Tommy Bowe column: ‘Emphatic Grand Slam triumph sets Ireland up for World Cup tilt’

In saying that, however, I would have been confident of an Ireland win against a 15-man England. There is something special about this Irish side. They always find a way to win. It’s what set them apart in the Six Nations. For them, the World Cup can’t come soon enough.

It’s tough to pick Ireland’s player of the tournament. I think James Ryan and Mack Hansen were both exceptional, while Caelan Doris may well end up getting the award for his outstanding form.

But for me, Hugo Keenan has been the standout Irish player. He was involved in so many vital moments. His try against France springs to mind, as do his try-saving tackles to deny Wales’ Rio Dyer and Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe, the latter being a real turning point for Ireland at Murrayfield.

Crucial in both attack and defence, you can see why Farrell has so much faith in him.

Beyond Ireland, the most memorable moment of the championship for me was Damian Penaud’s try that took France past the 50-point mark against England. I’m not sure we’ll ever see anything like that match again and it showed me that France are back and mean business.

It’s important for northern hemisphere rugby to have both Ireland and France flying high heading into the World Cup.

As for the biggest disappointment, I’d have to go with Italy not being able to capitalise on their early form. They showed promise against France and Ireland but when push came to shove, they failed to make a statement against Scotland and Wales and didn’t play the kind of rugby we know they are capable of producing.

Ireland have now won three Grand Slams in the last 14 years, but this year’s was the most emphatic and impressive. The 2009 Slam was a special time because we hadn’t done it in 61 years. In 2018, the team were great but you remember Sexton digging them out of a hole with the drop-goal in Paris.