It came down to a personal choice. Denis Hickie didn't watch to watch the final throes of France's game against Scotland and neither did Marcus Horan but the Munster and Ireland prop just couldn't help himself.

While Hickie successfully resisted the lure of a thronged bar and lobby in Rome's Westin Excelsior hotel as sundry players, management, IRFU officials and supporters agonised over the dying moments of the Six Nations game at Stade de France, Horan felt compelled to drop his gear bag and join what would eventually be the madding crowd.

Horan explained: "I personally didn't really want to watch it, just preferred to wait for the result. We were getting scores in the dressing-room (after the Italian victory). When we got back to the hotel, there was a crowd in the lobby so we just went in and watched it.

"When Euan Murray went over for the try, you just think it's going your way and you are as high as a kite. Then after what happened at the end; the television (reception) in the lobby went and we couldn't see much. When it came back the try was awarded.

"It was a bit of a roller-coaster, an afternoon of highs and lows. I kind of regret watching it (the Scotland-France match) now because you get your hopes up. Still you can't rely on other teams in this situation. You have to go and do the work. You look back on other games, the French match and (know) that was where we lost it (the Six Nations title). There's nothing you can do now."

It echoed a point Hickie had made about Ireland accepting responsibility for the position in which they had put themselves in terms of the championship rather than pointing an accusing finger at lady luck. It's a mature attitude, a reaction made a little easier possibly by not being tantalised by the final throes of the Paris encounter.

"I can't put it (France's last-gasp try) into words because I was actually in the shower. I didn't bother watching it. There were a lot of people in the bar. There was nothing I could do watching it. I went for a swim and then went up to the room. Shane (Horgan) came in and said we didn't win and that was the end of it. (It) makes no difference to me any more.

"It was a bizarre kind of day. Obviously it's tough enough to win any match in the Six Nations but to come and win here - we played very well.

"Collectively I thought we were very good. Obviously it didn't fall for us but we have only ourselves to blame for that.

"At the moment it colours the Six Nations because we really wanted to win the Grand Slam and when we were out of that, we wanted to win the championship. I think, to be fair, a lot of the guys were saying you can't depend on other people to do your work for you. We had our chances to look after ourselves and you make your own luck that way. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

"It's tough coming second; no one wants to finish there. It's probably the worst place to be.

"We have had a good championship on a number of different levels. First of all we wanted to win the Grand Slam and that's where our ultimate disappointment lies.

"Sometimes you have to go through these disappointments before you can really crack it. Nothing seems to come easy and maybe there's a reason.

"Obviously we're disappointed but we gave it as good as we could. People will point at different aspects of today's game but I don't think anyone can say that we didn't go out and try and win the game by scoring as much as we could and playing as hard as we could.

"Once the dust settles at the end of this weekend, maybe that'll help us sleep a little easier."

It was a candid appraisal of both the day and indeed Ireland's Six Nations Championship but Hickie was reluctant to conclude on a downbeat note.

Instead, when asked if Ireland could look at England's template of near misses prior to their World Cup triumph in 2003, the two-try Irish wing agreed.

"England are a very good example," he said.

"Closer to home, look at Munster, who had so many defeats and near misses before they won. Maybe the harsh lessons that we learnt today and the heartbreak we endured will stand us in good stead - forget about next season's Six Nations - but in the World Cup.

"We'll be able to draw on those disappointments and use them to spur us on.

"It could turn out to be a very valuable championship despite what people think at first glance."