Donal Lenihan: Have we been rumbled, and can Six Nations rivals capitalise?

The big question: have teams worked out a way to frustrate Ireland’s predictable attacking shape and, if so, is their time to effect subtle change?

RESPECT: His Irish colleagues accord record-breaker Cian Healy a guard of honour after Ireland's test win over the Wallabies on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium. Pic: Dan Sheridan, Inpho

THERE were so many sub-plots surrounding Saturday's test in Dublin that even The Monk and the general election faded into the background for a few precious hours.

A lavish celebration attended by 1,600 people at the RDS, fittingly within a stone's throw of Lansdowne Road, to mark the 150th anniversary of the IRFU set the tone on the eve of the encounter and helped frame the narrative around the game.