O'Leary satisfied with win over Wales
Tomas O'Leary beamed with pride as he reflected on his finest display for Ireland in yesterday's 27-12 RBS 6 Nations victory over Wales.
O'Leary landed the man-of-the-match award at Croke Park after showing his pace to cross in the first half and also helping craft two tries for Munster colleague Keith Earls.
It was the best attacking performance from an Irish scrum-half in recent memory, produced on his 15th cap and amid pressure to keep his place in the team.
The 26-year-old endured a slow start to the Six Nations, resulting in calls for him to be dropped, but has since impressed against England and Wales.
He said: "I enjoy it when things open up, any half-back does. We all look for breaks. It's great when I see a gap and it works out.
"It's nice to pick up man of the match. I enjoyed the game and love getting my hands on the ball. Thankfully things went well for me.
"It's always good to be involved in any tries. From a running point of view this was definitely my best performance for Ireland.
"For the try, Paul O'Connell broke free, drew in one or two lads, popped it up and there was a massive gap there. Thankfully I made it to the corner."
O'Leary's size has seen him referred to as a fourth back-row forward, but yesterday he underlined the artistry in his game.
His contribution was key as ruthless Ireland romped to an easy victory without really extending themselves against Jekyll and Hyde opposition.
"In the second half we were under serious pressure in terms of defending but we stood up. It was a very good first-half performance," said O'Leary.
"In the second half we didn't play as much rugby and kicked a bit aimlessly to put ourselves under pressure.
"It was pleasing to prevent Wales from scoring when you see the firepower they have out wide."
O'Leary hopes Ireland conclude the Six Nations and their temporary residency at Croke Park on a triumphant note by beating Scotland to claim their fifth Triple Crown in seven years.
"It's our last match at Croke Park. If we beat Scotland to win the Triple Crown, on top of winning the Grand Slam last year it would be great and a big honour for me," he said.
"Our defeat to France was disappointing and that result means it would be hard to win the championship, but the Triple Crown is still there.
"We always want to finish with some silverware but Scotland will be a massive test for us."
