Kyle, 83, was at the Millennium Stadium to watch Ireland complete a clean sweep with a nerve-jangling 17-15 win over Wales, the nation’s first unbeaten tournament in 61 years.

The Munster veteran's temperament has been questioned - but despite being targeted all match, O'Gara delivered when Ireland needed him most.

"I thought O'Gara was fantastic. People talk about his ability under pressure, but that second-half display has ended any doubt," Kyle believes.

"He directed play so well, as he has done all Six Nations when Ireland have won every game. That says a lot for him.

"To have the calmness to drop that goal near the end was quite a feat, because he had been through a tough match.

"It was also brave - because had he failed, everyone would have felt that it was a missed opportunity to win the Grand Slam."

Kyle feared for a moment that the same fate would befall Ireland as in 2007, when a last-minute handling error from the restart allowed France's Vincent Clerc to race through and score. That 20-17 defeat at Croke Park denied Ireland the Grand Slam.

"To see Ireland pinch it right at the end, when in previous years they've been thwarted, made it very exciting.

"That last penalty brought back memories of France at Croke Park two years ago.

"With two minutes to go, we were congratulating ourselves that we'd won - and suddenly France scored a try to reverse the result. That ultimately cost us the Grand Slam that year.

"It was wonderful to be there (this year). The atmosphere was great - there was so much drama," said Kyle.

"One moment we were cheering; the next moment we had our head in our hands. Talk about being on the edge of our seats!”