The notion of Ireland flourishing in near 40C heat would have seemed far-fetched not so long ago. As it turned out, their fluent offloading and imaginative running lines proved perfect for making Romania wilt in sweltering Bordeaux last Saturday.
After the anomaly of Gabriel Rupanu’s early try everything went more or less to plan, the notable exception being a misfiring lineout which the head coach, Andy Farrell, will be intent on fixing.
