World Cup will dictate how this team is remembered

Three months on and this column is still wiping egg from its face, writes Brendan O’Brien

Too many injuries, we said. Short-term pain, we said. Don’t panic, we said, it’ll all pay off in the long run. As November wound on and Ireland ticked wins over South Africa, Georgia and Australia off their list, more than one person mentioned that particular column. The phrase ‘In Joe We Trust’ might have been mentioned once or twice, too.

So, mea culpa. I got it wrong. Yeah, yeah, not for the first time either. Point taken. And look at us all now. Not just Six Nations champions but favourites and all, what with England and France to visit Dublin and an injury imprint that is considerably lighter than it was before Christmas, even if some big names won’t be available in Rome tomorrow.