Props not worried by scrums

It seemed a matter of perspective. Peter Clohessy wasn't uncomfortable, neither was John Hayes but for several pundits, Ireland's scrummaging against France at Lansdowne Road provided a cause for concern.

The Irish props argued that while the scope for improvement was significant, any discomfort in the set scrums was self induced, notwithstanding the obvious power of the French eight. Clohessy argued: "There was one or two scrums that we were caught on but that was our own fault rather than theirs; we mistimed the hit. Over the last week our scrummaging has improved 100 per cent."

Hayes offered a little more caution but denied that Ireland struggled in this facet of play. The Shannon prop enjoyed a superb game, arguably one of his best for Ireland, while Clohessy was moved to remark on a tackle he made late on: "that's the youth coming out in me again."

Hayes offered: "We did a lot of work during the week, obviously we had to because the French have one of the best scrums around in world rugby. We did okay. It was just about comfortable; it (the Irish scrummaging) was average. We didn't really put them under any pressure, well with the exception of one or two when we managed a nudge.

"Then they make changes. It is one thing seeing the back of (Sylvain) Marconnet after 65 minutes when you suddenly realise that, oh no it is Christian Califano coming towards you. Still we toughed it out. We were very solid towards the end.

"I suppose I was happy enough. We set out to win and did and that was important. We had a great opening 20 minutes to the second half, really played well and opened up a good lead. We let them back into it a small bit at the end. They were always going to get a grip at some stage but we showed good composure when the pressure was at its most intense."

The big Bruff man smiled when reference was made to his charge from a ruck that suddenly took him into the wide open spaces. "I don't know where that came from. This gap opened. The ball was on the ground and they fanned out really quickly. There was a small gap and I shot through. Wally (David Wallace) was on my inside and he roared for the ball. I gave it to him straight away because he has a lot more legs to go than I have."

Mick Galwey was another player who felt that Ireland acquitted themselves comfortably in the scrummage. "We worked hard on scrumagging and lineouts and that paid off. There's no short-cut when you need hard work. I think the fact that we didn't scrumagge out in Italy, did not have a machine, didn't have live scrummaging was a problem. In contrast the preparation for this match was excellent. We put in the work, we got the reward."

The physical nature of proceedings was a familiar refrain amongst the Irish players. Brian O'Driscoll admitted: "There were a lot of big hits but you expect those sort of things when you're running straight at people. We didn't really throw the ball around. I think we are going to find it particularly tough against the English because they have one of the best defences in the world."

His centre partner, Rob Henderson, nursing a few bumps and bruises, pointed out that despite the fact that France cluttered the corridors of midfield, the home team still managed to make decent headway. "They put one backrow out and decided to place (Olivier) Magne at the back of the lineout but we didn't change our plan and attacked that channel and did so, I think, pretty well.

"We still played with a bit of width and with Brian and Denis coming back into the side, it gave everyone a confidence boost anyway. The guys around are all very good footballers and they make it that much easier."

O'Driscoll, though, was not entirely satisfied with his performance, especially his chip through in the first half that the crowd acclaimed but he did not. "I kind of panicked a little bit. I had a few things going through my head and with the noise of the crowd, I didn't hear any of the boys behind me and apparently there was a streak of them.

"I thought T-bone (Tyrone Howe) might have had the gas to make the corner. I should have just given it (the chip) a bit more air, not as much power."

It was Denis Hickie who caught a scent of fleeting glory when he stepped inside David Bory in the first half inside the French 22 and for just a split second the try line beckoned.

"I was beginning to get excited. I was beginning to wave to the crowd," he smiled. "I wasn't really. The cover was just really good. I was saying that to David Humphreys afterwards, `you don't have a second with the ball'. I just stepped inside and was nailed.

"It was a strange kind of game. We have got to the stage where we are more comfortable with being favourites, there was a lot of confidence going into the game so when the pressure did come on we didn't panic. They got in for a good try and in fairness stepped up the level in the last 20 minutes. Their defence throughout the match was fantastic.

"It made the result all the more enjoyable."