Edwards is the real winnerSome billed the Ireland v Wales encounter as the Eddie v Warren show. This has now been dismissed as media hype but it was certainly a head-to-head between the two in terms of Lions candidacy.
O'Sullivan was the runaway favourite for the job pre-World Cup - even ensuring a provision in his new IRFU contract that allowed him time off - but he has slipped significantly behind the current front-runners Gatland and three-time Lions head coach Iain McGeechan.
The real winner appears to be Shaun Edwards who looks certain to tour South Africa in 2009 with either Gatland or McGeehan as he is currently double jobbing as assistant to both at Wales and Wasps.
Transition year for O'Sullivan
"You never get the feeling you are the finished product. A lot of young guys got into the team in the last while on the back of form and injuries so it's a changing team as well. I'm not sure how it stacks up on this stage last year but I know the game against Scotland we had eight changes from the game 12 months earlier against England.
"I don't know what the count is today but with someone like Luke Fitzgerald appearing on the pitch, we are a team somewhat in transition. It's a tough business being in transition during the Six Nations but there is an element of transition going on at the moment with personnel."
Eddie O'Sullivan, who got "selection right at the World Cup" and picked the same side at the start of the Six Nations, apart from injuries and retirement, produces a chameleon-like change by admitting Ireland are actually a team in transition.
Match stats favour Wales
Judging by time in the opponents half, Wales should have won by a few scores on Saturday.
Including injury-time, the visitors spent one hour, 54 seconds in Irish territory in contrast to Ireland's 30 minutes 46 seconds down the other end.
This becomes more depressing considering the game plan was to dominate Wales up front. Line breaks? Wales seven to Ireland's three. Passes completed? Wales 147 to Ireland's 75.
Tackles made finished at 92 per cent each with Andrew Trimble leading the Irish with two misses (one highly crucial to the outcome).
Gavin Henson will surely be forgiven for his three missed tackles after the massive hit on Shane Horgan entering the final 10 minutes, which exorcised the demons from his last visit to Dublin for a Test match.
The one genuinely positive Irish stat was Rob Kearney's 10 carries coming second only to 12 from Welsh captain Ryan Jones.
Easterby's long goodbye
Several Welsh forwards were surprised that Simon Easterby saw no game time on Saturday. The Llanelli captain appears to be undergoing a similar long goodbye to that experienced by David Humphreys at the tail end of his international career - which ended prematurely, due to the lack of opportunity off the famously stagnant Irish bench.
The 32-year-old Easterby was poised to retire after the World Cup but was convinced otherwise.
Henjak available
This is a long shot but Leinster are currently scouring the globe for a new scrumhalf, right? Matt Henjak is available. International class number nine? Tick. Australian? Tick. However, Henjak is only on the market because the ARU ripped up his contract after he broke Western Force team-mate Haig Sare's jaw on a night out. Saracens and rugby league are the current favourites to secure his signature.
Quote of the week
We're not going to win the championship now but at the same time I felt we were building towards a big performance today." - Eddie O'Sullivan
Cipriani denied
For those who thought Ronan O'Gara came in for stick during the World Cup, see Jonny Wilkinson's heir apparent Danny Cipriani. English coach Brian Ashton denied the 20-year-old a first Six Nations start after he was pictured leaving a London nightclub on Wednesday night. However, the young prodigy does have some priors. In particular, the News of the Worldstory after he booked a hotel room with Larissa Summers (a woman who began life as Darren Pratt).
