Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BEST FOOT FORWARD
RORY BEST vows Ireland will start fast today – unlike at Murrayfield a year ago.
A surprise loss to Scotland left too much to do to stop England claiming the title for a second year running.
Skipper Best said: “For whatever reason we were sluggish to start that game. We can
run around and look for excuses but ultimately we know we didn’t start the game. We weren’t quite as prepared to win a Six Nations game as we thought we were.
“I do feel that possibly last year we got caught up with looking ahead to other games and we misjudged Scotland for 40 minutes.
“So from a players’ point of view, we would never, ever take an Ireland game for granted and that’s our attitude - and it’s got to be.”
Meanwhile, Best had no comment to make when asked about his attendance at the rape trial of Ulster rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding in Belfast on Wednesday.
The Ireland skipper turned up as scheduled at Ireland’s Captain’s Run press conference at the Stade de France yesterday morning but, pressed on the matter twice at the start, he replied: “No comment.”
However, asked about the departure this week of Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss and Best admitted there had been an “air of inevitability” about it.
The Ulster skipper added: “I think it’s disappointing. I’ve known Les a long time and he’s a very good coach but, whatever happened at Ulster, it just didn’t click.”