The Irish were as good as motionless after the whistle, unmoving in the tumult. The English were chasing each other across the pitch, running to catch Marcus Smith, the rest haring across from the bench to join them. Up in the box, Steve Borthwick was hugging the other coaches, and in the stands all around them 80,000 spectators were screaming, shouting, wailing, roaring, stamping, clapping.
It’s been a long while since there was anything like it at Twickenham. And down in the middle of it all, those 15 Irish players just stood shocked still, some with their hands on their hips, others were bent double, sucking in fresh breath. It seemed none of them could quite believe it.
