Ireland are looking for their first Triple Crown since 1985 following their dramatic win over World and Six Nations champions, England, on Saturday.

In a highly charged and robust encounter, Ireland held the line against wave after wave of attack to come away with the 19-13 victory at Fortress Twickenham - and in so doing, ending England's 22-game winning streak at HQ.

It was a game that Ireland dominated for long periods, but they would have felt that the 12-10 half-time turnaround in their favour was poor purchase for some good possession hard won by the forwards.

All Ireland's first-half points came through the boot of outhalf Ronan O'Gara after Ireland's pack imposed itself on the English set-piece. England responded with a try through Matt Dawson, who capitalised on an error at the back of the Irish scum. He went in under the posts to give England a 7-6 lead. Paul Grayson added a penalty for England, but O'Gara kept Ireland ahead going into the break.

The second half saw an improved English performance and both winger Ben Cohen and replacement hooker Mark Regan were denied tries by some brave tackling and the close eye of the video ref.

But when the Irish full back Girvan Dempsey went over in the corner for a try (converted by O'Gara), a second upset – to match Italy's demolition of Scotland earlier in the day – looked on. England managed just three points in the second half in what was an uncharacteristically error strewn display by the home side.

Simple handling errors, the inability to secure their own ball at the lineout and the absence of key players lay at the heart of a stuttering English performance.

The platform for the Irish win was built in the lineout – England gave up 11 lineouts to Irish spoiling. The Irish jumpers, Malcolm O'Kelly, Paul O'Connell and Simon Easterby, when called upon, challenged everything and forced England onto the backfoot to tidy up what little ball they got.

But when repeatedly penned back by O'Gara's kicking, England needed leadership – in short, they missed Martin Johnson. They were rudderless at times and, without Jonny Wilkinson, they lacked the talismanic figure capable of taking charge of the game.

But it was a remarkably assured display by Ireland, who may have laid one lazy sporting cliché to rest – of Ireland being that wild and unpredictable quantity, hoping for the luck of their nation to bamboozle formbook logic. In a little over a year they have beaten Australia in Dublin and come within two points of beating them at the World Cup, and they faced England for last year's Six Nations decider. Saturday's 8-1 outsiders proved they are better than that.

This was not like Ireland's most recent wins against England - this wasn't the smash and grab of 1993, the chaos of 1994, or the rearguard of 2001. This was a calculated dismantling of the opposition, England-like in the professionalism of its execution. Those very English qualities of organisation, preparation and self-belief underscored the Irish game. Another English quality of consistency will be tested as Ireland look to the Triple Crown clincher against Scotland on March 27.

(gmcg)