Flannery: Six Nations games are more physical

Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery has said that Six Nation’s games are more physical than yesterday’s victory over world champions South Africa and the team isn’t getting carried away with the win.

A lot of media focus before yesterday’s game was on the physicality that the Springboks would bring and how Ireland would stand up to that.

But the Munster man disputed that after the win by saying: “I didn’t find it as attritional as I would a normal Six Nations match.

“I think the idea is that the Springboks try and put pressure on you, by putting up bombs, chasing you and they are very good on the deck.

“We had to just keep working, it wasn’t as physical as a Six Nations game, but definitely tough on the lungs.”

When asked what coach Declan Kidney said to the team before they break up for the season, Flannery said: “Deccie was pretty reserved and said ‘this is great, we have achieved what we wanted to achieve’”

“I don’t think anyone in the squad was getting carried away. We didn’t get any trophy for today, it’s just progressing nicely.

“The important thing is that we look to improve in areas like scrimmaging and be successful with our provinces and hopefully that will dovetail back into the national team.”