Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is playing down all talk of a Triple Crown after seeing his side end world champions England's unbeaten home run with a stunning 19-13 Six Nations Championship victory at Twickenham yesterday.
Victory left Ireland needing just to beat struggling Scotland to claim the Triple Crown, the title given to one of the four home nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) when they defeat all the others in a single Championship season, for the first time since 1985. That was also the last year when Ireland won the Championship, claiming the old Five Nations title.
"There is a chance of doing that (winning the Triple Crown) after we play Italy," O'Sullivan, whose team ended an England winning streak at Twickenham spanning 22 Tests and stretching back to the 1999 World Cup, said. "But I don't want to start talking about Triple Crowns," added O'Sullivan of a Championship where only France, who beat his side in the opening round, can still win the Grand Slam.
"We've two games left in the Championship and that could be broken wide open tomorrow (Sunday) if Wales can beat France in Cardiff. "That would put everybody back on a level playing field pretty much and make it a very interesting Championship," added O'Sullivan after seeing Ireland win at Twickenham for the first time since 1994.
"We really want to focus on the Italian match. Italy beat Scotland…which is a big victory for them. "We have to get that job done first, hopefully come out on the right side of it, and then focus on the Triple Crown. "I don't want to get carried away. Last year people started talking about the Grand Slam before we played Wales and we almost left that opportunity behind us in Cardiff. "We've just got to hold on to the reins here and get one job done at a time. I know it sounds boring but anything else is taking our eye off the ball."
England boss Clive Woodward was understandably glum following the defeat: "I'm very, very disappointed," Woodward said. "We made so many errors and had a bad day at the lineout," added Woodward. "But Ireland played well and deserved to win." England forwards coach Andy Robinson added: "We had no momentum in the game. Every time we had a lineout we either got slow ball or lost the ball."
Filed by James Boylan
