In honour of Spain’s deserved win in Euro 2008 - The Pogues.

Well, what can I say after that? Me nerves!!!

After a pulsating, nerve-wracking, tightly-fought contest, Munster prevailed over the might of Stade Toulousain to claim their second Heineken Cup title in three years, and can now truly be known as one of the world's greatest rugby teams. Whatever critics may say of their style, they know how to win, and that's what counts.

After an opening period of Toulouse domination, Munster were on the back foot, but managed to keep the damage down to a single drop goal. The fact that Ellisalde chose to take on the role of sniper possibly showed that Tououlse realised from early on that they were going to get little change from the Munster defence. Once Munster managed to get hold of the ball, they made ground and started to control the game, and after a sustained ten-minute period of pressure were 10-3 to the good. They conceded a penalty on the stroke of half time, which allowed the French to get back to within four.

The turning point in the second half was Fabien Pelous getting sin-binned. ROG slotted the penalty, but in the ten minute period when they had numerical advantage, they conceded a try. It was a work of genius conceived by full-back Heymans, who ran like a train down the left touchline, and slotted the ball in-field .Jauzion ran on to it to give it another poke, allowing wing Donguy to fall onto it.

Minutes beforehand, we were treated to the genius of Doug Howlett, who ran onto a pass from fellow Kiwi Rui Tipoki and then shredded the Toulouse defence. Sadly, the pass from Tipoki was adjudged to be forward and it didn't count.

A further penalty from O'Gara nudged Munster in front again, and they controlled the ball through the forwards for most of the last quarter to run down the clock and keep the French on the back foot. In the end, Toulouse ran out of time and Munster prevailed.

There were some immense performances from the Munster men, particualrly in the pack. Alan Quinlan rightly won Man of the Match for a barnstorming performance in the back row. He made a menace of himself all day and was instrumental in several turnovers. Captain Paul O'Connell kept the line-out ship steady and even managed to nick a few off the French. He was off for a blood injury for a short period in the second half, and in that time Munster shipped two line outs. Donncha O'Callaghan was superb, driving, tackling, and assisting, especially when he added his muscle to Denis Leamy's lunge for the line for Munster's try. Similarly Jerry Flannery, who picked and drove magnificently. And never forget John Hayes, who's scrummaging was magnificent.

A nice touch came at the presentation of the trophy. Instead of just hoisting it over his own head, Paul O'Connell shared the lifting duty with Ronan O'Gara, who captained the side throughout the treacherous pool campaign.

There can be no doubt now as to Munster's standing at the top of the pile of European rugby. To get to where they are tonight, they had to get past last year's champions, last year's Challenge Cup champions, the side that knocked them out last season, two of the top sides in the English Premiership (both away), and then today overcome the aristocrats of French and European rugby.

Declan Kidney now goes on to the national set up. Two things he has brought to Munster which he hopefully will bring to Ireland will be: always winning tight games, and knowing how to beat French teams.

OK, everyone in Ireland has heard this one by now. I was in London on Tuesday, and so missed the debut on Gift Grub.




Whatever about Jerry Flannery's reaction to hearing it for the first time, I'd love to know what his girlfriend thought of it!

I missed the Heineken Cup Final in 2006. You know, the one that Munster won. As in Munster, the team I regularly write about. Here's what happened.

Back in January of that year, I was asked to take a group of customers to Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain on a wine trip in the middle of May. Not wearing a rugby hat that day, I agreed. As the season panned out, it became apparent that I was going to miss the final due to the trip, but by that stage it was too late to back out.

We arrived on the Tuesday and were due to leave on Saturday afternoon. We were flying out of Seville, so we had an hour's bus journey to the airport, and that hour was right splat in the middle of the match. I had my laptop with me, and managed to get the first 20 minutes in the lobby of the hotel, listening to the great Michael Corcoran on RTE's streaming web coverage. Back home, my wife, six months pregnant, was watching the match live and sending me updates by text. Being a proud Cork woman and Munster supporter, she naturally got caught up in the emotions of the day, and as the match wore on, her missives to me on the bus between Jerez and Seville became more cryptic.

But then one came through loud and clear. "STRNGR TRY!!!!!!!"

When we got to the airport, she rang me. It was all over. She was speechless, but eventually managed to squeak out "We won!" between sobs of joy. She still maintains that if she had been a few weeks further along the pregnancy that day, she would have been in The Coombe that night.


So here we are again. Munster stand on the cusp of glory once more, and if they make it to the top of the hill this time, it will be even better than '06. (Apologies for the mixed metaphors.) Two years ago, they had a home quarter final and to all intents and purposes, a home quarter final against Leinster. This time, they had to practically tunnel out of the worst possible pool draw, and then face two away knock-out draws. And once that was over, face the only side that has contested more Heineken Cup Finals than they have, a side who have won three so far. As Sheryl Crow sang, no-one said it would be easy.

On the plus side, this is a more complete Munster side than in 2006. Alongside the well-established pack, there is a back line that any opposition would fear. The two Kiwi centres, Mafi and Tipoki have been awesome for Munster this season. Once Trevor Halstead left, I was afraid that our back line would miss that line-smashing element he brought to the game. Thankfully Tipoki has it, and his partnership with his fellow New Zealander means that we have a mean centre partnership. Plus the fact that these guys can run. I remember Mafi's first appearance in a Munster shirt. Can't remember the opposition, but I think it was a Welsh team in the Celtic League. He got hold of the ball, saw a gap, slid through it and put on the afterburners. He didn't score, but he really showed that he had pace.

