D a g a a e eed be b a a b a R e

LET’S call a spade a spade. Given where we stood just three months ago as reigning Grand Slam champions and having just beaten New Zealand on the back of a blemish-free November, this has been a massively disappointing 2019 Six Nations to date.

Much has been made of public expectation and the level at which that unquantifiable factor now stands but whatever else – and there have been mitigating circumstances – we have come up short given our recent achievements, ability and strength in depth.

We can all agree, team management included, that our form in the two games to date hasn’t come remotely close to the level of aspiration within this squad.

England didn’t just beat us, they absolutely pulverised us in that opening-day encounter in Dublin.

The final scoreline and 12-point difference failed to reflect the gulf in performance between the squads that day.

Even defending Grand Slam champi- ons are only human so that defeat and the nature of it knocked us for six.

It was a reality check for one and all, myself included.

We are good, better than we have ever been, and yet not quite as good as we think we are. Still potential World Cup challengers? Yes, but with much work still to be done in the interim.

The win in Scotland was functional but it was hugely relevant psychologically.

We won ugly but just as England had done to us on our patch a week before for 80 minutes, we suffocated the Scots on their sod in that second half at Murrayfield.

It wasn’t pretty but it was hugely effective and more than acceptable given the pre-game circumstances.

A win of any hue against the Scots was essential in getting this Six Nations challenge back on track.

To that end it was mission accomplished, so we travel to the Stadio Olimpico with a degree of confidence that was understandably lacking in those seven days post-England.

Given its nature (at least four competitive games in quick succession) no tournament depends on early momentum more. Turn the clock back 12 months to Paris and Johnny Sexton’s get-out-of-jail drop goal and you get the drift.

Right now that momentum lies with the Welsh and English, although something has got to give at the Principality Stadium later today.

For us it’s the Italian job and while the politically-correct sound bites have been coming out of Carton House (the winning bonus point not being on the agenda, for example) rest assured that behind closed doors that is not the case.

The primary objective today is to win and to win well and that means by way of a five-point return.

It does not reflect any arrogance on our part but if we are to be credible World Cup competitors later in the year then a bonus-point win against a team that have not won a match in this competition since 2015 (19 defeats in a row) has to represent the bottom-line aspiration.

Conor O’Shea, along with Stephen Aboud and Michael Bradley (at Zebre), are doing all they can to put club and underage structures in place that feed into the national mix. Whether they will be given the time I’m not so sure but in O’Shea they have a top man who, irrespective of results in his time in Italy, will I hope return to the Irish fold (and not to England) in some capacity.

For now the wish-list is short and simple.

First and foremost, we must build on Murrayfield with a dominant winning performance with a five-point winning return.

Secondly, it is important that we develop our game beyond the obvious aerial bombardment which while serving us well in times past will not lead to a meaningful World Cup assault in seven months’ time.

There are many ways to skin an Italian