Positive signs and happy returns

Ireland 35 Wales12

A Test match with a 20,000 crowd, live on television and against an experimental Welsh side with World Cup places of their own to play for, is not the ideal situation in which to find one's feet but Ireland gave O'Sullivan plenty to be optimistic about.

A convincing margin of victory earned with five converted tries, sparkling performances from Paul O'Connell, Alan Quinlan and Geordan Murphy, tidy ones from Kevin Maggs, David Humphreys, Peter Stringer and Malcolm O'Kelly, an encouraging return for David Wallace and, of course, the welcome return of team totem Keith Wood.