Then we have Doug Howlett on the wing. Everyone thinks that Decaln Kidney signed him just for his try-scoring ability, but it's his defensive work that has more than repaid the fee laid out for him. On the other wing, Ian Dowling is maturing into a fine player, with a keen eye on the break and also on keeping his channel secure. Likewise, Denis Hurley will most likely secure the full-back berth, having done well in the position in recent matches.

So, how's it going to go? I'm not as confident going into this final as I was back in 2006, but I still think Munster can win it. There will be no more than a score between the teams, and it will either be won by an act of genius or lost by a cruel mistake.

The cake would be a Munster win. The icing would be seeing the "Man of the Match" award going to Munster's most faithful servant. The man the commentators never see securing the rucks, steadying the scrum and launching Paul O'Connell single-handedly into the sky at the line-out. The man known as "The Bull". Munster's unsung hero, John Hayes.

Like in 1999, Man Yoo had to rely on luck to win the Champions League trophy tonight. Chelsea equalised on the stroke of half time through Frank Lampard and controlled the game from then on. They struck the woodwork twice (as did Bayern Munich in the '99 final), but eventually lost on penalties.

Naturally the Glory Glories will be filling their scrapbooks from tomorrow on, but this victory is a hollow one. At least nine years ago they managed to win in normal time. This time their win came about as a result of John Terry's misfortune in losing his footing as he took his penalty.

Just in case anyone thinks that I am an embittered Chelski fan, think otherwise. I can't stand either of them. It's just that my dislike of United has deeper roots.

There were two highlights for me, though: Drogba's sending-off and Ronaldo missing the penalty. If Ronaldo's miss had cost them the title, that would have been the icing on the cake, but, hey, you can't have it all.

(Unless you're a United fan, that is.)

From today's Indo:

David Knox, The Goys' backs coach is perplexed by Declan Kidney's appointment as Irish national coach.

"The Irish international team badly needed a foreign coach."

Like an Aussie, maybe? One with blond hair?

"Kidney's methods, like making the team train in the away strip they'd be wearing at Gloucester in the Heineken Cup and playing them a tape of the crowd noise at Kingsholm to get them used to the conditions, are bizarre. I would be embarrassed as a coach for people to know that."

Lemme see, who won that quarter-final? Oh yes, it was Munster, wasn't it?

Knox was also heavily critical of Munster's playing style under Kidney. He acknowledges their successes in the Heineken Cup but maintains they have achieved glory in that competition at the expense of any style or flair.

In a straight choice between "glory" and "style or flair", I think I'll pick…hmmm…tough one this…

He also has a go at Ronan O'Gara:

"I have been here, coaching in Ireland for three years, and I have never seen that guy create space for anybody. I've never seen him put anyone into a hole."

And that's the be-all and end-all of everything, is it? Controlling the pace and tempo of the game, gaining field position, etc., means nothing?

"Munster's record is fantastic but you can't tell me they play anything but 10- man rugby."

Come on Dave! Admit it. You're going for the Munster job, aren't you?

"Munster get 30 points on the board by grinding away and when the other team is shot, they try and throw the ball around a bit. Then people say, what a great team. It's rubbish."

Eh, which Irish team is in the final of the Heineken Cup? The only one to get out of their pool this season?

"If Doug Howlett had played for Leinster this season, he would have ended up scoring 30 tries."

And if your Auntie had bollocks, she'd be your uncle. What about your own Galacticos? Any of them score 30 tries this season?

"He's seen as the greatest buy of the year but how often has he touched the ball? Maybe 10 times in a real attacking sense? I'm talking about serious attacking play, not chasing kick-aheads. Yet this is one of the world's premier wings. They have no idea how to use him."

If anything, Howlett's defensive work alone has more than justified what it cost to sign him.

"And the two other guys they brought in from the southern hemisphere, Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi, hardly ever played Super 14 rugby I think Tipoki made a couple of appearances off the bench. They are both steppers, they never pass the ball."

But they're playing Heineken Cup Rugby at the highest level and will start in the final on Sunday week, while your charges will be sitting on their orses in Kiely's, roysh, necking the Heinos and watching the game.

He goes on to rail against "the paranoid world of Irish [international] rugby", and I actually agree with most of what he says there.

So yesterday, one obscenely wealthy football club managed to beat another obscenely wealthy football club to the Premiership title. And if that wasn't enough, next week the same two obscenely wealthy football clubs will battle it out for the Champions' League title in Moscow.

I have noticed over the last month or so, a sudden reappearance of replica Manchester United shirts in the cities, towns and villages of our fair isle. They had been conspicuously absent for the last couple of years, but now that Man Yoo are back in their pomp, it's time to break the piggy bank and splash out on the merchandise again.

The Glory Glory days are back with a vengeance.

It was never going to be easy. Munster went into today's semi-final against Saracens in the knowledge that this was not going to be the cakewalk that some were predicting. Saracens are a tough, competitive team, and it showed today.

Saracens started the brighter of the two teams and were the first to score, with a brilliant move that started in their own 22. With that, Munster came back into the game and ran in 15 points without reply, 12 of which came from two well-taken tries.

Indiscipline costed both sides in the second half, with Munster shipping a worrying number of penalties, and Rua Tipoki spent ten minutes in the sin bin. But then, over the space of two minutes, Sarries lost both of their props to yellow cards. By the time they were restored to their full compliment of players, the score was 18-13. Glen Jackson added another penalty to finish the match 18-16 to the men in red.

