`It underlined to me how seven days is a long time in sport, from 4.0 on Saturday afternoon at Lansdowne to the same time the following week, from sheer elation to the depths of despair.' David Humphreys on that crucial penalty miss.

`I don't think Humphs should take the blame. His tactical play was brilliant and if it wasn't for our own indiscretions we had the game won. But for that, we wouldn't have needed to rely on that last penalty." Dion O'Cuinneagain on the same subject.

`Having struck the ball well in training all week, he (Humphreys) was unfortunate that the wind whipped up, which has always made Lansdowne Road notoriously tricky for kickers. If memory serves, Michael Kiernan was the victim of an even easier late miss on a windy day in 1986 at the same venue when, irony of ironies, Scotland beat Ireland by 10-9.'

`We are happy with the win but we are sad for the style of game we played, but it was a great Five Nations game.'

Emile N'Tamack reflects French relief.