Ireland edges England 14-13 for 6 Nations lead

Battered captain Brian O'Driscoll recovered from two knockdowns to see off England 14-13 on Saturday and keep Ireland on course for its first Six Nations rugby championship since 1985.

The Irish center took a beating from England's penalty-prone defense, suffering second-half blows to the head that twice knocked him temporarily out of the match.

After scoring Ireland's only try in the 57th minute, O'Driscoll resumed rubbing his forehead in obvious pain, but refused to come out - electrifying the capacity 82,000-strong crowd at Croke Park.

He said he felt "hazy" in the second half and his head still ached afterward.

"But the pain is always a little easier to accept with a victory like that," he said with a broad smile. "It mightn't have been vintage us, but test matches don't come much harder than that one we just played."

England came close to stealing a victory when a last-minute converted try pulled it to within one point, but a last-ditch English attack fizzled in its own half.

"Any day you beat England is a good day, and we're just delighted," Ireland coach Declan Kidney said.

DUBLIN, AP