Now we really are at the end of an era

IRELAND’s last two performances in the Six Nations haven’t been unlike the tournament itself — after an opening weekend of promise, it’s all petered out into mediocrity.

Wed, 27 Feb, 2013 - 00:00

Donal Lenihan

A rugby player, coach and manager during a glittering career with Munster, Ireland and the Lions and now a definitive voice in Irish rugby analysis and commentary.

Round one action had everything — drama in the form of the Welsh comeback after Ireland raced into a 27 point lead. Shock when everyone’s pre-tournament favourites, France, were turned over by an Italian side championing a new style of running rugby and increasing maturity, with England backing up that monumental performance against New Zealand with controlled excellence against Scotland.

In all 16 tries were scored on the opening weekend of action, six apiece in the Wales-Ireland and England-Scotland games and four in Rome in that famous victory over France. Since then the games have got progressively worse, with only six tries registered across the board in round two, and five in total last weekend.