“A tough call, but Shane edged it”

“I WOULD refuse to be drawn into any comment on where players come from. That’s ludicrous,” was Irish manager Eddie O’Sullivan’s caustic reply when asked about Leinster’s many representatives in Saturday’s team to play Australia.

"We have three provinces playing in Europe, a fourth in the Shield. We pick our best team from all the available players, plus the cross-channel players. I thought we'd left all that nonsense way behind, that sort of parochialism does nothing for Irish rugby," he said.

Team manager Brian O'Brien agreed.