Limitless McDowell ready to bounce back at Augusta

Before flying north from his Orlando home for what he calls a pre-Masters 'boot camp' at Augusta: Graeme McDowell took timeout to grab a bag of popcorn, and 105 odd minutes, to sit in a darkened room watching the first movie blockbuster of the year, Limitless.

Championship is over, so where do we stand?

“Trimble fly-hacks it. Easter dives on it, secures possession. But Ireland arrive in huge numbers, at pace, with power, in the right body positions and their appetite for this… well it looks like they haven’t eaten for months.”

Commentator Ryle Nugent pretty much caught the mood after 38 minutes of Saturday’s win over England.

The tournament ended in elation after preventing England’s Grand Slam and ensuring that nobody has won the Triple Crown since the Six Nations trophy also resided west of Holyhead.

So how do you rate Ireland’s campaign? We got there in the end? Lipstick on a pig?

A little of both probably, but it is worth remembering that Ireland only played two home games and in both of them they were outstanding, aside from the glut of penalties handed to Morgan Parra.

The common factor in those games was Jonny Sexton wearing the number 10 jersey. Ronan O’Gara was excellent whenever he took the field, particularly off the bench, but against England Sexton had the ‘wow’ factor.

He began with an audacious tap and go on his own 22. It seemed England had trickled back, but Sexton took the phrase ‘play what’s in front of you’ quite literally and spun the ball left.

Goal kicking can often be his Achilles heel, and after he nailed his second penalty of the day it was clear he was in the groove. Chris Ashton was eager to test his mettle but Leinster’s 10 scored with his next kick and was only narrowly wide from the attempt which followed Tommy Bowe’s try.

That was the only mark on young master Sexton’s copybook and it is more than forgivable considering his contribution to the touchdown itself.

As much as the try seemed a waterfall of momentum, finally breaking the white levee. It proved that Ireland have been sorely lacking a slice of luck or two throughout the Championship.

From the 22 metre drop out, Andrew Trimble seemed to knock on before Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell began their shock and awe attack, slide tackling their way into the red zone. On another day, O’Callaghan then could have been pinged for a high tackle as he caught Foden during his clearance.

On another day, that would have meant an English penalty on halfway, but it was not this day. Trimble unleashed Jamie Heaslip who relished the contact. Had this been Croke Park, the GAA brigade would be claiming Sexton’s quick tap penalty as a stylish solo run, his relatives in Kerry would be proud. Hell, Séamus Moynihan would have been proud of that one.

For Ireland, that moment will be the enduring memory of this championship. In one fell swoop the conservative option of an easy three points was given the coldest of shoulders and the St Mary’s man went for the kill.

A reasonable goal for Ireland and Declan Kidney is a world cup quarter final this year, the man himself would never admit as such but that is the base grade. Anything less will mean we've gone backwards in four years and will open the door for another dreaded set of Genesis reports and ‘root and branch’ reviews.

Don't forget who went home with medals!

The awful performance in Cardiff last week, coupled with a historic Italian win, made us all shift uncomfortably. Ireland face Italy in the final world cup group game and the formbook suggests we’ll be battling it out for second place in Group C.

However, instead of looking behind us and worrying, there is a scenario that a rising Azzuri tide will simultaneously lift our own boats.

Throughout the Eddie O’Sullivan era and again this year, we have learned the hard way that facing Italy first up is always a stern (not to mention bruising) examination. If, for a change, the Azzuri  can channel their pent up aggression into the Australian pack rather than our own, then perhaps we could make hay against the Wallabies seven days later.

Before the 2007 World Cup, Ireland came within a dodgy TMO decision of winning the Six Nations after hammering Italy 51 -24 on match day five. The nation had no reason to believe it could not lift the Webb Ellis trophy, but everything went wrong.

Bullied in Bordeaux

There will be some ghosts of ‘07 lurking around the camp between now and October. Not least a warm up game with France in the Stade Chaban Delmas where Georgia brought us to the brink. We also face a certain master tactician known as E O’Sullivan in our first group game.

Banish those ghosts and a first ever Semi-final could be the prize. However the hunger that Nugent spotted in Saturday’s first half cannot be allowed to wane. The numbers, pace, power and body positions will take care of themselves as long as the craving is within. Without it we are just four years older and four years fatter than the grief on the Garonne.

Lievremont makes five changes after goading English

France coach Marc Lievremont has continued his baffling selection policy after naming five changes in the team to play England at Twickenham Saturday.

France chiseled out a hard fought 22-25 victory over Ireland last time out. But despite Morgan Parra's 100% kicking ratio in that game, Dimitri Yachvili, has been recalled to the scrum half position.

