BETTER for England. Much better. Signs that there is something to move on with under new skipper Maro Itoje. But still nowhere near good enough as Irish eyes were smiling all over the Aviva. Late tries by Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman ensured Steve Borthwick’s men will head back home with a losing bonus point and something tangible to grasp. Yet those scores could not hide the fact England were blown away in the second half, unable to repeat the exertions of the first 40 minutes that had brought them an unlikely interval lead.

And while the final margin was only five points, for much of that second half it felt significantly more than that. Once again, England found a way to lead, Cadan Murley in dreamland when he scored a terrific try with his first attacking touch of the ball in international rugby. They found a heart and soul, too, defending with a passion and desire that could not be faulted. But once again, just as so often over the past year, they could not quite get over the line - and ended up well beaten.

When it really mattered, their two key tackling errors were brutally punished as Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki scored either side of the interval to wipe out their advantage. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. And once Sam Prendergast finally found his kicking boots to nudge the home side in front, there was an inevitability about what followed. James Lowe tore through the disintegrating England defence to allow Tadgh Beirne to canter home with the winger fending off Marcus Smith to set up Dan Sheehan to clinch the bonus point, although Curry and Freeman then cut the gap in the final minutes.

In the end, despite that late double, Ireland looked more like themselves, England a level - or more - below. Yet what will hurt so much is how well Borthwick’s side, with Marcus Smith at his elusive best, started, reducing the home crowd to near silence. Smith who was in at the beginning as England - and Murley - made the first statement. He fielded a steepler from opposite number Prendergast and fed Ollie Lawrence, who made a key incision to put the Irish midfield on the back foot.

England moved the ball quickly to the left, with Henry Slade’s delicate kick allowing Murley to make the perfect opening to his international career, Smith kicking a beauty from the touchline. It sparked the expected Irish response, England defending with desperation - and earning a warning from Kiwi ref Ben O’Keefe. All Six Nations 2024 fixtures - Dates, kick-off times and TV channels for huge tournament.

They had one escape when a try from hooker Rohan Kelleher was ruled out after the TMO spotted Beirne illegally grabbing hold of Itoje’s leg to prevent him from making a tackle. England, too, had a try chalked off, although the whistle had gone for a knock-on as Itoje dislodged the ball before Mitchell scampered over. That tackle by the new skipper summed up England’s approach, that mobile back row popping up all over the pitch to smother and deny.

The question was long long they could sustain the effort for - a task made even tougher when Smith was sent to the bin for a blatant offside after winger Mack Hansen had surged to within a few steps of the line. Even so, the try they conceded just as Smith was getting set to return was disappointing - for Mitchell and Freddie Steward in particular. Mitchell had a firm grasp on Lowe just inside the England half but allowed the winger to elude his grasp and power forward before flipping inside to Gibson-Park, who made Steward look silly as he misread the side-step.

Round 1. France v Wales | January 31 at 8.15pm | ITV. Scotland v Italy | February 1 at 2.15pm | BBC. Ireland v England | February 1 at 4.45pm | ITV. Round 2. Italy v Wales | February 8 at 2.15pm | ITV. England v France | February 8 at 4.45pm | ITV. Scotland v Ireland | February 9 at 3pm | BBC. Round 3. Wales v Ireland | February 22 at 2.15pm | BBC. England v Scotland | February 22 at 4.45pm | ITV. Italy v France | February 23 at 3pm | ITV.

Round 4. Ireland v France | March 8 at 2.15pm | ITV. Scotland v Wales | March 8 at 4.45pm | BBC. England v Italy | March 9 at 3pm | ITV. Round 5. Italy v Ireland | March 15 at 2.15pm | ITV. Wales v England | March 15 at 4.45pm | BBC. France v Scotland | March 15 at 8pm | ITV. Somehow, Prendergast pulled the conversion wide of the uprights, with England still, narrowly, in front. Smith, back on the field, stretched the advantage from in front of the posts with the last play of the half.

But from the start of the second period, the England tank looked drained. Pressure after Murley misjudged a high ball eventually told as Aki bulldozed through Smith, shrugged off Mitchell and then carried Freeman with him over the line. Prendergast missed again but was on the money four minutes later when Itoje was adjudged - somewhat harshly - to have pushed Jack Conan in the line-out. Once they were ahead, Ireland put down the hammer, England’s tiredness showing as the green tide kept on surging.