Irish rugby has made an extraordinary journey

Once we were happy to be gallant losers. Now we are serial winners playing sizzling rugby, and long may it continue

Yesterday there were more than 20,000 spectators at Thomond Park as Munster played their European Cup quarter-final. This afternoon there will be almost 50,000 spectators at the Aviva Stadium as Leinster play their quarter- final. Two weeks ago, more than a million people tuned in on television to watch Ireland play England in the Six Nations Grand Slam decider.

Given the size of Ireland, or the size of either Dublin or Limerick, these ...