way along the line without incident. REPEAT: Without incident, England and Ireland have remained on their correctly allotted sides of the red carpet. Good boys.

Deep breath, now. Three anthems on the way.

KICK OFF: That’s the niceties out of the way – plus another arsenal of fireworks and a bar of ‘Shipping off to Boston’ – so we’re off and running from the boot of Owen Farrell.

England attacking left to right as the TV cameras in front of me view it. Ireland attacking that little stumpy end near Londonbridge road.

Farrell targeted Gilroy with the kick-off, but the young man is solid. Ireland clear, but England go through the phases until Farrell cross-kicks to Ashton on the right. He pats it back in field and four phases later a failed choke tackle ends with Jamie Heaslip penalised for not rolling away.

PENALTY: Ireland 0 – 3 England (Farrell ’3)

From just inside the 10-metre line the 21-year-old makes no error. Worrying start from that kid.

Sexton hits Robshaw with the restart, Ireland disrupt the phase, but Goode is first to react to the ball dribbling back to the 22.

The drop-out is hit at Jamie Heaslip, but he fumbles on. The scrum is set and and ‘Sweet Chariot’ begins in a corner, but is drowned out.

The scrum is solid, but the ball is turned over after reaching Wood. England kick again, but this time the penalty in the 22 is Ireland’s and we’re back into scoring territory.

Farrell draws a cynical penalty onto himself in midfield and Sexton drills Ireland up to the 22-metre line.

Rory Best’s first attempt was sloppy, but this one is cleanly taken by McCarthy and Ireland make good ground in contact through O’Mahony.

Ireland probe, but can’t find a breakthrough and England force the mistake as the ball squirts back from two Irish rucks. As the second is hacked downfield Kearney has a head start on Ashton, the wing tackles Kearney after regaining and forces another error. Scrum England in Ireland’s 22.

Bad news too as Simon Zebo departs the scene injured. Keith Earls is now Ireland’s left wing.

Ireland survive as England probe left and then back towards the right when Barritt lets his teammate Ashton down with a  bad pass behind the winger.

Keith Earls makes a break upfield off the line-out, but Sexton’s kick is straight at Goode and he returns it with interest to touch on Ireland’s 10-metre line.

There’s a row on…

Penalty goes Ireland’s way after a maul is dragged down. Garces tells the two captains ‘discipline.’

Ireland have another line-out on the 22, but it;s scrappy again as the ball is slapped back to the hooker. Ireland are turned over in the next ruck and England fling it wide. Another timely man and ball tackle from Gilroy ends the move and a bit of kick-tennis breaks out.

Ireland’s rally ends with a high Sexton effort, claimed unchallenged by Ashton.

Another big turnover thanks to O’Brien and Sexton forming a choke tackle-turned ruck 30-metres from their goal.

The penalty goes Ireland’s way and we hear that Simon Zebo is on crutches down at the sideline.

Ireland plod forward again and set a decent base through Ross and Healy before going to the backs and D’Arcy breaks the gain-line but knocks on in the process.

20 minutes gone, so I can officially say; no fast start from Ireland today, folks.

McCarthy is the next to drop the ball. Unforgivable this time as he takes the pass standing still.

The green scrum is going very well, but they’ll want to limit the number of collisions.

As I commend them, Garces admonishes the Irish eight with a penalty. Tough going this.

That’s better. BOD makes space on the left with a lazer-guided pass to Earls who breaks and feeds Kearney.

Massive groans all round a phase after Heaslip sets a platform as McCarthy is the culprit again for a knock-on.

Here’s number for you courtesy of @RuckinGoodStats

25 min: #Ireland averaging a handling error (as determined by ref) every 1:12 mins, #England every 4:54 mins. #IREvENG

Geoff Parling takes a clean line-out and England form a maul. Heaslip is again the man pinged, offside. He doesn’t have the ear of Garces today.

From over 45 metres on the angle…

PENALTY: Ireland 0 – 6 England (Farrell ’30)

A stunning, smooth effort from the Saracens back.

Disaster?

Ireland scramble the ball away after England move right and Jonathan Sexton pulls up holding his hamstring in agony.

Off goes Ireland’s number 10, aided by Dr Eanna Falvey. Time for Ronan O’Gara to roll back the clock and reel England in.

ROG is a little fortunate, his first penalty is tapped back in by Brown, but Nigel Owens flags it out.

The line-out brings the loudest groan yet; Conor Murray unable to hold on after the ball is fed down to him.

Big three minutes now for England after another scrum penalty allows them into Ireland’s 22.

A green hand steals the line-out, but there is another turnover and another row before England set up for a scrum on the 22.

Ireland’s scrum is good, and Wood sets the backs away as he moves backwards.

The white shirts flow back to the centre with Ashton running from first receiver, but Ireland force another turnover and penalty. Relief.

Ah, come  on!

Farrell lines up another pen after ROG’s deep clearance was sent back by Goode and after O’Mahony carries, O’Gara is whistled for holding on.

This time, Farrell is slightly off target. Ireland fortunate to be within a single score here at half time.