This was as tough a match as Munster could have hoped for, and their defence was tested severely. Doug Howlett showed today just what he is worth to Munster, with some fine breaks and at least one try-saving tackle. But he wasn't the only one putting in the savage hits. All across the board, Munster were defending as if their lives depended on it.

It could so easily have gone the other way. As the clock inched towards the eightieth minute mark, Saracens were making the hard yards in the Munster half. Eventually, the move broke down and Munster were awarded a penalty, the last kick of the game. Had Saracens kept it going for one more phase, Glen Jackson would probably have had a pop at a drop goal.

But one thing Munster have learned over the years is how to win tight matches. They held out to win by two points, and go on to face Toulouse in the final on 24 May. For a season that had thrown out some of the oddest results, it seems somewhat fitting that the two most aristocratic of regular Heineken Cup teams should contest the decider.

It should be a right old ding-dong.

Tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final clash between Munster and Saracens brings about all the usual pre-big-match emotions and apprehensiveness. We know that the Munster should prevail, but it can never be taken for granted.

All this week, Declan Kidney has been bigging up Saracens in an effort to deflect from the general media consensus that Munster go into this match as favourites. They came out of a group that included Biarritz, perennial HC heavyweights. they dispatched the Ospreys, several of whom had won the Grand Slam in Welsh shirts a few weeks earlier. They are coached by Alan Gaffney, a coach who, more than most, knows what makes Munster tick.

Much has been made of the fact that the Munster branch returned a portion of their ticket allocation for this match. This has been interpreted as the fans taking the Kerry approach, and choosing not to travel until the final. This may or may not be the prevailing attitude (and I don't believe it is, as Munster fans take nothing for granted), but if there is complacency among the support, it is not there in the team. This is cup rugby, and as such you only have one chance to get it right.

Munster have worked very hard to get this far. They had the shittiest pool draw imaginable, yet won it in style. This was followed by an away quarter-final to Gloucester. Kingsholm is never a venue to look forward to, but Munster went there and won comfortably.

Saracens have never competed at this level of the Heineken Cup before. This is Munster's seventh HC semi-final. They have won three of the last six, and of course, won the competition itself in 2006. Declan Kidney was able to deal from a full deck when he named his team during the week. Alan Gaffney is missing some key players like Andy Farrell and Chris Jack.

Predicting the outcome of a sporting encounter is not particularly scientific. Relying on statistics alone is never a definitive route to making a call. As the man said, statistics are like lamp posts, there to illuminate but not to lean to heavily upon. You look at past performances, take into account mitigating factors like injuries and so on. But there are also the intangibles, the unknown unknowns as Donald Rumsfeld might say.

Saracens may surprise Munster, as they did the Ospreys in the quarter final. But we also have to look at their form in the Guinness Premiership. This is their bread and butter, and they are mid-table at present. They lost to both Gloucester and Wasps in the GP since their win over the Ospreys. Big deal, you might say, Munster lost to Leinster in the Magners League the week after winning at Gloucester. But there is a difference. Even though they will deny it publicly, deep down, as long as they are still in the Heineken Cup, Munster couldn't give a shit about the Magners League. For Saracens, the Guinness Premiership matters hugely.

Munster should win tomorrow, but it will not be easy. Saracens will put up a good fight, but it won't be enough.

A Munster-Toulouse final should be in the offing by tomorrow evening. Now that would be something to look forward to.

Monday, 7 April. I arrive home at about 10.30pm from Vinitaly. My wife is away at a work do. The wee one is with her Granny and Grandad. There is a beer in the fridge. Munster's quarter-final against Gloucester is on the Sky+ box.

All of the above is true, just until you pass the bit about the beer. Somehow, we managed to record the London Irish - Perpignan match, but miss the Munster - Gloucester one. Oh well.

This Sunday, Munster face Saracens in the semi-final at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. I'm at home this time, so there should be no repeat of the Sky+ debacle this time around.

The starting lineup is as follows:

15 Hurley
14 Howlett
13 Mafi
12 Tipoki
11 Dowling
10 O'Gara
11 O'Leary
1 Horan
2 Flannery
3 Hayes
4 O'Callaghan
5 O'Connell
6 Quinlan
7 Wallace
8 Leamy

Replacements: Sheahan, Pucciarello, O'Driscoll, Ryan, Stringer, Warwick, Murphy

That's a strong team in anyone's language. I'll say no more, except COME ON MUNSTER!!!

Finally, Eddie O'Sullivan has done the decent thing and stepped down as coach of the Irish rugby team. Statements from both himself and the IRFU following the disastrous World Cup last year indicated that he was going to brazen it out, but a fourth place finish in the Six Nations sealed his fate.

Lest anyone think I have it in for E O'S, I don't think he's a bad coach, but as his tenure went on, it was clear that he was running out of ideas. To have such a talented group of players and win nothing in seven years (and by that I mean nothing, Triple Crowns don't count as "anything") is a failure that speaks for itself.

The new coach, whoever he will be, will have to shake up the system in a big way. He will need to develop new talent, especially in such key areas as prop and half back, so that we have strength in depth, and also genuine competition for places. He will have to rebuild the shattered confidence of the players and make them fearless of any team they face. He will have to develop a varied game plan capable of overcoming our serial tormentors like France and New Zealand.

The IRFU needs to cast its net widely in its search for a new coach, and a genuine world-class coach won't come cheap. Does anyone have Tony O'Reilly's phone number, by any chance?

