Writing in the Irish Times, Gerry Thornley finds that as transitional periods for Ireland go this one has a good mix of new energy and experience.
"Three of the players who started against England last Saturday – Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara and John Hayes – have now played 90 Tests or more in what looks like a foot race to become the first Irish player to reach a century of caps, while a further four have a half-century to their name. Yet at the other end of the spectrum, a half-dozen of the starting line-up at Croke Park a week ago had 15 caps or less to their name.
"This gradual restructuring of the team is nothing like on the scale of the game against Scotland in 2000, when Warren Gatland made eight changes from the team beaten a fortnight before by 50-18 in Twickenham, including five new caps. Even so, there’s probably never been such an infusion of relatively new players since then, albeit over a more protracted period of time."
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