Irish Rugby peaked in 2023 and is now in steady decline. A Very Barron decade ahead

Part of the issue is them getting game time at the Provincial level. Like Osborne would be be forcing his way into the centres, if not for Barrett coming in. Frawley similarly effected. Now add Cooney to that. Situation is better for some of the other lads, but it's that frustrating log jam that happens too frequently for the national team.

He has the worst record of any coach since 2000, his team got worse every season.

I think there is some exaggeration in what people are saying here. Form is temporary but class is permanent.

Do we have legitimate worries? Absolutely. Something was badly off in the attack this tournament and it was the way we turned over ball rather than poor defence that ended up in 15 tries conceded.

We only really put together two purple patches, 35 mins against England and maybe 25 against Scotland, and there were extenuating circumstances for the latter.

And the question of Andrew Goodman's role in the above cannot be avoided any more than it was avoided at Leinster, where you will note, he doesn't work anymore.

But the fundamentals of our rugby structures are strong. To be ready for RWC27, we will have to face up to some major clearing out and blooding of players. No more than France and England have done in the past decade.

We've got 8 games between Autumn and 6N against ever Tier 1 nations except Argentina. By necessity, they could well be video nasties.

You mention clearing out and blooding in new players. The question in my head is why didn't they (Farrell & Co.) push this harder last year? It seem now to rotate the older players over to the younger ones is going to be certainly more rushed now in time for the next WC.

He also played in by far the toughest 6 nations era of any coach since 2000 with France, England and Wales all challenging for the tournament for the majority of his time in charge. France were an absolute shambles for the majority of Schmidt era and Farell's success has come at a time of historic weakness for Wales and a transitional period for England.

Being mediocre for 5 years is called “transition” now? England are good, they just aren’t as good as France or Ireland.

Yes, but our team was badly coached, at time when we had one of our best ever rosters. He was a crap coach. Won a Grand Slam with Eddie's team and went downhill from there. France were entering their lost decade and England didn't get their **** together until Lancaster took over. Wales won in 2013, but were pretty up and down in the 6Ns otherwise i during his reign.

I understand fully how they work, that’s why I am placing stock in them.

I don’t really care, this is England’s first top 2 finish since 2020… No you see, now you are just twisting my words to suit your argument. If you are going try put words in my mouth then this conversation is over.

Like I said , this is just you trying to speak something into existence. You say England are on a upward curve AND that England are on par with Ireland until the cows come home, the facts show that you are wrong.

In a world where rugby journalism has sunk to an all time low and tried to take the average viewers rugby knowledge with it, the World Rankings have remained a shining light.

Sexton was 24 when he won his first cap against Fiji in 2009. It's interesting to note that he struggled from the tee for a season or two after it being a strength initially (I think he kicked all our points vs SA in '09). It was partly for this reason he ended up as a sub against Wales at the 2011 RWC.

Lets not forget England have been scrambling around desperate for some sort of consistency for a few years now. Looks like something is actually clickng for them. Doesn't mean their "fixed" or anything. Improved yes but they've a lot more to do. They looked great against the weakest team in the 6 nations. (Yeah and we didn't … )

And lets also not forget they were handed victory over scotland at the hands of Finn Russells mental kicking. And how they beat France …. voodoo or something? I was baffled.

I think the outlook for us a bit less positive alright. Seems like we're only starting down the long path of rebuilding at this stage.

OK… well, hopefully we'll have Prendergast and Crowley match the trajectory!!

I was at Sexton's first match!

Read my previous comments and you’ll know.

Well duh, of course they aren’t. Thats the point.

I question have they improved because if anything they were better in the last 6N. Against Ireland and France they were clearly 2nd best despite the scoreline yet some on here want to pretend they belong in the same conversation as them.

What I think has happened is Scotland and Wales have gotten worse which has made England look better by default.