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Published 11:12 12 Feb 2022 GMT
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"And it always delivers. Last year should have been a rubbish year as it was behind closed doors. But it delivered. "I was doing a pre-Six Nations preview and I thought to myself, 'Jeez, am I laying it on a bit thick here?' And then we had that opening weekend and the games were phenomenal. Brilliant. And even though the quality of the Scotland, England game wasn't great, it was unbelievably exciting. I'm very lucky to stay part of it by doing this job."[caption id="attachment_248966" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Denis Hickie, left, and Shane Horgan after Ireland rugby squad training, in 2006. (Credit: Damien Eagers/SPORTSFILE)[/caption]
"The games used to be more spaced out, so there would be a two-week gap, or more, between games. And, I don't think I'm breaking any confidences here, but there wouldn't have been that level of professionalism, back then, as there is now. "That would have been drink-related, too. For a long time, after games, you'd go to a black-tie dinner and anybody on that team could come up to have a drink with you, and you'd have to have that drink. For some people, that got very, very messy, and very quickly. Sometimes you had a whole team to go through, and the opposition. "But, luckily, it was spread out a bit more [after the Scotland game] between the five of us. So I got away with it, just about!"[caption id="attachment_249477" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Shane Horgan, Ireland, in action against France No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy at Stade de France. (Credit: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE)[/caption]
"I never felt confident going over there, or thought, 'Listen, we've got this'. I felt optimistic a number of times, but there were a couple of occasions where it took us a while to get going and we nearly caught them [with comebacks], but there were a good few blow-outs. "It was still at the point where France were still well ahead, and play them at home was a specific challenge. That has changed. It's not that playing France in Paris is not a massive challenge, and Ireland haven't won there that often. The expectation will continue that France should win in Paris against, pretty much, anyone. "Even in their dark days, in the 2010s, there was still a difficulty in going to Paris and winning over there. That has changed dramatically."Ireland were able to turn the tables on France from 2012 to 2016 [six wins and two draws in nine Tests], but France have won the two latest contests. Even without Johnny Sexton, though, this Irish side will back themselves to win. Horgan, like the rest of us, will be watching closely.
Six Nations Coverage continues on Virgin Media One. France vs. Ireland coverage begins today (Saturday) from 2pm. Italy vs. England is Sunday from 2pm on Virgin Media One, and you can catch all the highlights on Virgin Media Two on Sunday at 7pm.
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