To get Ireland in the mood for what’s to come against England, maybe an under-appreciated aspect of their win over Italy two weeks ago was what happened in the minutes before half-time. Italy were pounding towards the Ireland try-line. But Ireland, epitomised by the magnificent Niamh O’Dowd in that defensive set, absorbed what Italy threw at them and shut them out. If anything from that game exemplified the connectivity in this team, that was the moment.