Bundee Aki

As a Grand Slam triumph sank in, for many of the Ireland players, Ryan Baird showed an incredible, late burst that took the Aviva Stadium security staff by ...

It was all about timing and he made it look easy for Henshaw after Ireland had been pounding on the door. The stuff at the breakdown and his efforts at the kick-chase, it is stuff that often goes unseen but it doesn't go unseen by us, because it is constant, week-in, week-out now in training. At that final whistle shrill, tonight, they were the best we had to offer from a Grand Slam bunch. Against England, he provided the energy and momentum that his team sop desperately needed, be it big carries, dominant tackles or breakdown turnovers. The likes of Craig Casey, Jamie Osborne, Roman Salanoa and Jordan Larmour were all standing nearby - taking in the scenes but not with that huge adrenaline high of their teammates that had sealed victory. He bounded over them and sank into a 10-man embrace that must have smelled of sheer joy and Guinness.