It's a time for honest self-reflection by Irish rugby but not self-flagellation

While it’s a time for some humility in Irish rugby, it is not a time for catastrophising. Honest self-reflection is required but not self-flagellation, suggests Kieran Shannon.

It could be worse, I suppose. Irish rugby could be Scottish rugby, that once-proud institution that many delighted in beating 20 years ago next February when Ronan O’Gara and a handful of other young guns came along to imbue an Irish team with the necessary class and daring to trump the Scots for the first time in 12 years.