As the Six Nations weekend wound down last Sunday and thoughts turned to Twickenham, the RTE panel consisting of George Hook, Brent Pope and one Ronan O'Gara were shown a comment from former England international Lawrence Dallaglio writing in his Sunday Times column that day.
The quote was immediately swatted aside by the likes of O'Gara despite the obvious illusion to that famous Heineken Cup semi-final in 2004 between Dallaglio's London Wasps and O'Gara's Munster. O'Gara was ran over by Dallaglio's side that day and was eventually forced off the field. Despite the three wise men dissmising the quote as much ado about nothing, Dallaglio based today's column in the Times as a crude climb down of sorts.
Dallaglio is merely more tactful and reiterates the point that England should run at Sexton, like Wasps did to O'Gara and England did to Stephen Larkham:
Having had feedback from countless Irish rugby supporters, I realise how clumsily I made this point.
I was not advocating England deliberately try to get Sexton off the pitch, and not in a million years would I want to see any player in an England jersey deliberately try to injure an opponent.
So are we far too sensitive? Isn't sending the likes of Billy Vunipola barreling down at Sexton the most obvious tactic in the world? Or should we all get into a fist shaking fury ahead of next week?
The column is here (€)
Cover image: SPORTSFILE
