Sean Cronin rues luck after missing out on Ireland opportunity

Nobody could have been put out more than Sean Cronin when Rory Best’s absence for last week’s meeting with Italy at the Stadio Olimpico was confirmed.

Cronin has played 25 times for Ireland in the Six Nations and every one of those caps have been earned off the bench. Now, here he was back in Ireland rehabbing a hamstring injury when the chance of a first start in the tournament finally presented itself.

Murphy’s law and all that.