Simon Easterby praised Ireland’s mentality for “digging ourselves out of a hole” to overcome Wales in the Six Nations and keep their Grand Slam dream alive. Ireland started as massive favourites in Cardiff to inflict a 15th-successive defeat on Wales following the departure of their head coach Warren Gatland.

While it wasn’t the rout some expected, nor did Ireland come anywhere near a bonus-point win, Simon Easterby took more from the manner his team, with a fair sprinkling of inexperience by the end, ultimately doused Welsh fervour to pull through in Cardiff on Saturday afternoon.

Ireland win a huge penalty at the scrum on their own line. Finlay Bealham has been immense in this game. Prendergast kicks it out on the full and Wales have a lineout in the Irish 22. What a moment for Jack Boyle here. 10 minutes in a cauldron with the game on the line.

Sonia O’Sullivan has her eye on this weekend’s Irish indoor championships, which will be missing some of our bigger names, while Johnny Watterson looks back at the life of Matt Doyle, who died earlier this month, the Californian who energised the Irish tennis scene back in the 1980s.

Ireland survived an almighty scare in Cardiff to secure the Triple Crown and remain on course for an historic third consecutive Six Nations title.