Or the revelation from quite a number of players on the development tour to New Zealand that they considered deliberately injuring themselves so they could be sent home and saved the embarrassment they were enduring against the backwaters of Kiwi rugby. All in all, a superb read, one that will leave you hoping that the author produces another volume in 2015 looking back on the previous 10 years. We suggest the name 'From There to Here and Back Again - how the Return of Gatland Saved Irish Rugby'. Or maybe not.

CROKE PARK REF HAD DUBIOUS REFERENCES As half the population still bristles over Steve Walsh's performance at Croke Park last Sunday, we'd like to draw your attention to a little incident that occurred on the first occasion the New Zealand referee officiated in a game involving Ireland. The game was against Tonga in the country's capital, Nuku'alofa, in June of 2003 and an extremely strange occasion - we could write a book on it, believe us - included an incident where Walsh blew his half-time whistle three minutes before the 40. Players from both sides proceeded to sprint towards the tunnel to get a bit of halftime shelter from the blazing sun only for Walsh to look at his watch again and ask the players to come back out onto the pitch to play the remaining minutes. It was teasing in its most cruel form and Walsh has courted controversy ever since.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR, FAVA - MAKE IT A WATER There's another alcohol story from the Super 14 this week and our old mate Scott Fava, the Western Force number eight, is right in the middle of it. Fava was dropped last year after failing a breath test the day after the franchise's first ever Super 14 game against the Brumbies and this time he failed a similar test the morning after his side's excellent victory over the Stormers in Cape Town. Fava's reading was 0.043 (about half a pint of beer), just 0.003 over the Force's strict limit. Cameron Shepherd and Haig Sare also failed the test narrowly but both were able to take part in Friday's game against the Bulls in Pretoria. Fava, as it was his second offence, sat the game out on the bench but he had his excuses ready this time. "I don't believe my body deals with the de-toxing of alcohol as well as other people, " said the Aussie, "and I will be making further changes as to how I approach my recovery."

Drink plenty of water before going to bed, Scott, it works for us.

GREAT MOMENTS IN IRISH RUGBY NUMBER 21 - Connacht enter the mainstream In 1934, 38 years after the first Senior Cup competition was played in the province, the Connacht provincial team started to play the other three provinces on a regular basis. However, these fixtures were still officially seen as friendlies and the poor relation of Irish rugby weren't accepted into the Provincial Championship proper until the beginning of the 1947 season. In the committee rooms, Connacht's presence was also being felt. In October 1937, Henry Anderson, capped for Ireland back at the start of the century, became the first Connacht representative on the IRFU committee. Nine years later, Anderson became the first Connacht President of the Union.

THE LAW LIBRARY During the Ireland and Wales game a couple of weeks back, Wales bemoaned a number of referee Kelvin Deaker's decisions after the game, most notably Simon Easterby's 'tackle' on Chris Czechaj and Ronan O'Gara's charging at James Hook's free-kick. While they certainly have a case in the first instance, they have nothing to complain about in the second as it appears the Irish out-half knows his law book inside out. After the freekick was awarded to Wales, Hook indicated he was going to kick to touch and took a step or two back from the mark. He then started to move forward, by which time O'Gara ran straight at him from (a legal) 10 yards back. Hook seemed completely flustered by this and was caught in possession but had he known the rules like O'Gara he'd have got his kick away a lot quicker. Law 21.8 (e) of the game states: "Once they have retired the necessary distance, players of the opposing team may charge and try to prevent the kick being taken. They may charge the free kick as soon as the kicker starts to approach to kick."

Thus O'Gara was completely in the right in charging at Hook and, in effect, it was a turnover that eventually resulted in the out-half scoring the try that won his side the game. Don't let anybody tell you that intelligence doesn't win matches.

RUGBY BY NUMBERS - 18 The number of advantages allowed by Steve Walsh during last weekend's Ireland-France game at Croke Park.

One short of what he should have allowed.

RUGBY POSER Who was the first Irish player to touch the ball at Croke Park last Sunday?

Ans MOUTHING OFF. . .

They (Ireland) can have no excuses? they are continually named as favourites, but they have fallen short every year when it comes to the Grand Slam, and the tournament, because they don't win the critical matches Thomas Castaignede gives his withering verdict on Ireland's season thus far