It was Matt O’Connor who suggested some weeks ago Ireland needed to beat one of the two southern hemisphere sides this month if they were to be considered a serious World Cup contender in 12 months’ time.

No-one is bigger than the club. It’s a line we hear multiple times every season, even in this post-Bosman era of player power and multi-million pound contracts. It is a line we heard time and again when Roy Keane parted ways with Alex Ferguson and Manchester United back in 2005.

Momentum. Simon Zebo referenced it four times inside three minutes as he dissected Ireland’s defeat of South Africa over the weekend and it is a word that must resonate with many of his colleagues inside the Irish dressing-room, writes Brendan O'Brien.

Looks can be deceiving, which is just as well given the picture Robbie Henshaw’s face painted as the Connacht youngster stood listening to the anthems before the biggest examination in his burgeoning career.

Joe Schmidt must have big sleeves.

Meyer couldn’t help but laugh when asked if he is viewed as a risk-taker back home. His response was that the perception is actually very different.

Concerns as to Jonathan Sexton’s fitness ahead of Ireland’s meeting with South Africa have been eased appreciably, with team manager Mick Kearney stressing that the out-half is "100%" ready for Saturday evening’s encounter.

The new European gig was gripping at times but it did little to divert the impression the provinces are slipping under the shadow of an Ireland team on the up.

Brian O’Driscoll’s latest book supposedly makes for an interesting read when digested in large chunks, but the extracts have fallen well short of Roy Keane’s on the Richter scale.

Ian Keatley’s inclusion and Paddy Jackson’s absence will prompt much of the debate surrounding the squad Joe Schmidt has chosen to do battle with South Africa, Georgia and Australia next month.