HALF TIME: Ireland 0  - 6 England

A nice stat pointed out by Aoife in the comments section:

“ROG coming on has made him the ONLY player to have featured in ALL 14 seasons of the Six Nations era Legend come on ROG!!!”

Whatever your feelings about the man now, he has been an incredible servant to this team… the stage could be set for another chapter of ROG magic.

Here we go again, folks. The Second Half is off and running with another penalty against Heaslip after O’Gara hits Brown with the restart.

WAAHAAYYY! Parling finds out what it feels like to be Mike McCarthy, dropping the ball at his feet standing still.

Ireland’s scrum is…. dominant. The white pack trundles backwards before a penalty is given against Marler.

ROG puts Ireland within 30, but the line-out is spilled by Ryan and knocked on by O’Brien.

AGGGHHH!

Back-slapping all round as Cole is pinged for taking the scrum down. O’Gara has the tee.

PENALTY: Ireland 3 – 6 England (’45)

Game. F%&8ing. on!

There is a palpable momentum shift in here. England err at the line-out and the crowd greets it like a score.

O’Gara booms the kick high, England recover and have the best of the kicking exchange until ROG, backed into his own 22, switches to his left and drills the ball down the left wing. Vintage.

Barritt and Launchbury are leaving the field. Here comes Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes.

Sean O’Brien looked in trouble earlier, and again as he lays stricken on his side.

Chris Henry is all ready to come on, but that seems to get SOB’s adrenaline flowing and he jumps up and heads back to war.

BOD IS HUMAN.

Of all the people. Brian O’Driscoll is the latest to fumble the pass. Heart in mouth moment as Tuilagi eyed the loose ball within 20 metres of the line.

Proof of how difficult conditions are.

Can you feel it?

The tide has turned, Ireland claim the ball in their own 22 and hoist a high ball up the line. Rory Best shows the athleticism of Rob Kearney to pluck the ball out of the air and with a pen in the offing Murray fires it up to the corner.

England slow up the line-out and manage to clear, but Ireland have a throw, 35 metres from the try-line.

O’Driscoll takes a crash ball, but he’s hurt. The ruck goes left, but Murray’s options are limited by a staggered back-line and he takes the wrong one a chip through behind the line.

BOD is limping off now… but he’s back on again.

An awful touch-finding penalty from ROG goes scarcely 10 metres. Still, the maul is set and rolls up a further 10 where Wood is called offside. Another Best line-out and the set-piece is functioning nicely.

SIN BIN: James Haskell is pointed to the bin for tapping the ball away at the back of a ruck and ROG is pointing at the posts.

PENALTY: Ireland 6 – 6 England (O’Gara ‘ 57)

Like fine red wine.

Despite being bullied for an hour in their own back-yard, Ireland are level on the scoreboard and a man up on the field.

This is an absorbing contest, which way will it go?

Whoa! Farrell dinked a kick in behind Kearney and he appeared to be unaware that there were two men on top of him before diving on the ball. He managed to get to touch, so England have a big chance here.

Advantage coming and Tuilagi is so close to collecting behind the posts, but Earls does enough to quash the danger.

Farrell takes the tee, 20 metres out on the left-hand side. No mistake.

Ireland 6 – 9 England (Farrell ’64)

Well, the yellow card has not been pounced upon at all by Ireland. Kearney this time is whistled for holding on after being cut down by Tuilagi.

O’Callaghan and Henry are in the game.

PENALTY: Ireland 6 – 12 England (Farrell ’65)

We’re back to square one.

Ireland building some phases now as England’s defence looks quite content not to contest the rucks. Even in the last play with 15 on 14, there’s no gap created.

Penalty to Ireland on halfway after crossing on England’s line-out.

Rob Kearney taking treatment now. This is relentless.

Another solid line-out, another excellent maul and another penalty for offside against England.

Just outside the 22, out on the right wing…

Ooh. It;s well struck, but drifts the near side of the posts.

73 minutes: Ireland have it all to do in the final minutes here. They start with a line-out: Best to Henry and they maul again.

The kick goes up, but Gilroy shows his inexperience and loses a jump he never should have contested allowing Brown break upfield.

O’Gara is called for holding on and the English 10 takes the maximum time from the kick before dropping it…. right and wide.

There is still hope…. but Sean Cronin is in for Best and Kilcoyne for Healy.

Ireland trying to run from the 22 now, it’s win at all costs. Mike Ross mishandles, it goes back two metres, but Garces calls it a knock-on.

Scrum white from 15.

Ah well.

The scrum resets, precious seconds ticking away from Ireland now. Heartbreaking stuff as ‘Sweet Chariot’ bellows from the stands.

THERE IS HOPE.

The clock has ticked down to 78 minutes, but Ireland have been freed from the 22 thanks to a scrum penalty.

Cancel that, Cronin’s throw is lost and the game will end in Ireland’s 22 as Robshaw is named man of the match.

England’s winning run away from home continues. Ireland’s brief winning run and Grand Slam dream ends with the most painful of defeats.

FULL TIME: Ireland 6 -12 England

That’s it from me here in D4, folks. A bad old afternoon all round.

Ireland will be counting the cost of injury as well as defeat.

Safe home.