Gatland should be given new contract for World Cup

After that performance it will be interesting to see how the public react to Warren Gatland. I don't know what the IRFU will do but I think he has taken this team on since the last World Cup and he should be given a new contract until the end of the next World Cup.

After the match against Scotland, he has been able to motivate the players and that is important. It is important for the players too and maybe the Scotland result was a good thing to shake them out of their complacency. It was good to see they didn't panic, which is something I believe was crucial.

And how many times have Ireland ever won a match by more than 30 points? I know we didn't win by that margin when I was playing. It will give the players confidence going into the English match and that is a big plus.

What was good about the Welsh game was that everything was controlled. Peter Stringer, David Humphreys and David Wallace had great games. Humphreys, particularly, was majestic. He totally controlled the game.

We shouldn't go overboard about it though. I felt it was a poor Welsh side who were missing players and who did not play well. They missed tackles all over the place, they had turnovers and their play was generally error strewn. Still, we could play them next year in the Six Nations and lose, and don't forget, they were able to put 80 points on Romania.

The first half we didn't get what we deserved at 15-3. Sometimes a match can go that way where you pressurise but don't score and then they hit you back. But Ireland didn't let that happen. Our forwards were exceptionally good and the back row was all over the park. The tackle Wallace made on Shane Williams in the second half was top drawer.

Shane Horgan I think performed well enough to play against England. He defended well and took his opportunity. The try he scored which was disallowed was the correct decision as was Galwey's. Neither were tries.

I was pleased for Denis (Hickie). He was up against Dafydd James who was picked ahead of him for the Lions tour. Hickie has a lot of gas and that's important for a winger.

The instinct now is to look towards England and the fact Martin Johnson will not play is significant. When England have played badly in the past and lost Johnson hasn't been playing. They will have watched the Welsh match and I think they will now feel threatened. They don't like playing at Lansdowne Road. It's an intimidating ground.

Ireland have to play well in the first 20 minutes and if we do that we have a chance. The key is to hold them and keep pressure on them for that phase. Some of the English players can get easily wound up if things are not going well and that's where Johnson will be missed because he can stamp that out in the team. He is able to read games and take control.

But when we put them under pressure we have to score and that won't be easy. The English pack is incredibly strong, so we've got to take it up another notch. We need quicker recycled ball and we need to win all of our lineouts. The Welsh throw-ins on Saturday were appalling and we missed two or three.

From a public perception Ireland will also need to perform again. We haven't beaten England since 1994 so we will need passion and pride although that's not enough on its own. But I know when I played in Lansdowne Road I used to give 120 per cent because of the crowd and because of that I'd a good rapport with them. That's what they wanted to see.

Also in the team we have the best centre in the world at the moment and in the front row we've one of the best hookers in the world. We also have the bonus of having played two matches recently. That is important. Also Ireland will be together all of this week and leading on from the win against Wales I think this is a good time to meet the English team.

The weather should also be a factor and although we are able to move the ball well and did so on Saturday I feel a wet, windy day will be a leveller. Don't forget England have about 300,000 players while we've five or six thousand and even without Johnson and Lawrence Dallalgio we will have to find another gear and we will have to take all of our chances.

(in an interview with Johnny Watterson)