EDDIE O’SULLIVAN has had his critics this year. They complained that the Ireland coach was too conservative, too loyal to too many fading, ageing players, reluctant to make hard but necessary decisions and was failing to make the most of the talent at his disposal. In an England context does that not sound familiar? It is perhaps no surprise that Andy Robinson and O’Sullivan get on well, two stubborn men who know their own mind, their friendship forged on the Lions tour in New Zealand.

There, however, the similarities end. After a poor autumn, when it must be remembered Ireland were without Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell, O’Sullivan has overseen yet another successful Six Nations while England have done the reverse.

He has stuck to his principles and carried out a subtle overhaul of the team, something Robinson has singularly failed to do. The statistics cannot be ignored. Two triple crowns in three years, a 75 per cent win ratio in the championship since 2003 and the first side for 25 years to win back-to-back inter- nationals at Twickenham in the championship. Ireland have beaten England in four of the past six meetings.

O’Sullivan and Ireland are now ideally placed to kick on from here. There is by common consent much more to come. Beating England has to be a starting point rather than the finishing line that it would have been not so long ago. That is how far Ireland have come. Of the four home unions, Ireland should be best placed to mount the most effective campaign at the World Cup, even though they are grouped with Argentina (again) and France. There are areas that O’Sullivan has to address in terms of cover in the front row and at half back that cannot be disguised for ever. But the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses.

His biggest task is to unshackle a threequarter line that has failed to click. That is perhaps more to do with the balance rather than the individuals themselves, which is where O’Sullivan might have to make the tough calls. In effect he has four centres, three No 13s by inclination in O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy and Andrew Trimble, and only Shane Horgan a No 12. There are no natural wings. The result is that everyone is looking for the same space.

These, though, are things that can and have to be worked on to take Ireland on. “We will see where we are when we play Australia and New Zealand this summer,” O’Connell said. “A triple crown is brilliant but the southern hemisphere will be the big test.

“Ireland traditionally had a good pack which could mix it with most teams. But when you look at the backs we have we need to start making something more of it. We do need to kick on, and start looking at grand slams, winning in the southern hemisphere, making steps up because I don’t think back lines that we have come along that often.”

As for O’Sullivan, he refused to gloat or turn on his detractors. “I knew the autumn would be difficult,” he said. “We have taken the good with the bad and the rough with the smooth and become a better team for that. We are in transition. The team today was almost half the team we had in Cardiff last year; that’s part of the transition but it is not done yet. This Six Nations was a watershed for us.”