Ireland left the Lansdowne Road pitch shocked, bruised and beaten following yesterday’s 12-6 defeat to England. Following the magnificent triumph in Cardiff just eight days earlier this was not how the first home game of the Six Nations was supposed to go.

A slew of handling errors and injuries, exploited by an excellent English kicking game, left Declan Kidney’s side feeling the jarring impact of a sudden return to earth.

Former Ireland international Reggie Corrigan spoke with Newstalk Breakfast’s Oisin Langan this morning and analysed the key factors in the game, and the lasting legacy it could have.

Corrigan believes the difference in kicking games was crucial. “We just didn’t manage the game in the same manner the English did, the error count from our point of view was just too high at crucial times. “

“The English were good and clever with the way they played the game. England were better with their kicking and with dealing with our kicking.”

Aside from Ireland’s failures in the kicking department there was also the pivotal moment of the game’s only yellow card. The momentum of the game, however, went against the usual trend. Down to fourteen men with the game level should have seen England battling to stay in touch with Ireland. The reality was quite different as they added six points while playing with a depleted side.

The legacy of the game will be not only the mental scars of missing out on a great opportunity for a realistic chance at a grand slam coupled with losing at home to England. There is also the physical cost as Johnny Sexton, Simon Zebo, Mike McCarthy, Donnacha Ryan, Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Sean O’Brien all incurred injuries over the course of the game.