Ireland made most of the running in the first half and Bowe's fourth-minute try helped give them an 8-6 halftime advantage.

The visitors' lead was extended when Keith Earls grabbed a score in the corner but Dan Cole's converted try and a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal gave England a 16-13 lead.

But Bowe struck nine minutes from time in a well-worked set-piece move to give Ireland the perfect boost after their defeat to France and end England's Grand Slam aspirations.

Under-pressure Wilkinson made pretty much the worst possible start to the game when he made a hash of his kick-off but his and England's opening got a whole lot worse on four minutes.

The fly-half found himself isolated in the English midfield and he was instantly set upon by the Irish pack who proceeded to strip the ball from his grasp.

As the ball went wide Irish stand-off Jonathan Sexton, selected over Ronan O'Gara, drew his man before threading a perfectly-weighted grubber kick which Bowe touched down after outpacing Lewis Moody. Sexton's conversion was off target.

In deteriorating conditions neither team could find any rhythm and although Wilkinson was off-target with one drop goal attempt, he did get on the board with a penalty on 17 minutes.

On the half-hour mark Sexton restored the five-point advantage after Dylan Hartley was penalised for playing the ball on the floor but with three minutes remaining in the half Wilkinson replied to make it 8-6 to the visitors.

Although the rain stopped coming down in the second half, there was little improvement in the rugby on offer with Sexton and Wilkinson both missing penalties.

The match did eventually spark into life on 56 minutes when there was a coming together between scrum-halves Danny Care and Tomas O'Leary at a scrum.

Referee Mark Lawrence chose to penalise Care and after Sexton found touch with his kick, Ireland got their second try.

Declan Kidney's side retained the ball well and Sexton was again the provider for Earls to finish in the corner although the Leinster fly-half failed to convert the score.

Just four minutes later though England launched an attack with Earls being forced to conceded a 5m scrum from Care's kick ahead.

England had enjoyed an edge up front all game and used it to drive the Irish pack backwards before the ball was spread wide.

Although Mathew Tait's burst was halted on the line, prop Cole was able to ground the ball with the blessing of the Television Match Official.

Wilkinson's conversion brought the scores level and Ireland suffered a further blow when their captain Brian O'Driscoll was accidentally kneed in the head by Paul O'Connell and had to be stretchered off.

O'Connell then further blotted his copybook by giving away a penalty but Wilkinson missed a chance to put England ahead for the first time in the match.

England were now in the ascendancy and nine minutes later Wilkinson found his radar with a textbook drop goal to send Twickenham wild.

But that would not be his last significant involvement in the game. Ireland won good lineout ball and O'Leary fed the speeding Bowe on the burst who left Wilkinson grasping thin air before slinking his way inbetween Ugo Monye and James Haskell to touch down.

Ronan O'Gara could not miss the conversion in front of the posts and Ireland had a four-point advantage going into the closing stages which they defended with their lives.