Ex-Ireland wing brands Six Nations champs 'not that good an Irish side'

Ireland and South Africa have developed quite a peculiar rivalry in recent months as it is one that was not created on the pitch, nor does it really involve anyone in either camp.

Instead, this is a rivalry created by everyone else in the rugby community debating who is the best team in the world ahead of their much-anticipated two-Test series in July.

The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones, but Ireland have had plenty of advocates since their victorious Guinness Six Nations campaign, or even before then.

While the two camps grow more vociferous as we edge closer to their blockbuster series, one thing that has barely been seen is someone breaking ranks and criticising their own side.

But former Ireland wing Andrew Trimble is one who is not wholly convinced by the hype surrounding the side he represented 70 times.

Speaking on his Potholes and Penguins podcast, the former Ulster wing dissected Ireland's Six Nations campaign and provided context to each one of their performances.

"If they'd have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking 'is this the best team ever,' 'is this the best team that's ever played in the Six Nations'" he said.

"I still think they're not quite that good. I actually don't think they're that good.

"There's a story behind every game, there's context behind every game.

"First game in Marseille, that was peak France without Antoine Dupont. Peak France. The biggest deficit that Dupont left was in that first game.

"Italy was like unopposed, playing beautiful flowing phase play against no defence. Having said that, Italy then got their finger out after that.

"We stuttered against Wales, we didn't have anywhere near the same flow.

"England, we obviously completely cocked up. Now we're saying 'Oh England at Twickenham' - no one was saying that, everyone was saying England are shit, they've been shit for two years, we're going to spank them. And we got a beating.

"We got outsmarted, outfoxed in the first 40 minutes by Scotland and we had to go to a really simplistic gameplan to get the game over the line. And we still nearly cocked it up. Scotland made 240 tackles. Do you have any idea how exhausted they must have been and still Huw Jones runs from 40 and scores.

"So it's not that good of an Irish side."

@potholesandpenguins This is a very good Irish team but is it the greatest? #sixnationsrugby #irishrugby #thearcticcamel ? original sound - Potholes and Penguins