Full coverage: Rugby

For 42 years he pulled no punches as rugby correspondent of The Sunday Times, often incurring the wrath of Irish supporters.

Remember when Ireland were the side that thrived in chaos? When the pace lifted, we got sharper. Now, when it speeds up, we’re the ones making the mistakes.

He could have been a banker, but he was a dynamic tighthead prop just as rugby was going professional. There would be other cases of what might have been, but now he's pushing hard with a new venture.

The stats say Ireland competed. The scoreboard — and the eye test — said otherwise. France’s 36-14 dismantling in Paris exposed an Irish side struggling for identity, cohesion, and conviction.

The man who succeeded John Hayes as Ireland's tighthead prop was 31 when he broke into the team. He made the most of his chance, but 61 caps later it was all over – and real-world challenges awaited him.

Ireland's reliance on Andrew Porter at loosehead prop is made painfully clear by appearance stats. The system has struggled to produce viable replacements and Andy Farrell is now paying the price.

Until a few years ago, the first Ireland player to win 100 caps thought he'd got out of rugby largely unscathed, but he now has one-eighth movement in his neck and severe pain.

Today's sports stars receive media training in the art of how to engage without giving much away. With the GAA's 2026 national leagues getting under way and rugby's Six Nations being launched this week, don't expect that to change.

The system has produced world-class players, but stories like Jerry Cahir’s and Joshua Kenny’s show why a broader, more scientific approach to talent identification is overdue.

As Andy Farrell, Leo Cullen and a host of senior coaches approach contract expiry after the next World Cup, Irish rugby is nearing a once-in-a-generation moment. Recent provincial chaos suggests the system that once excelled at succession planning will face an unprecedented challenge.