Whiny Wales are still a threat

THERE IS no greater remedy for a heavy defeat than going out and winning your next game. More often than not at club level, players and management have that opportunity on a weekly basis. That is not always the case on the international stage, thus disappointment and frustration tend to linger that bit longer.

That is why Declan Kidney and his squad will be so pleased to erase the memory of Paris so quickly; lessons learned – move on. Nowhere was that mantra seen in greater evidence than in Ireland’s defensive performance and in their increased physicality at the breakdown in Twickenham on Saturday.

Ireland were found wanting in both of those key areas in the Stade de France and had the scars to prove it. Ireland’s commitment in the tackle, epitomised by the attitude and determination of players like Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip, set the tone right from the kick-off last Saturday.