ON RUGBY:England are the best of a mediocre Six Nations lot and the Southern Hemisphere sides will hardly be too worried about what they have seen so far, writes GERRY THORNLEY.

BY RIGHTS, Ireland should be sitting a lot prettier than they are. With a tad better game management and discipline, both within their control – they could be three wins from three, while the two they do have would have been altogether more comfortable.

Thanks to the emergence of Mike Ross, who should only improve – the scrum is even starting to become a weapon for the first time in yonks. With each game Paul O’Connell is coming back to his Superman best. Seán O’Brien is adding real ballast to Ireland’s running game (although the backrow misses a Simon Easterby/Alan Quinlan type lineout option).

Jonathan Sexton’s emergence is bringing out the very best in Ronan O’Gara; Sunday’s superbly varied performance should have been an education for this team and coaching staff, and they have an array of gamebreakers.

There are issues about the defensive line speed, but whether with O’Gara or Sexton pulling the strings, their attacking game has improved. Where O’Gara has the edge is in experience and, perhaps, stubbornness and self-belief. This was “Rog” at his most uber-confident, string-pulling Thomond Park mode on Heineken Cup days.

At 33, with over 100 caps, 998 Test points and ease within his skin, he has the strength of character to say sod off to captain, team-mate, coach and game plan alike, and just do the right thing. Even Dan Carter kicks occasionally.

And yet, despite outscoring the opposition by seven tries to two thus far, Ireland’s points difference is plus two. Never mind the rest of us, they must be driving themselves nuts. They’ve had a slightly raw deal – the IRB have apparently conceded as much privately regarding Ireland’s first two matches – but, whatever about the miserly four penalties against the Scots, it was hard to find too much to quibble with in all bar one or two of the dozen full penalties against them on Sunday.

Perhaps the poor standard of Magners League refereeing is contributing to seeing all their refereeing homework count for virtually nothing, but maybe it’s time for a patently exasperated Brian O’Driscoll, O’Connell (for it is mostly an issue with forwards) and the players to take ownership of this issue and start being more severe with each other. Either that or someone loses their place as an example.

Once again, the Ireland replacements bench will have been a dominant post-match topic. In making a triple substitution come the hour mark, and three more by the 70th minute, it was as if Declan Kidney and his coaching staff were making a pre-ordained response to past criticisms regarding the relatively limited use of the bench up; and specifically the embarrassment of Leo Cullen coming on with five seconds left against France.

After all, O’Gara, Ross, Rory Best and Eoin Reddan were amongst Ireland’s best players. Given the shifting tide, it was especially difficult for Peter Stringer and Sexton. Neither were getting go-forward ball as Reddan and O’Gara had been but O’Gara, especially, was “in the zone”, while only the Denis Leamy and Cullen substitutions could be said to have worked. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t, ironically Sunday’s events will now probably make Kidney again think twice about such pro-active use of the bench.

If le crunch at Twickenham between the two supposed European powerhouses was meant to show the Six Nations in its best light, it will hardly have the Southern Hemisphere too worried. Indeed, the notion put forth by some in the British media that Saturday’s display marked “the day they became contenders” at the World Cup will probably have the Southern Hemisphere laughing – or at any rate would have in New Zealand if they didn’t have more important things to worry about.

On the evidence of the Six Nations so far, none of the European teams (England included) can apply skills at a high intensity in the way the Tri-Nations teams continually do. Nonetheless, they’ve been the best of an undistinguished lot, and as in 2001 and 2003, the English chariot will almost certainly be riding into Dublin on the final weekend looking for a Grand Slam, given they have only lost to Scotland four times at Twickenham in over 100 years.

Amazingly, they haven’t won a Six Nations since their golden generation finally won that ’03 Slam en route to their World Cup triumph. Recalling how many French supporters managed to acquire tickets beyond their official allocation, one shudders to think how many English fans will be in the Aviva on the final weekend. Every effort should be made, by the IRFU and sponsors, to ensure every single Ireland supporter has some green to display come March 19th.

England have a typically strong pack, cut in the mould of Martin Johnson, and a pair of half-backs who attack the fringes and the gain line cleverly. But some of their handling was woeful (is it the camera angles, or did they also get away with about four forward passes on Saturday?) and their midfield hasn’t shown the handling skills or footwork to open up sides.

Strictly on a line through their respective performances at the Stadio Flaminio and Murrayfield, where Wales have won by 18 and eight points, as against two- and three-point wins for Ireland, Warren Gatland’s team are entitled to start as favourites on Saturday week, all the more so as they are at home.

As against the Scots, Wales appeared to be playing within themselves in the second half, almost aimlessly kicking the ball downfield and relying on their fast-up defence to soak up whatever the Azzurri could throw at them. But with two away wins under their belt they are liable to show far more ambition at the Millennium Stadium, where they are also seeking to atone for their opening-night defeat to England. In players such as Jamie Roberts, James Hook, Shane Williams and Lee Byrne, they have far more footwork, lines of running and creativity than the Scots.

No doubt it will be another taut and tight game, and will come down to another fraught, dramatic endgame, as it did in ’09, as has been the case for Ireland against Italy, France and Scotland so far. This Ireland team should come with a government health warning.