Provinces prove value of character

WHEN reviewing the performances of the three Irish provinces on the opening weekend of Europe’s new Champions Cup, one word springs to mind for Donal Lenihan: character.

AS countless teams across a range of sports have discovered to their cost over the years, to be successful requires far more than just assembling a galaxy of stars and marquee names.

When the pressure comes on, the injuries mount, and your resilience is questioned, that is the time when the true character of a side shines through.