Best promises ‘more to come’

WILL the real Neil Best please stand up? “I don’t really like fighting, people get injured and lose teeth. My dentist charges enough as it is, I don’t want to give him any more money!” he told RTE, on accepting his man-of-the-match award at the end of a bruising encounter yesterday.

“It was a physical game, you expect that, but it’s unfortunate that kids get to see grown men beating lumps out of each other.”

Half an hour later, the new Irish number six was telling the assembled hacks how much more satisfying this game was than the more open win over South Africa last week. Then, he spoke of his disappointment at not managing to get in any of his trademark big hits — not so yesterday.