Pity the late-comers.
If any of the 81,500 strong crowd missed the train or picked up a puncture in the second half, they would have wondered what had happened.
The pints were spilled in delight as a chasing Maro Itoje scragged Hugo Keenan. A scrum wheeled and bellows of celebration swept down from the top tier. You would have thought Marcus Smith had dived over the tryline when Andrew Conway was hit over the touchline.
Everything was amplified. Every inch of territory was loaded with meaning. It was a cauldron that was fast to stir. Reserve and perspective were taken away. Fans and players alike were sniffing the extraordinary.
There would be no reason to count the players out. England and Ireland were level on the field. The gap left by their missing man was not there.
Charlie Ewels was sent off for a second-minute red card.
There were many people yet to make their seats for his dismissal. With the clock stopped at 82 seconds and trays of plastic pints still being ferried up the aisles, the French referee turned his eyes.
The collision looked bad on the first look, and it didn't get any better. Ewels put himself and James Ryan at risk of injury and his team at risk of a red card. The red card popped out of Raynal's pocket after the two second rows of heads bashed together.
It howled its disapproval. The contest was over in two minutes. England's progress is hopelessly skewed.
At first, those fears appeared. The first points came from the subsequent penalty. Lowe ran in for the first try. Harry Randall was flattened by Caelan on his way into the corner.
Ireland would have been 13-0 ahead with a conversion if the score had stood.
Itoje, who was immense throughout, had timed a dive through a ruck just right to force Ireland to knock-on in the build-up.
England was reprieved. They wriggled off the hook. The line beckoned when Tadhg Beirne forced an offload. A line-out throw, five out from England's line, flew over the back. As he bore down on full-back Freddie Steward, Doris threw a pass behind him.
Ireland's inaccuracy wasn't the whole story.
The players shredding the script was the thrill.
The Six Nations hopes were snuffed out. They watched Tom Curry and Kyle Sinckler go down in flames.
They lost some of their remaining advantages. The scrum was sent into a tailspin many times. They played the numbers. They kicked high and long to keep the tide from coming in.
They defended ferociously when neither was an option. One instance summed up the commitment. Josh van der Flier was dumped on his back by Ellis Genge, before Sam Simmonds threw himself under the wheels of a rumbling Tadhg Furlong to send the Ireland prop to the floor.
Every act of bravery was fed off by the crowd. The players were feeding off the noise. It seemed like they might just carry them to the most of their wins after 20 minutes.
It was not to be. England blew themselves out when Ireland rode the storm.
As the two sets of players shared hugs and notes on the final whistle, they both knew that the 32-15 score was not the headline.
Ireland coach Andy Farrell said that it was a crazy old game.
England definitely were.
Eddie Jones called it a foundation game.
Captain Lawes said it set a benchmark in terms of energy and belief.
Jamie George said that it was one of the proudest days he had in an England shirt.
I feel emotional from this game and the feedback from the crowd.
To play like that with 14 men for 78 minutes against an Ireland team respected as one of the best in the world takes some doing and I am proud to be part of the group.
Over the past few months, this new-look England has gone to various places to forge bonds; paddle-boarding in Jersey, cider farms in Bristol, and sea swimming inBrighton.
The depths they went for each other against Ireland will be the most effective team-building exercise.
France will test those bonds next weekend. France will be tested by England too.
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