You could have substituted South African World Cup-winning captain John Smit’s comments after last week’s trip to Thomond Park with those expressed by his illustrious Springbok predecessor Francois Pienaar all of 13 seasons ago.

1. Help the cause:

On a weekend when defeat for all four Irish sides in Europe was not beyond the bounds of possibility, a return of three from four with a losing bonus point procured from the only defeat was exceptional considering the quality of opposition faced.

FOR the third season in-a-row, the best two sides in the Heineken Cup meet outside the decider itself.

French approach

It was in March of 2011 when I first formed the opinion that the future of English rugby was in safe hands having just witnessed their Under 20 side dish out a 15-46 hammering to Ireland in a Six Nations clash in Athlone.

How ironic that a decision by the Welsh Rugby Union to swell their coffers by adding an additional fixture to their schedule could now end up costing them a fortune.

At last, something positive and heartwarming to savour.

Set-piece dominance

If we are feeling a little vulnerable and insecure after five consecutive Test defeats, just put yourself in the boots of the Welsh Grand Slam squad for a brief moment.