Centre of attention: Michael Kiernan

‘Drop-goal on. Drop-goal taken. Drop-goal good!’ Michael Kiernan is one of only a few people who know what it’s like to get the score to beat England to win the Triple Crown.

Today he’ll be in Twickenham hoping some other Irishman will know the feeling, though knowing it’s a totally different game now .

Last year, shortly before he signed for Racing Metro, Ronan O’Gara was in Barry’s in Douglas on the suburbs of Cork when he spotted an old acquaintance in the same bar. Michael Kiernan was with a couple of friends and soon O’Gara came over to join them, something Kiernan thought showed a nice touch of class. His regard for O’Gara was huge. It still is. At Christmas he made sure he got O’Gara’s latest book and it was something he devoured, just like he had the outhalf’s earlier autobiography from five years ago.