Paul O’Connell deserves a special Irish performance on a very special day

In sport it’s always about the next game. 

Beating England last time out at the Aviva Stadium was really satisfying given how comprehensive and impressive the performance was but, by the time the Irish squad reassembled at Carton House last Sunday, the veneer had already begun to fade on that victory.

That’s the function of modern-day game analysis. Teams are always in search of the perfect performance, but, thankfully, it isn’t always necessary to produce one to win. England were found wanting in so many areas, for example that Ireland could afford to miss 27 tackles against them and still claim victory.