Over the last decade, Ireland have played 44 matches against Five Nations opponents, won 10, drew two and lost 32. Those matches include those played during the World Cup and a Millennium match. Add in three defeats by Italy since 1995 - two in the last 12 months - and a defeat by Western Samoa. That is not to mention losses in the current season and last season to Australia and New Zealand. It is 10 years since Ireland last beat Scotland and that was also the last occasion that Ireland won the first match in the Five Nations Championship.

Bearing those facts in mind, I would see unity of purpose within the Ireland squad and management as an absolute necessity. Thus I come to the suggestions about a singular lack of it between Ireland manager Pat Whelan and coach Brian Ashton. Any differences that existed have, apparently, been sorted out. Both manager and coach have gone on the record to confirm this and to state that the differences were not of a major nature.

I find it hard to understand why any such issues should have arisen at this stage. On the morning of December 22nd, the day after Ireland lost to Italy, the Ireland management team of Whelan, Ashton and selector Donal Lenihan met in Bologna to discuss the previous afternoon's debacle. Warren Gatland and Mike Ruddock, who both help with the coaching of the national team, were at that meeting, as was Ray Southam, the IRFU's director of rugby development.

Following that gathering, Pat Whelan, in his capacity as Ireland manager, requested a meeting with the IRFU for a discussion on all matters relating to the team. That request was granted and on Saturday morning January 3rd, Whelan, Ashton and Lenihan met Noel Murphy, the chairman of the IRFU rugby committee, Eddie Coleman, the chairman of the international rugby committee and Roy Lougheed, chairman of the domestic rugby committee. I understand that Ruddock also attended the meeting. Subsequently, Syd Millar, John Lyons, the IRFU's honorary treasurer and George Spotswood, the IRFU's rugby administrator, also joined the gathering.

Here then was the ideal forum for any problems to be spelled out loud and clear and ironed out. If Brian Ashton was unhappy about anything, then the opportunity was there for him to say so. The same goes for Whelan. I think it fair, not least to Whelan, that it be known that such opportunities were available and that these meetings took place. It has been suggested, too, that Ashton is not permitted to comment on team affairs. No such clause is included in Ashton's contract. His response of "no comment" to queries during the week about possible difficulties threw petrol on a fire.

In fairness to those who have criticised Whelan, it is true to say that he is by no mean's everyone's concept of the ideal man to manage Ireland. But is there anyone who would satisfy everyone? We know well the criticism his two immediate predecessors Ken Reid and Noel Murphy had to take. I have known Whelan for the better part of the last 30 years. He can be abrasive, contentious and impatient and knows his way around the politics of the game. Like us all, his judgements can sometimes be wrong, perhaps subjective, too, in relation to his affinity with his club, Garryowen. But accusations of subjectivity have been made against most Ireland selectors that I have known for over 30 years.

However, he has made a very significant contribution to Irish rugby as a player, as coach to his club and his province, as coach to the Ireland A team and as a selector. In the prevailing circumstances, would his resignation or dismissal mean a cure to all ills or bring an improvement in the current performances of the Ireland side? I doubt it, for collective responsibility should be taken for Ireland's poor performances - the playing side are the coach's responsibility.

When Ashton took the coaching job on a fulltime basis, he was specific in stating he fully supported the three-man structure. I believe that, just as the coach is a full-time professional, the manager of the team should also be a full-time professional official. That is something the IRFU must address. I also believe that Brian Ashton, a man for whom I have a lot of respect, got and is getting the teams he wants in regard to selection.

It is also time for the Irish players to deliver. This squad has a back-up team of 12 people and is given every possible facility. Most are full-time professional players. It is costing over £2 million to put them on the field in the Ireland jersey. No better men to be subjective in their criticism than players. They can be more self-serving than any officials

On a different matter, I was very disappointed at the indifferent attitude of the Ireland captain, Keith Wood, when he spoke about Irish rugby in The Title - "apart from Garryowen and the Ireland team." He now states that this "quote misrepresents the point I was trying to get across and is, in fact, a slight misquote". Was he also misquoted in the Garryowen programme? Was he also misrepresented in what he said about Munster?

To him Munster is a cause for "hilarity". That is a direct contradiction of the sentiments he uttered when he first played at senior level for the province. Circumstances were such that Keith played only four matches for Munster. But he is a product of Munster rugby and attained international status while a Munster player.

"I turned down the chance to play for Munster against Australia last season. I was never really keen on the Munster thing anyway. I felt there was always this tussle between Cork and Limerick, the politics of it were hilarious," he said. Did he get any appreciation of what it means to some to play for Munster, when the "hilarious" combination of Cork and Limerick stuffed his nine-nation, overpaid, over-rated, under-achieving mercenaries Harlequins a few months ago at Thomond Park in the Heineken Cup. A player can be committed to a club, he does not have to insult a province in the process.

What about his stated commitment to Ireland? When the Ireland team to meet New Zealand last November was originally announced he was not in the team because he would not sign the contract as every other player did. He was told he would not be in the team on his terms. On the Sunday morning the team was announced is it not true that a statement had been prepared announcing why Wood was not in the side. But he relented when he realised that the IRFU would not back off. He duly captained Ireland against the tourists.

I have known and liked Keith Wood since he was a teenager. I have long admired his skill and his courage on the field and the dedication he has revealed in overcoming serious injuries. I rejoiced as a fellow Irishman at his contribution to the Lions success in South Africa last summer. But Keith Wood is losing the run of himself and it is time the Ireland manager told him so.