And finally, I would like to wish Eddie O'Sullivan all the best in whatever he does in his future career.

Six Nations 2008 will be one that Irish rugby supporters will want to forget in a hurry. Finishing fourth meant that we had our worst final table placing since before Five became Six back in 2000.

Several truths were laid bare during the campaign. The first was that Ireland's dismal World Cup was more than just a 'blip', as had been claimed by the team's coach and the IRFU. Secondly, it proved beyond doubt that Eddie O'Sullivan's position was untenable, and that the IRFU's decision to award him a new four-year contract before the World Cup last September was a big mistake. Thirdly, it demonstrated our shocking lack of strength in depth in key positions. And fourthly, it showed that if you take an average side with a few world class players, under the right coach they can actually win the Grand Slam. In fact, they can even do it twice in the space of four seasons.

Despite a good start at Twickenham yesterday, once England got into their stride, Ireland had no answer. Poor defending let England in for three tries, while a lack of creativity meant that Ireland's last score of the game was registered at seven minutes. Our midfield, lacking talismanic captain Brian O'Driscoll, had a torrid time. We were unlucky to lose Denis Leamy so early in the game, and also to see Geordan Murphy coming off early in the second half. But this didn't lose the game for us. England were just too good and their outhalf and centres made hay.

So where do we go from here? First up, Eddie just has to walk. Someone has to take responsibility for Ireland's dismal form over the last twelve months, and as he is the man in charge of player selection, coaching and motivating the players, then he has to be the one that takes the blame when things go wrong. That's what Wales did after the World Cup, when they - like us - failed to qualify from the pool stage. Gareth Jenkins got the boot, Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards took over and reinvigorated the team, who went on to win their second Six Nations Grand Slam in four years. Hopefully the IRFU will have the balls to do it, bearing in mind the new contract was signed only six months ago. If they choose not to, expect them to present the Genesis Report as their fig-leaf.

Whoever is the Irish coach going forward has to start looking for new talent. The IRFU needs to facilitate the development of up and coming players by giving them as much opportunity as possible to play their non-international rugby at home with the provinces. If this isn't possible, then the union needs to have someone keeping an eye on Irish-qualified players plying their trade overseas, to make sure that no potential international players go unnoticed. There needs to be genuine competition for places so that the established players don't get complacent. A player that gets dropped has to be assured that he can get back into the team, but will have to earn his place.

Brian O'Driscoll has been captain for several seasons now, and in my opinion, it is time to hand the armband over to someone else. He has done his due, and freedom from the burden of captaincy might help him to concentrate on his game. ROG would be the natural contender for the position, but given his age, we should be looking for another candidate for the longer term.

After this campaign, and the World Cup before it, will have left Ireland's international players with their confidence at a very low ebb. Whoever takes over will have to be able to re-instill the confidence that was once there. He will have to enable them to rediscover their winning mentality, and also to convince them that it really is possible to beat France and to win the Six Nations.

The bottom line is this - Wales have done it, so can we.

In the normal scheme of things, a St Patrick's weekend England-Ireland clash would be something to savour, especially if there had just been a good week for the Irish in "Chiltnim." There might be a championship up for grabs, or at least a Triple Crown. But not this time.

Both Ireland and England are in the doldrums, both having lost two games in the championship so far. Whoever wins tomorrow will finish third in the final shake-up, and the loser will finish fourth. It's a dead rubber in other words.

For the second time in two weeks, Eddie O'Sullivan faces a team coached by one of his predecessors. This time however, that predecessor is under more pressure than O'Sullivan, and neither is he carrying any baggage into the fixture. If England lose tomorrow, Brian Ashton may well lose his job. If Ireland lose, Eddie will more than likely keep his.

There is little point in analysing the Irish team. Losing BOD is a big blow, but one upside is that it finally gives Ronan O'Gara the captain's armband. ROG has been the de facto captain this season so far, so it is good to see him get the job de jure. Murphy is back at full-back, which should add an extra attacking edge. But all of this is irrelevant, because as we have seen for several months now, the Irish team as a whole adds up to a lot less than the sum of its parts.

Ireland's record against England has been very good in recent years. We have won the last four encounters against them, and a win tomorrow would be a three-in-a-row for Ireland at Twickenham. However, I don't think it's going to happen. The creative juice has been squeezed out of this team, and they can be read like an open book. Watch Danny Cipriani tomorrow. He's going to cause us problems.

England by a score, I reckon.

Well, we're back to square one again, aren't we? Ireland were deservedly beaten today by Wales in a really poor match. In the end they were flattered by the scoreline, as opportunities aplenty were squandered by the men in red.

It seemed as if Ireland simply had no game plan whatsoever. The limit of their ambition seemed to be to deny the Welsh any possession, but sadly, they had no idea of what to do with that possession. Half an hour in, the Welsh had them sussed, and as a result Ireland were left chasing shadows. The only Irish players that seemed to have any creative nous were Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip, but whenever they got a head of steam going, they were let down by the support players.

Looking forward to next week, I expect Wales to close out the deal by beating France in Cardiff. Unlike Ireland, Wales aren't scared of their shite of France, and also unlike Ireland, they can actually go all the way, as they did three years ago. Ironically, I wouldn't be surprised if Ireland were to beat England, as this seems to be the sum total of Eddie O'Sullivan's ambitions.

