When the going gets tough...

GORDON D’ARCY was voted man of the match at the Millennium Stadium but Simon Easterby, one of the unsung members of the Irish pack, wasn’t too far behind.

While many of his team-mates were struggling to cope with the intensity of the Welsh challenge, Easterby was a commanding figure, something that shouldn’t perhaps come as a surprise given he knew so much about the opposition.

While fortunate to escape censure for an apparent illegal tackle on Welsh winger Chris Czekaj early in the second half, the 31 year-old brought a huge influence to bear on the outcome in a game that saw some of his more celebrated colleagues below their best.