Parra provided 15 of les Bleus 25 points at Lansdowne road but his half back partner Francois Trinh-Duc must now adapt to playing with the more pragmatic Biarritz number 9.

In demand Leinster academy get chance to prove their worth

While Ireland gear up for the visit of France in the Six Nations. Leinster, who will contribute almost two thirds of the Ireland starting XV, will be showing off their reserves as they take on Aironi the RDS tomorrow.

Predictably, it is the backline which is weakened most during the international period with Fijian one-capper, Isa Nacewa the only experienced professional behind the scrum.

They will pack plenty of grunt amongst the forwards with squad regulars, Dominic Ryan, Stephen Keogh and Rhys Ruddock (as captain) in the row behind Devin Toner and Kevin McLaughlin.

Head coach Joe Schmidt will hope that the youthful exuberance can be tempered by a solid base in the front row where Heinke Van Der Merwe and Clint Newland will be out to impress in the absence of Ireland's first choice props; Cian Healy and Mike Ross.

Their hooker has no need to impress any further. Richardt Strauss has been a pivotal cog in Leinster's brilliance so far this season and supporters will look to him to carry plenty of ball against the Italian outfit.

Mixture of hardship and grace leads Kidney to just one change

He's back! The country's most pre-eminent back-row Jamie Heaslip will once again fill Ireland's number eight jersey when Lansdowne Road's Aviva Stadium hosts France in it's first Six Nations match.

Heaslip missed out on Ireland's opening night jitters, a 13 -11 win over Italy in Rome, but has now recovered from his ankle injury in time to face the grand slam holders.

The Leinster stars inclusion means Denis Leamy is forced onto the bench as the island's form forward, Sean O'Brien is switched to blindside flanker.

Kidney able to name strong side to face Italy

Declan Kidney has managed to name a strong starting 15 to open the Six Nations campaign in Italy despite a severely depleted list of options in certain positions.

A spate of injuries that could have proved crippling in previous years, now look like serving as an important stage in the development of Kidney's side just seven months before the World Cup.

Last year's Six Nations brought little other than disappointment. Concerns grew amongst the masses that the grand slam winning coach was falling into the same trap as his predecessor. Those fears grew in the autumn as the former Munster supremo stubbornly refused to throw form players into the starting XV, favouring the tried, the tested and the tired.

Five signatures a further endorsement of Leinster academy

Leinster have secured the services of five homegrown stars in deals ranging from two to three years.

It's difficult to find a negative around Leinster Rugby at the minute as the eastern province romps toward the Heineken Cup knockout stages with a free-running offloading style. Knowing that this group of players, who will form a core part of the squad after this autumn's World Cup, are committed to a long term future at the RDS is a further boost.

Man of the moment Sean O'Brien is amongst the quintet and the Carlow man has put his name to a new three year deal. Fellow experienced first XV man Shane Jennings is also rewarded with an offer to remain with the province until 2014.

Heaslip to miss Saracens clash as Fitzgerald is benched

Jamie Heaslip will miss out on Leinster's Heineken Cup clash with Saracens on Saturday after the big back row failed to recover from an ankle injury sustained in the 15-10 win over Ospreys last Friday.

It is the same ankle he injured against Clermont Auvergne early in the season but it is expected he will be fit to fill the number eight jersey for next weekend's trip to Paris to face Racing Metro. Coach, Joe Schmidt elaborated on the details of his star forwards disability:

"What he did was the ankle joint. He's given that a wrench," explained Schmidt.

Unpaid Bohs players named

The dominant message on www.bohemians.ie

It has emerged this morning that the two Bohemians players at centre of legal proceedings to have the club wound up are Steven Gray and Brian Shelley.

The defensive duo had previously been unnamed as the case was taken against the Phibsboro outfit. However, this morning the Irish Independent has named Gray and Shelley as the men involved after their petition was lodged on Thursday.

Hawk-Eye has its wings clipped

Hopes that the GAA was set to introduce goal-line technology have been put on ice this morning. The association has unequivocally dismissed the idea that the 'Hawk-eye' system would be trialled at this year's All Ireland club finals.

Rumours emerged yesterday that the virtual replay system, invented by Paul Hawkins, would be rolled out at Croke Park on St Patricks day. However Cumann Luthchleas Gael was quick to issue a statement indicating that they had no plans to test on competitive games.

"The GAA can confirm that at the December 11th meeting of Coiste Bainistí (Management Committee) a full feasibility study on the possible use of score detection technology was sanctioned," said the statement, "and this is expected to be completed before May."