HOW ARE THE nerves? Don’t worry, nobody will judge you if you indulge in an ice-cold celebratory beverage. While your heart-rate and blood pressure stabilises, take a look at Ireland’s four tries today, good enough for a bonus point in fancy currency they use in the Champions Cup.
It all started with everyone’s favourite centre partnership in waiting combining down the left wing before Paulie used Mike Ross’ bulky frame as a mini-shield to coast through a hole.
Then, Sean O’Brien AKA SOB AKA The Tullow Tank AKA The Carlow Cannonball exploded out of a maul and embarked on the sort of marauding run that made him the most rampaging bull in the northern hemisphere in the first place.
Next man up was the ‘second rate foreigner’. A lovely dummy-switch by Sexton was complemented beautifully by a curved running line by Payne, and he finished with gusto.
It was the perfect example of how an outside centre should attack a gap.
There was time for one more try, which was ultimately Ireland’s Six Nations winning margin. Sean O’Brien must have been drinking the Space Jam ‘Special Stuff’ because he elongated his arm like the Tune Squad era Michael Jordan to apply the final stamp on Ireland’s emphatic win.
Watch. Rewind. Repeat. Revel.
