By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) -Ireland had to come from behind against England to get their bid for a third successive Six Nations title off to a winning 27-22 bonus point start on Saturday thanks to a ferocious second half after the visitors had made life very uncomfortable for a time.

Ireland has gotten off to a five-point start to its bid for an unprecedented third straight outright Six Nations rugby title by overpowering England in a second-half recovery to rack up a 27-22 victory in Dublin.

Ireland host England as Six Nations opening weekend concludes with a blockbuster clash in Dublin this afternoon. The hosts are the reigning back-to-back champions of this competition, denied historic consecutive Grand Slams only by Marcus Smith’s last-gasp drop goal in a Twickenham thriller last March.