Austin Healey has been flapping his gums about Ireland’s style of play, again

'Aesthetically pretty turgid'. A paradox of insulting proportions.

Two weeks after describing Ireland's game-plan as 'very basic' and declaring, 'I fancy the England midfield of Luther Burrell and Jonathan Joseph against Robbie Henshaw and Jarod [sic] Payne', the former Leicester and England scrum-half is at it again. Healey has penned a column for The Daily Telegraph in which he gives his take on the comments by New Zealand coach Steve Hansen about boring northern hemisphere rugby. He believes the All Blacks coach's comments need to be taken with a fistful of salt but agrees with his central theme - the standard of this Six Nations has been below-par. Healey writes, 'There have been fewer tries scored after three rounds than before. Rugby, rather than evolving, seems to be going backwards as a sport.

Ireland have led the way pursuing a style that is very effective but is aesthetically pretty turgid. But they have a perfect record and will argue winning is the only entertainment their support needs. That is their right, but there is a wider issue at stake here which Hansen was referring to. That the balance between defence and offence is skewed out of proportion.'

You win one little championship, and threaten to win another, and the whole rugby world gets out the rule book and red pen.