TADHG BEIRNE knows a threepeat would make Ireland great – but he wants to be Grand.
Ireland kick-off the Championship this Saturday against England looking to Six Nations champions for an unprecedented third year in a row.
No one has ever won three in a row in the quarter century since it became the Six Nations.
And only France, who won two and shared two between 1986 and 1989, and England, who won the first three, have done it since the Championship started in 1883.
Ireland doing so now would secure greatness. But Beirne admitted the team’s aim is higher – and winning it with a second Grand Slam in three seasons.
He said: “It hasn’t been done before. Whenever we come in here at the start of a Championship, what’s the goal? It’s to come in here and win a Championship.
“But not only win a Championship, everyone wants to come in and win a Grand Slam. That’s certainly the goal and that’s the ultimate goal.
“But you know, we’ve a big hurdle in front of us each week and this week it’s England so it starts there.
“As each week goes by it probably becomes more clear whether we’ve a possibility of doing that or not but it starts this Saturday.”
It was England who denied Ireland back-to-back Grand Slams last year when Marcus Smith scored a game winning injury time drop goal.
And Beirne acknowledged that loss last March helps focus on the mind on the getting a good start rather than dreaming of Slams.
He continued: “Twickenham was incredibly disappointing. They took away the Grand Slam from us but we kind of took it away from ourselves with how we played in that game.
“It still sucks that we lost it. Don’t get me wrong because I’d love to be sitting here saying I’m a back-to-back Grand Slam winner.
“But we did have an opportunity to make ourselves feel better by winning the Championship.
“England is definitely one of those games that sticks out in your memory when you are watching them.
“I think it’s a great rivalry. I think most people would love to beat England and we’re no different to most nations and we’ve a particular rivalry and I think that’s why it sticks out more than most in the Six Nations.”
