Buckley must kick on again

TONY BUCKLEY not only held up well in that vital last minute five metre scrum on Saturday but also engineered two crucial turnovers and cleaned out brilliantly at the breakdown in his 17-minute cameo. In addition, check out his judicious body check on Tim Payne at the tail of the line out which bought a vital second for O’Leary in the build up to Bowe’s winning score.

The massive Shannon man must recognise that John Hayes can’t go on forever and grasp the opportunity from this moment onwards. On too many occasions in the past he has sat back on his laurels after making his presence felt.

Ireland does not regularly produce players with his incredible power and physique – Hayes being the last one – and at 29 is in the perfect position to kick on from here and offer a viable alternative to his former Shannon colleague.

It would also help Hayes’ efforts at making the 2011 World Cup as they could rotate on a more regular basis with Munster. Buckley must now show cause and a genuine desire to become a more permanent fixture in the international set-up.