Inside rugby union's big showdown
Cardiff - Considering Wales’ early February dreams of Triple Crowns and Grand Slams had been shattered after the , there was a remarkably positive feeling reverberating around the streets of Cardiff on Sunday night.
Now there’s no doubt that the liberal amounts of alcohol doled out on St Mary’s Street had a major influence on that.
But, inebriation aside, I think that the lightness of Welsh spirits can be attributed to three specific factors.
Belfast - Jeepers, ! Somebody hadn’t read the original script at the Millennium Stadium.
Shame on those darn Welshmen trying to spoil Ireland’s party before it even started. Do they not realise that Ireland have not won the Grand Slam for nearly 60 years!
Okay, the Irish did win in the end, and I suppose you could not argue about chalking up three tries to zilch. But let’s be honest, it was a fairly ugly, dog-day victory only punctuated by sublime performances by Gordon D’Arcy and Denis Leamy.
While D’Arcy and Welsh scrum-half Dwayne Peel were the apple of the pundit’s eyes, I have to say that for me Leamy was the outstanding player on the field.
"He's impressive with ball in hand. No doubt about it," said my co-commentator Phillip Matthews before the Italy-France game. "But he does have a tendency to drift in and out of games."
I nodded wisely, but silently, since the object of our attention, was standing just a few feet away, looking like an enormous, brooding version of .
The criticism has been levelled at Chabal before and, for all his talents, Bernard Laporte has never really warmed to the giant, furry creature known affectionately by supporters of his club Sale, as 'Sea Bass'.
Incidentally, I know it's inspired by his own name, but could Chabal not have a nickname more suited to his terrifying form? It's like calling Martin Johnson 'The Monkfish'.
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Welcome to Ö÷²¥´óÐã Sport's Six Nations blog where we'll bring you the inside track from this year's blockbuster event. Here are our tips on taking part & our house rules
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