This will not be remembered as a vintage Six Nations year (except in the Valleys, of course.) No team has stood out, and to be honest, Wales, even though they will probably land the Slam next week, are no great shakes. A good three-quarter line, decent half-backs and Martyn Williams, and that's about it. Let's face it, any team with Gavin Henson in it can hardly be considered great.

Currently, Ireland are second in the table, but will fall to third tomorrow once France beat Italy. If we lose to England next week, we will finish fourth, our worst ever finish in the Six Nations. In one way, it might be a good thing as then it would be further impetus for the IRFU to say "Adios" to Eddie O'S.

This weekend sees the first ever visit of the Welsh rugby team to Croke Park. They're not the first Welsh team to run out onto the hallowed ground though - the football team came here last year, and Stephen Ireland scored the first soccer goal in Croker in a 1-0 win for the home side.

Eddie O'Sullivan would take the rugby equivalent of a 1-0 win next Saturday. His charges won unconvincingly against Italy in the opening match of the Six Nations, followed by the customary defeat to an ordinary French side the following week. Then last Saturday week, Ireland notched up a five tries to one win over a hapless Scotland.

On the other side of the draw, Wales shook off their 20-year Twickenham hoodoo with a win over England in their opening match, followed by solid home wins against Scotland and Italy. They remain the only unbeaten team in the competition.

Both teams go into Saturday's match on the back of wins and good performances, and on paper there is little to separate them. Ireland have a relatively settled team (although Eddie has made a few changes, some by choice, others forced upon him.) Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards are finding their feet in the Principality, and so are using each game that comes along to test new combinations of players.

Wales are a confidence team. When they play well and string together a few wins they become unbeatable, like in 2005, when they won the Grand Slam. But when they are lacking confidence, they are dreadful. This season their tails are up, the passes are sticking, the breaks are working, and they are getting the benefit of the doubt in the refereeing decisions. They will come to Croke Park on Saturday expecting nothing less than another notch on the 2008 Grand Slam belt.

Ireland have been dealt a blow by losing both their first and second choice full-back to injury. It means that Rob Kearney will have to start at international full-back for the first time, with Tommy Bowe switching wings and Shane Horgan coming in. Having a rookie at full-back is always a worry, particularly with as wily an out-half as Stephen Jones in the Welsh team. Hopefully Kearney will have as assured a performance at full-back as he has had at wing so far. My worry is Horgan's fitness. He's not had a happy season so far, blighted by injury and struggling to find form. He'll have Shane Williams to contend with on Saturday, and will need to be on top of his game to contain the Taffy Twister.

The restoration of Paul O'Connell to the second row means that we have leadership in the pack for the first time this season. The leader of the front eight is normally either the hooker, a second row or the No 8. Jackman and Best have had mares at the lineout, and in all we have coughed up roughly one in four. Jamie Heaslip is too inexperienced at this level to be a true leader yet. So it's good to see POC back, as hopefully he will be able to keep things steady upfront and ensure that we manage to get and retain possession.

I'm not going to call it. It's too close. However Ireland have the experience, the capacity and the home advantage to prevail on Saturday. Let's hope they do.

Taylor shouldn't have just been sent off. He should have been arrested as well.

And to add insult to injury, Birmingham scored from an ill-deserved penalty deep in second-half time added on, to draw the match 2-2.

Fuckers.

Ireland's rugby rehabilitation continued today, with a comprehensive five-tries-to-one demolition of Scotland at Croke Park.

There was a dazzling performance by the backs, with full-back Geordan Murphy putting in a man-of-the-match performance. Bearing in mind that he wasn't even in the matchday 22 on Tuesday, this was a two-fingered display for Eddie O'Sullivan's benefit. Murphy is and out-and-out full-back, and you can be sure that if he was qualified to play for any other Six Nation team, the team sheet coming out of the coach's printer on a Monday would have the name "G Murphy" pre-printed on the No 15 spot.

Andrew Trimble played one of his best games in an Ireland shirt so far. Rob Kearney got his first international try, while Tommy Bowe bagged two. The Munster forwards showed that they were no slouches either, with David Wallace and Marcus Horan claiming a score apiece.

There are still some areas of concern. Ireland got off to a very slow start and allowed Scotland a lot of possession early on. Caledonian ineptness ensured that this possession did not translate to points on the board, but you would think that if this had been England or Wales in Croke Park today, we would have been playing catch-up after 20 minutes or so. The line-out was poor. This is a dilemma for O'Sullivan. Jackman is effective around the park, but his throwing is not up to scratch. Rory Best simply isn't international standard. Jerry Flannery is the best hooker in Ireland at the moment, and hopefully he will be available for our last two matches. However, even if he is fit, it's no guarantee that O'Sullivan will pick him.

Elsewhere, Wales had a slow start against a feisty Italian side, but once Tom Shanklin ran in a try from an intercepted pass, they just ran riot from then on. England had a magnificent win against France in Paris this evening, demonstrating once again that Ireland's extended run of losses to Les Bleus remains unexplained.

In my preview of today's match I stated: " I can't see another match like the extraordinary one of 2006, when Ireland came back from 43-3 down to finish 43-31." Well, I got that wrong! Like 2006, today's match, as anyone called Trevor might say, was a game of two 'alves.

It can be summed up thus - France were lucky, but Ireland weren't smart enough.

The bounce of the ball favoured France today. Indeed the bounce off the balls favoured them too. David Skrela put through a little grubber early in the second half that bounced off the O'Driscoll family jewels, and popped up perfectly for Cederic Heymans to collect and run in under the posts.

