It’s never good being at the mercy of a ref’s personal interpretation

This delicately poised Test series in Australia represents the best possible preparation Ireland could have hoped for a year out from the World Cup, writes Donal Lenihan.

In the eight global tournaments staged to date, Ireland, with some really good squads, have failed to crack what is required to make it past the quarter-finals.

As the only northern hemisphere side to lift the Webb Ellis trophy, England, in the seasons preceding the 2003 event, showed that one of the prerequisites is to establish a winning culture against the big three in South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia not only at home but, of even more importance, on the road.