Former international Tomás O'Leary says he would like to see Ireland take more risks in order to get over the line in games.
Yesterday's defeat to France ended Ireland's interest in winning the tournament at the earliest point since 1998. Back then the national team was more used to aiming to avoid wooden spoons than claiming trophies.
The hosts struggled to make yards yesterday, with some criticism online suggesting that the visitors were pushing the leniency of referee Luke Pearce to the limit in terms of his interpretation of the offside rule.
But the result potentially leaves Andy Farrell and his management team with the opportunity to experiment more in the remaining three games, over two years out from the World Cup in France.
Speaking on RTÉ's Game On O'Leary, who won a Grand Slam back in 2009, said that the Ireland coach needs to try something different.
"If we have an ambition to throw a few more offloads, to take a few more risk I think that will help us improve our attack," he suggested.
"We will probably make more mistakes - we saw with (Garry) Ringrose in the Welsh game he tried to make an offload and unfortunately it went to deck and we were penalised and Wales scored a try.
"If you look at that Jamie Heaslip try of the decade (versus Italy) you saw Andrew Trimble and Simon Zebo offload in that game.
"That was effectively the difference between the two teams (on Sunday) - the French ability to offload. It wasn't just the big men doing it, it wasn't just the back-row props doing it.
"You saw for their first score it was actually their 10 (with) a little offload first, and then Dupont with an outrageous offload second to create that go forward. Then they score after spreading it.
"So if we could just have an ambition to try to offload, to try and take more risks I think that would help us in attack."
Looking at yesterday's game in Dublin, where the French won for the first time since 2011, the former Munster and London Irish scrum-half said the players on the field have to take some of the blame for the recent performances.
"Realistically it should be the half-backs," O'Leary points out.
"The ball goes through the 9 and 10's hands most often (and) they decide if it's a kick, run or that they will carry themselves.
"It's a 'feel' thing so if players are sticking rigidly to a game plan that isn't working then that's the fault of the players.
"I had limited time under Andy Farrell when he came into Munster on a temporary basis at one stage. He was very much of a viewpoint of players taking ownership in meetings and players taking responsibility on the pitch.
"So I assume that he hasn't changed that management style."