One thing I did get right was that Vincent Clerc is usually good for a try or two against us. Today, he went one better and got three before half-time.

All in all it was a vastly improved performance by Ireland, and much closer to the form they showed in last year's Six Nations than what was on offer at the World Cup. Several players showed up today. Our back row was excellent. This should be the starting 6.7 and 8 for the rest of the tournament, with Gleeson on the bench. I thought Reddan was a bit ponderous in the first half, but he improved after the break. The scrum did very well, and unlike last week, our lineout was interested in poaching French ball.

During the week, ROG gave an interview to RTE radio that showed his leadership credentials. He said that Ireland shouldn't keep trying too many power plays, but should be patient, keep chipping away, and as the game develops, the chances will come. It's exactly how Munster managed to prevail in the Pool of Sharks of this year's Heineken Cup. It seems to me that Brian O'Driscoll is Captain in name only these days. He does the press conferences and all the other shite that captains have to do.

But there is one leader on the pitch, and on his back is the number 10.

It's a cliché that gets thrown out at manys the post-match press conference - you can only play what's in front of you. When it comes to analysis and prediction, you can only go on what's behind you.

So, looking forward to Ireland's Six Nation clash with France tomorrow, I find little solace in studying the recent results. We have to go back ten matches and eight years to find our last win in Paris, and a further 29 years to find the one before that! Since 2000, we have overcome the French twice at home, in 2001 and 2003.

So here's the numbers (since 2000, including RWC):

P 10; W 3; D 0; L7; F 177; A 288

Our biggest win was 22-15 in 2001, and our heaviest loss came the following year, 44-5. The average score in the last then games has been 18-29. France have won the last six games on the trot, with an average score of 18-32.

(Incidentally, of the Irish team that started in our last win in Paris, five will start on tomorrow, and another two will be on the bench. None of the French team of that day will feature tomorrow.)

So looking at those stats, I cannot see anything other than a defeat for Ireland tomorrow. Add in a few more observations:

- Ireland haven't played well since last year's Six Nations, and struggled against a poor Italian side at home last week.
- France showed none of their frequent first-day jitters last Sunday with a convincing win away to Scotland.
- Vincent Clerc is playing, and he's normally good for a try or two against us.
- Eddie O'Sullivan is still our coach.

There are a few chinks of light, though:

- Three players will be making their Paris débuts, and you'd never know, Rob Kearney might repeat Brian O'Driscoll's hat-trick feat of 2000. (This, I readily concede, is a long shot.)
- Ronan O'Gara is back on form, and would appear to have put the nightmare of the World Cup behind him.
- The French might see Bernard Jackman's bald head at hooker and think that Keith Wood is back.

But I don't think that will be enough to save us. I can't see another match like the extraordinary one of 2006, when Ireland came back from 43-3 down to finish 43-31. I can't see where Ireland's tries will come from. Our line is too flat. Guys are taking ball on and going into a tackle one millisecond later. There is no opportunity to generate any momentum to break the tackle or to offload before the tackle goes in. It also allows the opposition line to stay on the right side of the ref's offside radar and get the tackles in early and legally. So what happens is that we lose field position, as rucks form further and further back. We need strong ball carriers to pick and go, and break the gain line, so hopefully our rejigged backrow might be able to do this.

Alternatively, ROG will use the boot, but to what effect? We got nothing from the Italian line-out last week (and coughed up a few of our own), so how are we going to turn his darts to the corner to our advantage? Those lovely cross-field kicks he put up for the winger to run on to are a joy to watch, but that's a weapon to be used sparingly.

Much as I love France as a country, I cannot stand their sodding rugby team. They are to Irish rugby what the Kerry footballers are to Mayo. You might admire their skill and their flair, but you'll never get me to like them.

The FAI come in for a lot of criticism, a lot of it is justified. A couple of years ago, everyone threw their hands up in horror as the Association hastily appointed the inexperienced Steve Staunton as national team coach.

Stan got the boot last October, and the FAI were keen not to make the same mistake again. So they set up a three-man committee to find suitable candidates to recommend to the FAI board. Bear in mind that the next competitive international for Ireland isn't until September, so it's not as if an appointment has to be made urgently.

Once again, the chatterati are in despair. "Why is it taking so long?", they ask.

Because they appointed in haste last time and made a balls of it!

Let them take their time and find the right man for the job.

Eddie has named his starting line-up for the French match, with three changes in personnel and two positional switches from the side that started in Croke Park last Saturday.

Andrew Trimble goes into the centre to take the place of Gordon D'Arcy, who fractured his wrist in last Saturday's game. Rob Kearney starts on the wing. Jamie Heaslip takes the No.8 shirt from Denis Leamy, who moves over to the blindside. The previous incumbent at 6, Simon Easterby, is on the bench. Bernard Jackman and Rory Best swap the No 2 and No 16 jerseys from last Saturday.

In the replacements, Shane Horgan comes back to the senior squad after his stint with the "A"s.

It's better than last week, but it should be borne in mind that one of those changes was brought about by injury. I still think that Easterby shouldn't even be in the squad, and his place on the bench would be put to better use by picking Alan Quinlan or Keith Gleeson in the replacements. Similarly, Shane Horgan isn't fully fit yet, and this would have been an opportunity to see if Tommy Bowe's recent run of good form for Ulster could come through when he's wearing a green shirt. His last appearance for Ireland wasn't a happy one, but there should be an opportunity for him to redeem himself, given the shocking performances by several more senior and regular internationals over the course of this season.

