Mick Cleary: Ireland already as good as the All Blacks? Seriously?

Onwards go Ireland, ignoring plaudits, focussed only on the future, with targets to be met. The applause is nice, and merited, but the Farrell benchmark of excellence is what really counts.

LIKE A GLOVE: Jack Crowley during Ireland rugby squad training. Pic: Harry Murphy, Sportsfile

GONZALO Quesada was a generous man, a bruised, rueful one too.

The Italy head coach had just seen his team concede a shedload of points to Ireland and lay not so much as a finger on the opposition. Why wouldn’t he compare Ireland to the All Blacks, for so long the standard bearers of world rugby?