Make no mistake, this is the Grand Slam game

Ireland won’t go all the way unbeaten to the 2015 World Cup. What will inform Joe Schmidt’s thinking over the next 18 months is identifying those in his squad who will dip or crumble in defeats or bad performances. Or both.

The Irish coach, starting at Twickenham tomorrow, will be looking for tiers of players who can keep performing, who do not buckle under intense mental and physical scrutiny. Schmidt needs to differentiate between those who respond well to setbacks — and those who don’t.

Even at elite level sport, there are those whose confidence tank empties quickly. But the blue chip variety are the ones who maintain a consistent equilibrium irrespective of how they perform.