Planet Rugby: Former England captain Will Carling has never backed away from a potentially controversial sound-bite (old farts, anyone?) and in the wake of Saturday's defeat by Ireland he lined up Andy Farrell squarely in his sights.

Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live show Sportsweek, Carling said: "Ashton is a huge fan (of Farrell) but you can't play international rugby at centre without pace, and while Farrell has all sorts of attributes, pace is not one of them and the Irish exposed that quite cruelly.

"I think the line-up of (Jonny) Wilkinson, Farrell and (Mike) Tindall does not pose the threat it needs to in international rugby. You might well have fast runners in (Jason) Robinson, (Josh) Lewsey and (David) Strettle on the outside, but that makes it too easy to defend if there is no threat on the inside.

"Ashton, despite his desire to keep a settled side, will have to look at changing the midfield in order to pose any kind of threat against the French team."

Carling then confirmed what he would do in Farrell's case: "I wouldn't select him. There needs to be a change. We need to pose a threat in one of those centre positions."

Carling did find time though to praise the Irish effort, enthusing, "The Irish are an exceptional side with exceptional talent, and they had an exceptional day. So many of their players played brilliantly. While it's not sheer panic, it was a reality check, and a fairly harsh one for England."

'Observer' sees things

It seems the England team and replacements were not the only ones bedraggled by the Croke Park experience on Saturday. Yesterday's match report in the Observernewspaper reported, "Something rather more entertaining arrived with a bright incursion down the left by Gordon D'Arcy, which Denis Leamy (it was Simon Easterby) embellished with a storming run to within inches of the line."

The next gaffe came when it was pointed out that "Matthew Tait, on for Olly Morgan, saved a try when he threw himself into D'Arcy's (it was Shane Horgan's) considerable midriff only yards from the line."

Next one. "But Tom Palmer (it was Julian White), on for Grewcock, raked at the next ruck and O'Gara restored the gap."

To round off the report: "An intercept try at the end by Isaac Boss, on for Stringer, and the formality of O'Gara's conversion (it was Paddy Wallace's) rounded out a miserable afternoon for England."

And finally in the "How They Rated" column next to the match report, Neil Best (it was Rory) apparently played an hour at hooker and did quite well.

Yes, as this column has been made only too painfully aware of in the past, people in glass-houses shouldn't throw stones. It was just a bad hair day, as they say.

Premiership Irish woe

While the Six Nations dominated the rugby headlines this weekend, the Guinness Premiership was in full flow, so to speak, and there were plenty of Irish in action. Seamus Mallon and David Quinlan formed a centre partnership for Northampton while Damien Browne was in the second row.

The Saints snatched a surprise 10-9 win over the visiting Leicester Tigers, who started with Leo Cullen captaining the side from the second row, Shane Jennings at flanker, Gavin Hickie at hooker and Paul Burke at outhalf.

Ian Humphreys came on and kicked three penalties while Frank Murphy was also named among the replacements. Quinlan hopes it will mark the start of an auspicious week as he is to take law exams on Wednesday afternoon.

Johnny O'Connor, Peter Bracken and Jeremy Staunton were on the Wasps team swatted aside 33-11 by Newcastle, while scrumhalf Brian O'Riordan and replacement hooker Dave Blaney continued the disastrous theme of the weekend for Irish players in those club matches as Bristol lost 15-8 to Harlequins, for whom Simon Keogh, started on the wing, Mel Deane in the centre and Gavin Duffy on the bench.

Bob Casey led London Irish to a superb 13-9 victory away to Sale on Friday night. It was to prove a more than interesting evening though for replacement back Barry Everitt. Irish lost so many of their forwards to injury during the game that Everitt was forced to pack down in the second row, albeit with uncontested scrums.

As he laughingly acknowledged, "The boys were suggesting I stick it on my CV."

The player leaves the Exiles during the summer for Northampton.

News to Murphy

In Newstalk 106's build-up to yesterday's match, anchorman Jerry O'Sullivan hosted an earnest discussion about the likely outcome. One of several issues addressed was who should have started at fullback for Ireland. Girvan Dempsey was the man in possession but O'Sullivan ventured that at some point Ireland should introduce Geordan Murphy.

That would have appealed to Murphy greatly as he had to suffer the disappointment of being left out of Eddie O'Sullivan's Irish match 22.

Thomond grand finale

Just when you thought it was all over, to paraphrase Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous observation, it seems there will be one more game in Thomond Park. Fittingly it will be between tenants Shannon and UL Bohemian.

They will meet at the Limerick venue on Saturday, March 3rd, in what promises to be a very keenly contested AIB League Division One match. It is an appropriate fixture on which to sign off prior to the ground's redevelopment - the two are locked at joint-second in the table.

Then Bohemians, the home club, featured in the first game played in Thomond Park in 1932, and that same year supported Shannon's application for senior status. The ambition was delayed for another generation. UL Bohs have beaten their neighbours in the final of the Limerick Charity Cup, the first cup final Shannon had lost in almost 20 years.