For those who were prepared to fork out £8 for the Ref-Link at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, they were guaranteed a very entertaining afternoon. The headset allows you to listen to the comments of the referee and the product lasts for one match. New Zealand referee Paul Honiss, in typical direct Kiwi fashion, was wonderfully blunt and to the point.

His comments ranged from "quick, we've got a hooker down", to "the pitch is a bit shite isn't it", to "it came off white, he made a balls of it". He was particularly unsympathetic to England flanker Neil Back after he had received a little shoeing from the Ireland captain Keith Wood, remarking, "you're living in a game mate". The idea is a good one and will certainly appeal to a lot of spectators even if the price is a little steep.