Ireland rugby drums are beginning to roll again

If there were those whose interest in the Ireland rugby team waned after last year’s failure to make the semi-finals of the World Cup, the near certainty is they’ve had it rekindled over the past few weeks.

The Six-Nations is now in full swing, and having won their two games, Andy Farrell’s men are on track to not only win back support of the lukewarm, but also retain all the titles they won last year, chief among them the Grand Slam.

There’s the maximum ten points in the bag, giving the side top place in the table. Each of the wins was littered with tries, six in the rout of Italy more than enough. The newcomers to this standard are fitting like a glove.

Fears that the loss of record-breaking scorer and captain, Johnny Sexton, would have a detrimental effect, have, on the evidence of last Sunday week’s victory over The Azzurri and the one before that in Marseille, been allayed.

Jack Crowley looks the perfect fit for the No 10 jersey. The Munster player has a hard act to follow, just as Sexton himself had when he succeeded the man whose record he dismantled, Ronan O’Gara. All that he’s done so far would suggest he’s well up to it. The others still wet behind the ears are doing just fine.

All of which would suggest that what’s being done at under-age level is more than worthwhile. And there’s no doubt the senior team management know what they are about.

Farrell made six changes for the Italy game, two of them enforced. What he knows only too well is that his panel is not lacking strength in depth.

Ireland are back at the The Aviva this Saturday, taking on Wales. If there’s a victory for the home team, it will be their 18th in succession at the venue.