Savvy players like O'Driscoll knows what it takes to win

The opening weekend aside, the Irish have not been pretty to watch but Declan Kidney's squad look set to end 61 years of near misses, close shaves and wooden spoons.

Kidney's skipper O'Driscoll admitted that last Saturday's win against another Scotland side lacking in imagination wasn't pretty but having gone down the eye-candy route in the past, only to fall short, for the Irish it's now a case of 'let's just do a sodding grandslam and worry about the fancy stuff later'.

Given that Wales face them on Saturday, Ireland may well have to break out of the shackles - something they are more than capable of doing.

Last week's display may have been hindered by the heavy hand of history - after all, the pressure of setting up a grandslam finish must have been a burden.

However, so sound was their defensive structure, they were able to keep their shape and strangle the life out of Scotland. Simon Danielli and Thom Evans' breaks in the first and 40th minutes aside, can anyone remember Scotland creating a try-scoring situation?

Needless to say when the Scots presented their guests with an opening, the host's hospitality did not go unappreciated.

John Barclay can protest all he likes but Peter Stringer should not have been allowed to jink past him in the manner he did en route to setting up Jamie Heaslip for a fine try. One cannot imagine Irish flankers Stephen Ferris and David Wallace being so welcoming.

As for Scotland, another lack-lustre campaign is set to be consigned to history and given England's recent revival, you have to fear for Frank Hadden's men.

Better Scotland sides have gone down to Twickenham - where we've only won four times - and lost. In some cases, destroyed.

If England maintain their momentum of their fine display against a woeful French side, this will almost certainly be Hadden's final call. A shock win over the English last year at a rain-sodden Murrayfield kept the gallows away for another year. History seems unlikely to repeat itself at Twickenham.

As for the English, it's amazing what a bit of controlled aggression can do for you. France did not know what had hit them as England simply tore them apart without - for once - brassing off the ref who became the first official in a long while not to sin-bin an Englishman.

A new dawn for them? Well some of our friends south of the border have been unable to resist the urge for realism and have already proclaimed they are going to do this, that and the other next year and in the 2011 World Cup.

However, a win against Scotland, a good Autumn series and a Six Nations title next year would add deserved credibility to such boasts. Coach Martin Johnson will appreciate that great though the French win was, it is only the first step in breathing new life into English rugby.

MY TEAM OF WEEK FOUR

15. Delon Armitage (England)
14. Mark Cueto (England)
13. Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland - captain)
12. Ricky Flutey (England)
11. Shane Williams (Wales)
10. Ronan O'Gara (Ireland)
9. Peter Stringer (Ireland)

1. Andrew Sheridan (England)
2. Rory Best (Ireland)
3. Phil Vickery (England)
4. Steve Borthwick (England)
5. Paul O'Connell (Ireland)
6. Tom Croft (England)
7. David Wallace (Ireland)
8. Sergio Parisse (Italy)