I didn't get to see the Scotland-France match, but by all accounts, Les Bleus look like a formidable outfit under their new coach. Given that we couldn't beat them under Laporte, probably the worst French coach in a generation, we have little hope of overcoming them under the nouvelle régime. Especially as the match is in Paris, where we have one just once since 1972.

There is an interesting parallel with the 2006 season here. Back then, Ireland struggled to overcome Italy in their opener at home. They went to Paris the next week, and got shat on from a great height for the first 50 minutes or so, conceding six tries. But then they decided to start playing as they knew they could, and ran in four unanswered converted tries and finishing 12 points behind the French.

It's good to see that O'Sullivan is prepared to make some changes for Saturday, but I don't think there is enough team spirit in the squad to do the business.

France with 20+ to spare.

Well, that was a pile of shite, wasn't it?

I can't believe I spent €70, gave up my Saturday, and practically froze me bollocks off sitting in Croke Park to watch such a dreadful performance. As suspected, no lessons have been learned from the World Cup. This was a cagey, inept showing by the Irish team. There was no creativity, just aimless punting of the ball upfield.

Our lineout was a joke. Maybe the calls were practiced in Irish, and no-one remembered that Rory Best, being from Ulster, probably doesn't speak Irish.

Last season, Ireland put eight tries on Italy in Rome in their last game of the Six Nations. Today they huffed and puffed to finish 1-1. There is no spark left in the Irish team. Their spirit seems to have been hollowed out. Contrast today's performance with Munster's win over London Wasps a couple of weeks ago. In Thomond Park, we had control, discipline and a game plan. They knew what they had to do and they did it. At one point in that game, Munster went through 22 phases of recycling the ball, and ended up with a try. Today, they never looked like completing half a dozen phases. Their control and discipline just wasn't there.

We're going to get stuffed by France next week. We'll probably lose to England and Wales too, if the brilliant match between them this afternoon was anything to go by. We might just squeak past Scotland, but then again, we might not.

I predicted Ireland finishing second or second last. After today's performance, I fear it will be the latter.

Here's another thing about Eddie's conservatism. If we fail to develop talent for the national squad, there is a good chance we could lose them for good.

Take Shane Geraghty for example. Though born in England (parents from Mayo, as far as I know), this lad played under-16 for Ireland. He's a versatile back, who can play centre or out-half. He has declared for England, and this evening was one of the Saxon players that destroyed the Ireland 'A' team. He's 21. He could have been ROG's or BOD's understudy, but he slipped through Ireland's fingers.

This could also happen to Irish-born players. We only have four professional teams in Ireland, which clearly isn't enough to accommodate all the professional-standard players coming through. So they go away to Britain or further afield in order to develop their careers. If they get overlooked by the IRFU for international potential, they could end up qualifying for their host country under the residency rule.

Girvan Dempsey (36)
Andrew Trimble (27)
Brian O'Driscoll (32)
Gordon D'Arcy (31)
Geordan Murphy (33)
Ronan O'Gara (34)
Eoin Reddan (31)
Marcus Horan (34)
Rory Best (29)
John Hayes (37)
Donncha O'Callaghan (32)
Malcolm O'Kelly (37)
Simon Easterby (36)
David Wallace (35)
Denis Leamy (29)

Replacements:

Bernard Jackman (35)
Tony Buckley (31)
Mick O'Driscoll (33)
Jamie Heaslip (28)
Peter Stringer (33)
Paddy Wallace (32)
Rob Kearney (25)

Not considered:

Jerry Flannery (33)
Paul O'Connell (32)

Above is the team selected for Ireland's Six Nations opener against Italy on Saturday. What, you may ask, is the significance of the number in brackets beside each name? That is the age each member of the squad will be in October 2011, when the next World Cup is being staged.

Six of that 24 will be 35 or over, and so will have little hope of representing Ireland in New Zealand in 2011. Another ten will be 32 or over, and will be coming to the end of their careers by then.

International rugby tends to go in four year cycles these days, starting and finishing with the World Cup. Once one World Cup is over, a new cycle begins, culminating in the next World Cup. Or so the theory goes. Except of course if it is Ireland you are talking about and the coach is Eddie O'Sullivan.

By all accounts, Ireland's World Cup campaign in 2007 was a disaster. We finished third in our Pool, and failed to qualify or the knock-out stages. That in itself wasn't the problem, as ourselves, France and Argentina were all in the top six ranked teams in the world going into the tournament. One of us had to blink, and unfortunately it was the team wearing green that did. No, the problem was the nature of how we went out. Unconvincing wins over minnows Namibia and Georgia were followed by emphatic losses to France and Argentina. There was no cohesion, no consistency and above all no flair.

But, we were told by an Eddie O'Sullivan who prior to the tournament had just signed a new four year deal as national coach, this was just "a blip." I can accept this excuse if it involved just one poor performance. But this was four poor matches on the trot. (Six if you count the pre-tournament near-miss against Italy at Ravenhill and the loss to Scotland in Murrayfield.) No, "blip" is not the word I would use. "Utter fucking shambles" would be closer to the mark.

Let's look at the team selection in detail.

Normally, I would immediately put Geordan Murphy at full back, but as we're shy on wingers at the moment, he's ok on the wing, with Girv at the back. That said, this could have been an opportunity to bring Tommy Bowe back into the fold, as he has been one of the few bright points for Ulster this season. Maybe his omission from the international set-up is a factor in his signing for the Ospreys. Luke Fitzgerald should also have a shout here.

