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Rugby

'The rugby at the weekend bore no resemblance to the previous 12 matches'

Eddie O'Sullivan has ruled out a bonus-point system working in the Six Nations because "it's such...



'The rugby at the weekend...
Rugby

'The rugby at the weekend bore no resemblance to the previous 12 matches'

Eddie O'Sullivan has ruled out a bonus-point system working in the Six Nations because "it's such a short tournament".

Ireland claimed a dramatic championship victory on Saturday, a final day which saw a flurry of try-scoring and open, expansive rugby following a highly conservative first four weekends in the competition.

While it closed an enthralling finish to the tournament, it also raised the question of its structure, with teams only expanding their game when they had no alternative.

Listen to Eddie O'Sullivan on Newstalk's Breakfast here:

"The rugby on the weekend that we saw bore no resemblance to the previous 12 matches," Eddie told Ivan on Newstalk's Breakfast this morning. "It was the kind of rugby we'd be hoping for."

When asked by Ivan if bonus points should be introduced to the Six Nations, Eddie said: "The unfortunate problem is that the bonus-point system would not work in the Six Nations because it's such a short tournament."

The former Ireland boss then cited the possibility of a team winning the Grand Slam and finishing in second place, but said the French have a new system domestically which could be a solution to eradicating conservative approaches.

Eddie, of course, oversaw Ireland coming out on the wrong side of a "mirror image" final day back in 2007 when we lost the championship on points to France. He said it was "a pretty helpless feeling" and that he could "sympathise with Warren Gatland and Wales because they were shooting at a moving target" in Saturday's opener against Italy.

Eddie added: "Over the course of the tournament Ireland deserved to win. It's hard to weigh up when it goes so tight but I felt Ireland were worthy of the trophy for sure.

"It was literally a bounce of a ball was the difference between the top three teams."

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