Forget the quality, it’s all about the result, insist Ronan O’Gara and Donal Lenihan

Irish Examiner columnists Ronan O’Gara and Donal Lenihan both believe the positives of Ireland’s opening Six Nations victory in France outweigh the disappointing performance that preceded Johnny Sexton’s epic game-winning drop goal.

The former Ireland stars were speaking at the Irish Examiner Breakfast of Champions in Cork’s Clayton Hotel yesterday, less than 48 hours after the breathtaking finish that handed Joe Schmidt’s Ireland team a 15-13 victory at Stade de France.

There were clear signs from within the Irish camp that improvements would need to be made after the victory sealed by fly-half Sexton’s magisterial long-range kick following a sequence of 41 phases overshadowed an otherwise error-strewn and tryless performance.