Ireland well and truly banished their November woes on Saturday when they stormed to a 27-22 win over England in the Six Nations - the scoreline proving far from reflective of Ireland's dominance.
It was a vintage second-half performance from Ireland, that saw their star-studded backline re-discover an attacking prowess that was sorely missed in November, with James Lowe, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and man-of-the-match Jamison Gibson-Park all playing their part in flattering a sold-out Aviva Stadium.
Yet despite their game-changing impacts, they weren't spared the attention of the ever-contentious Stephen Jones, who returned to one of his favourite criticisms of Ireland when he took a swipe at their nationality.
Writing in his Times column, Jones was nothing if not complementary about their performance but seemed less pleased with their nationality, taking a cheeky swipe at their place of birth all the while criticising the majority of the players who were born on this Island.
They thrived on the needle-sharp incisiveness of Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum half, James Lowe on the wing, Mack Hansen on the other wing, Bundee Aki in midfield — and they were also well served by the odd Irish-born player.
Strangely, Jones' piece which was published in the UK appears to expend as much energy analysing the shortfalls of Irish rugby as it does that of England, with the controversial journalist once again appearing peeved by World Rugby's clearly defined nationality laws.
Fortunately for Irish fans, few could ask more a team, who have not only delivered an abundance of success but are also well-known for their contributions to the community across the Island.
READ ALSO: Sam Prendergast's Post-Match Comment On Marcus Smith Has Us All Feeling Old
READ ALSO: Maro Itoje Picked Up On Ref Mic After Decision That Badly Backfired
Jones rubbishes 'ludicrous' Doris captaincy claim
For fear that the 'odd Irish-born' player might feel left out of Jones' post-match analysis - Mayo native Caelan Doris and Kildare man Sam Prendergast were also placed on the hit list.
Long tipped as the outright favourite to captain this summer's Lions Tour to Australia, Caelan Doris has in recent months announced himself as one of the most capable captains in Europe, leading both Ireland and Leinster to near-constant success - a feat attempted by few and successfully completed by even fewer.
Jones' however was miffed by the prospect, rubbishing the idea that the Ireland eight could be nailed on to lead the Lions as 'ludicrous' - an idea which has been long shouted not only on these shores but also by the most prolific names across the Irish Sea.
Their props are nothing special, Sam Prendergast at fly half was even less special than that and the idea that Caelan Doris is somehow nailed on as the Lions captain looked ludicrous.
Stephen Jones selects just one Ireland player in Six Nations' greatest list
It seems it wasn't just last weekend's Ireland team that underwhelmed the journalist either. In a separate article teeing up the Six Nations this weekend, Stephen Jones picked his ten best Six Nations players in History, including just a sole Irish entrant under the name of Brian O'Driscoll.
Most surprisingly, the three-times nominated and 2018 World Player of the Year Johnny Sexton, who claimed five Six Nations including three Grand Slams missed out on a place. Meanwhile 'master tactician' Finn Russell who while hugely impressive in his own right, has yet to claim a single Six Nations was included in the 'best players' in Six Nations history list.
England's Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes were also included in Jones' list, yet there was no place for any Irish forwards of the last quarter-century, now was there space for Ronan O'Gara, Paul O'Connell or anyone else for that matter - a stark choice, considering that six of the nine most capped Six Nations players since 2000 are Irish.
Jones' picks in full were:
Courtney Lawes (England); Sergio Parrisse (Italy), Finn Russell (Scotland), Shane Williams (Wales), Sam Warburton (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Lawrence Dallaglio (England), Antoine Dupont (France), Maro Itoje (England), Martin Johnson (England).
While there are plenty of deserving names on the list who deserve no less than a place, the domination and competitiveness of Ireland in the tournament since the Joe Schmidt era is undoubtedly worth more than a single place on the list.
SEE ALSO: "20 Years Ago, James Lowe Would Have Been Punched In The Face, In Every Match"
8 November 2024; James Lowe of Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
