We started badly for the first twenty minutes but then did everything to get ourselves back into the game, despite spurning the opportunity to kick at goal a couple of times, and then with 90 seconds to go we let it slip.

Ronan O'Gara got things going for Ireland and scored a fine try and David Wallace provided an outstanding piece of play for his score. Wallace was our best player, closely followed by Gordon D'Arcy who had another fine game.

We missed Brian O'Driscoll and Peter Stringer - especially O'Driscoll's defensive leadership.

It will be tough in the next game against England. It is unbelievably important from an Irish perspective but we must start well and get ourselves into the game.

We can come out on top and it is a very big match for England because they have won their first two matches. Who would have thought they would be on a winning run before the start of the tournament?

They have offered something in the last two games that they have probably not shown for over a year, bearing in mind in last year's match Ireland won in the final minutes.

Ireland are probably a little shellshocked by the French result but they have two weeks to get over it and I think Ireland should win.

Hopefully Ireland will be aggressive from the first minute and be a bit more streetwise.