I think it's time to shake up the centre of midfield. Individually, O'Driscoll and D'Arcy are indisputably two of the finest centres in the world, but they have played too many games together. Everyone knows how they play and they can be read like a book by now. The shimmies and breaks they got away with a few seasons ago don't work any more. I would put Trimble in with O'Driscoll for a match or two to see how they play off each other.

In the half-backs, ROG is in dazzling form at Munster, and it will be interesting to see if he can bring that form with him to the national camp, given his torrid time at the World Cup. But there is no effective short-term cover, and even more worryingly no understudy coming through. I agree with Eoin Reddan's selection at scrum-half, as he is clearly international standard and needs to get games under his belt. Hopefully we have seen the last of Isaac Boss in an Ireland shirt.

Up front, we need to start bedding in a successor to John Hayes. The Bull will be 35 this year, and is the oldest member of the squad. Tony Buckley should be starting this match, with John on the bench. The best way to see if someone is international standard or not is to throw them in at the deep end. Buckley is 27, so we need to know now if he can take over from The Bull. Five minute cameos at the end of won games won't tell us anything.

I reckon Eddie O'Sullivan was delighted when Jerry Flannery was ruled out of the Six Nations due to suspension. It would have meant a three way tussle for the No. 2 jersey, and it would have been very difficult to justify picking Rory Best. But with Flannery out of the way, it meant that he had a choice between Best and Jackman, and his blind faith in the Ulsterman was always going to trump Jackman's form.

Donncha has been on fire for Munster so far this season, and he seems to have left his indifferent World Cup form behind him in France. No argument here at No 4. But who should keep Paul O'Connell's seat warm? Sure, Malcolm O'Kelly has been playing great rugby, but he's not exactly a hot prospect for the future, is he, being 34 years old and Ireland's most-capped player? Leo Cullen deserved to be brought in from the cold here.

Back row. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie… Why, oh fucking why, is Simon Easterby at 6? He's 33, and captain of Llanelli, the team that just finished bottom of Pool 5 in the Heineken Cup with zero points. Who has been playing the rugby of his life at 6 this season for Munster? Does this well-known Irish landmark give you a hint?



Here's another hint - you have him at 8. For the love of God, put Leamy at 6, and bring Heaslip in at 8. Wallace at 7 is fine, just in case you thought I was picking on you.

It's the innate, stultifying conservatism of Eddie O'Sullivan that bugs me so much. The unwillingness to try out new players. Look at Saturday's match. We have never lost to Italy in the Six Nations. We're playing them at home, in Croke Park. They have a new coach, and are missing one or two key players. It's a good bet that Ireland will win this match, and we have as good a chance of winning with a few new caps as we have with the old stagers. If Eddie isn't prepared to experiment for this game, then we can expect to see the same old faces throughout the tournament.

A prediction for Ireland in the Six Nations? This is a tough one as nearly every other team is going through a process of renewal and upheaval. The best I can come up with is that we will either finish second or second last. We won't win because Eddie has decided that we can't beat France. Even if the French team were to stay in their dressing room at Stade de France on Saturday week, we would still lose to them. We'll beat Italy, so that means we'll stay off the bottom.

As an Irishman and a passionate supporter of the national team, naturally I hope we do well. But if we do badly, it might bring the O'Sullivan regime to a quick end, which would be better for Irish rugby in the long run.

These days, sport isn't just about what happens on the field of play, but what goes on in the background. Clubs get taken over, and millionaire owners get to pursue their vanity projects by buying in the best players in the hope that they can put together an invincible side.

It's been going on for years in football, and in the last few years in rugby too. The recent World Cup saw several wealthy club owners compile their shopping lists, and many of the stars of Southern Hemisphere now ply their club trade in Europe.

You can buy skill, and talent and flair, but what you can't buy is what is under the shirts of the Munster team.

Pride. Passion. Doggedness. Belief. Faith. Courage…

…and the rest.

Back in June, when the draw for the Heineken Cup was made, I predicted that Munster would make it out of the Pool of Death. And so they did. They knew what they had to do. Win their home games, win at least one away game, pick up bonus points if they lost, and crucially, prevent their opponents picking up losing bonus points at Thomond. And that's what they did.

This season's knockout phase is interesting not for who's there, but for who's not. No Wasps, Leicester, Stade, or Biarritz. The only two teams left with any proven Heineken Cup pedigree are Munster and Toulouse. They could end up meeting in the quarters. I hope not, as that would rob the tournament of its ideal final.

(Before anyone points out Doug Howlett's presence in the Munster set up as evidence of Munster's succumbing to the lure of recruiting Tri Nations stars - by all accounts Howlett himself wanted to move to Munster.)

With England's defeat to Croatia at Wembley tonight, it means that there will be no representative team from These Islands™ in next year's European Championship. The Wee North had a slim hope of qualifying, but in the end they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Spain. Even if they had won, Sweden's 2-1 win over Latvia would have put qualification beyond them in any case.

Headline in The Sun (UK edition) tomorrow?

Slim pickin' round here recently, and for the duration of the Rugby World Cup, it could be getting even more meagre.

The new rugby blog is off to a flying start, with seven writers signed up. The hits are coming in too. Here's how the visitor graph looks as of yesterday:



Yesterday topped out at 852 visits (not counting the 200-300 I made, coming back every couple of minutes to see how many more there were.) That's roughly four times the highest number I ever got here. Hopefully, it will get even better once the tournament starts.

I'll try to keep some content going here at the same time, but can't promise much.