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AS IF things weren’t bad enough.

On top of the ticketing issue addressed elsewhere today, and the disintegration of the commemorative jersey, comes confirmation of further leaks in the roof of the Aviva Stadium. Irish rugby is experiencing teething problems on and off the field at present but at least most of them are repairable. Every new home comes with an accompanying snag list and I have no doubt that stadium director Martin Murphy will resolve those issues quickly. The other concerns need to be addressed also.

To on field matters first. The most surprising and indeed worrying aspect of last Saturday’s defeat to South Africa was that it was our southern hemisphere visitors who adapted better on the day to the deteriorating weather conditions that prevailed on a typical autumnal evening.