Superior attitude had Dragons breathing all the fire

IF you’re under 40 look away, because unless you are of a certain generation you probably won’t identify much with the rest of this ramble. For as long as I’ve been following Irish sport, I’ve been absorbing disappointment, to the point where I thought I was immune to further hurt.

I was wrong. The Grand Slam dream-destroying loss to France the previous week was bad, but nothing compared to this humiliation in Wales. Last week there was consolation, the golf win in the US by Padraig Harrington and the three big wins in Cheltenham during the week. For Cardiff, there is no consolation, none, never will be. This is an emotional hit that will take a while to absorb; rest assured, it will be a long time before I ever again have high expectations of an Ireland rugby team.

This year, we had a side of genuine class. But one week, seven days, two massive body-blows, one more sickening than the other, and we’re back where we always were. I’m beginning to believe now that I’ll never see an Irish Grand Slam, not in my lifetime.