Eddie: I don’t blame the referee

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN’S body language told its own story after yesterday’s defeat by France.

The upset was etched on his pale face and if Paul O’Connell — sitting beside him — was of a rosier hue after all his exertions on the pitch, he was also struggling to hide the feeling of disenchantment that must have been close to all-consuming.

To their credit, though, they weren’t looking for scapegoats or making an excuse out of the absence of Brian O’Driscoll and Peter Stringer or even the distinctly uneven performance of referee Steve Walsh.