Quotes of the week
Brian O'Driscoll's warrior-like spirit staggers while Wales' Ian Evans can't wait for Saturday's showdown with England.
Here are the best quotes from Round Four of the Six Nations.
Assistant coach Les Kiss struggles to comprehend Brian O'Driscoll's relish for pain: "I asked Brian why he wanted to tackle Vincent Debaty twice – I thought he had more smarts than that."
England head coach Stuart Lancaster offers a frank assessment of his side's performance against Italy: "Nobody is punching the air in the changing room. We know we can do better."
Wales lock Ian Evans is looking forward to Saturday's clash with England: "It is what everyone wanted. It's the golden ticket for those people who will be there next Saturday. It's like the Willy Wonka bar."
Scott Johnson is honest about his side's short-comings: "I keep saying it; we have the ability to put teams to bed but we have to get the first bit right and we're not. We don't want our mirror to lie. Our mirror is going to be clean."
Italy fullback Andrea Masi tips England for the Grand Slam: "It's going to be a tough game [between England and Wales], but I think England are a bit more dangerous than Wales."
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre admits the buck stops with him: "Whether there is a defeat, a draw or a victory I will shoulder the responsibility because I do not want to expose my players or staff to danger."
Leigh Halfpenny reveals how he got over his early case of the jitters: "It is a test of character when you miss three like that and I will be honest, I was thinking it could go two ways. It could go really wrong or I could get myself together and go back to basics – and that's what I did."
Ireland coach Declan Kidney refuses to blame his side's growing injury list: "We took a conscious decision that we wouldn't complain about things. Other people are worse off than we are, plus it's such an insult to the lads coming on and having a huge go."
With thanks to rbs6nations.com
