Searching for solace as D-Day looms

How quickly things change. Back-to-back Six Nations champions Ireland appeared in rude health heading into this World Cup when they dispatched Wales with consummate ease only four weeks ago.

While nobody was getting overly excited then — it was a distinctly understrength Welsh combination — the fall off in performance in the intervening games against Scotland, Wales again and England is quite worrying.

While waiting for colleagues immediately after last Saturday’s game in Twickenham, I lost count of the number of stressed Irish fans who approached me looking for reassurance that Ireland were holding something in reserve for the bigger challenges down the road.