Amid the scars left by a life within the second row, Steve Borthwick has a superb poker face.
He does not have many tells, protecting his feelings beneath tight rein and his ideas to himself.
However Tuesday was no bluff.
By naming his staff two days early, Borthwick put his playing cards on the desk and challenged Eire to show him unsuitable.
England caught with Marcus Smith at fly-half and Freddie Steward at full-back, picked debutant Cadan Murley on the wing and wager the home on a again row of Ben Earl, Tom Curry and his twin brother Ben.
The choice was a press release of intent; to win the air, to sap Eire’s velocity with a nuisance floor recreation and throw a defensive blanket over their assault.
For 40 minutes, Borthwick’s plan paid out.
England scored the opening attempt early as Smith ran again a kick, Ollie Lawrence busted a gap and Henry Slade’s cute grubber put the ball on a platter for Murley.
Earl and the Twindaloo – Sale followers’ nickname for the Curry brothers – have been inflicting Eire’s assault indigestion.
They steamed into the breakdown, slowing the ball as potential attackers have been drawn in to safe the provision strains.
The defence was up flat and quick, scattering Eire’s attacking patterns. And by shortening the line-out – a possible space of weak point – they thinned out Eire’s thicket of jumpers.
New skipper Maro Itoje confirmed his captaincy smarts, ensuring that Ben O’Keeffe noticed and heard the sly maintain that Tadhg Beirne had of his leg, leaving the referee no choice however to chalk off an Eire attempt.
