Neil Francis: Players stick to Schmidt script after Cardiff lessons learned

If you were looking for thrills yesterday you would not have had to travel all the way to Blueberry Hill. A riveting contest, raw and belligerent and for the first time in a long time a crowd adjoined in belief in their team. Ireland seamlessly transformed from a team of clumsy also-rans in Cardiff to a team where self-doubt never crept into their thoughts. Ireland were proficient, professional and persistent, and if ever a championship told you anything for 2017 it is that it is bloody difficult to win away from home.