Ireland have enjoyed a rather underwhelming end to this year's Six Nations campaign, scraping by Italy just a week after being annihilated by France in the Aviva Stadium.
Simon Easterby's Ireland still claimed four of five wins in this year's campaign and beat all three of the home nations to claim a Triple Crown victory.
Unfortunately, however, their third-place ranking and underwhelming performances at the end of the campaign have once again raised questions about Ireland's true place among the world's best, with a narrative now growing claiming their golden era atop European rugby is over.
Wales legend Dan Biggar however has strayed far from that narrative and rubbished the supposed severity of Ireland's Six Nations ending and the prospect that the team's demise is upon us.
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15 March 2025; Jack Conan, left, and Jack Crowley of Ireland after the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Italy and Ireland at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Dan Biggar pushes back on Ireland negativity
Biggar who is still playing with Toulon in the Top 14 has seen his punditry career catapult during this year's Six Nations, with his appearances and insight on The Rugby Pod gaining notoriety throughout.
Speaking on this week's edition of the podcast, the former Welsh and Lions ten played down the circulating narrative about the fall of Irish rugby.
Ireland looked like a team who knew they weren't going to be champions at the end of the day. If Ireland were headed for a Grand Slam in Rome on Saturday or even if Ireland just needed to win to be champions in Rome I think they'd have blown Italy away.
You can't underestimate how much that game in Dublin the week before took out of their sails. I don't think you can underestimate how difficult it is to get up for a game where ultimately they knew they were probably going to finish third.
I just think they, not went through the motions, but I think they weren't quite at it and I think if they needed to be, they'd have won more convincingly.
Jokingly asked by his fellow pundits Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode why he was being so nice to Ireland, Biggar doubled down on his defence of Ireland, revealing that the negativity had him 'confused'.
They started the tournament brilliantly against England, obviously blitz Scotland, got over the line made a few changes in Cardiff with a new bounce for the new Wales coach, they got over the line there in the end.
They were 18-15 against France at 50 minutes and then got absolutely blown away, they've still got a bonus point win in Rome.
We just waxed lyrical about France saying how powerful they are, how brilliant they are...and that's the only game they lost.
Dan Biggar also had no time for claims that Ireland were the tournament's 'underachievers', adorning Scotland who finished fourth and eight points behind Ireland with the accolade.
"I can't say Ireland are underachievers because they've effectively lost one game to the best team in the tournament," explained Biggar.
Whether this truly is the end of an era for Ireland, or a mere transition ahead of the next World Cup only time will tell, but ultimately a failure to be clinical and ruthless in this year's Six Nations cost them not only a historic title but second place as well.
