After an exit in the World Cup that was as depressing as anything

After an exit in the World Cup that was as depressing as anything in their recent history, Ireland are not being given a second thought as serious contenders for the Six Nations' Championship. Indeed, it could be argued that the introduction of Italy will be welcomed in Dublin, if only because the Eternal City is likely to replace the Emerald Isle as the spiritual home of lost causes. "When Rob went on the Lions tour he was up there with the best in the world and he was not captain then. He was under huge pressure in the World Cup and it made it very difficult for him. I can understand why Graham Henry's done it."Nevertheless, if Woodward treated the England captain in a similar manner it is difficult to imagine Dawson accepting the judgement with a philosophical shrug of the shoulders.. Now I'm lucky to have players like Lawrence Dallaglio and Jason Leonard around." And Austin "The Lip" Healey "Goes without saying," said Dawson.

"I enjoy playing with Austin even when he's on the wing and as far away as possible."While Clive Woodward is happy to entrust his scrum-half with the captaincy, Graham Henry, the Wales coach, has relieved Howley of the responsibility, arguing that it should make the No 9 a better player."In Wales, with rugby theNo 1 sport, it's a different kettle of fish," Dawson said. As a scrum-half I was already at the heart of things, making decisions, making the calls. Two years ago on tour we didn't have first-choice players available but I liked it enough to captain England in adverse conditions. Although we'd like to play less we aregetting paid to do a job."Spoken like a true captain, a role Dawson relishes.

"When I first played for England, I didn't think, 'I want to captain my country', but the more I get in-volved the more I like it. "Playing three big games before a key international is not ideal," Dawson said "But we have to be realistic. This time the Six Nations' Cup was on parade and there should have been six captains to hold it, but the new leaders of Wales and Scotland, David Young and John Leslie, were absent. As Queen Victoria might have put it: "We are not a museum."Still, Dawson was there, paying his first visit to the V & A (an oversight by the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe), as was Keith Wood, who has been recalled to the Ireland captaincy following Munster's heroics in the Heineken Cup, and the two will meet again at Twickenham on Saturday.Northampton have been busier than Munster, engaged in not only the Heineken Cup but the Allied Dunbar Premiership and, yesterday, the Tetley's Cup. They met up on Thursday at the Victoria and Albert Museum, not bumping accidentally into each other in French Ceramics but at the launch of the European championship. Lloyds TSB, the sponsors, thought it would be a good idea to welcome Italy into the six-pack with a photo-shoot in the museum's Pirelli Garden.When a "sporting glory" exhibition of silverware was held at the V & A in 1992 the old Five Nations had no trophy to submit.

He's single-minded and is still his own man, but he knows how important it is to have everybody on board. Above all he's a Test match performer who produces the goods when it matters He can actually make things happen. He's never been seen as England's first-choice scrum-half, which is disappointing. He's a confidence player and he needs backing."McGeechan, of course, was an active Dawson supporter at Northampton and with the Lions. When Howley dislocated his shoulder early in the tour, Dawson, as he has done throughout his international career, picked up the gauntlet and ran with it.When 18 senior professionals declined England's "tour to hell" in the southern hemisphere in the summer of 1998, Dawson led the young roses towards the heavy fire and was mentioned in dispatches."He was instrumental in holding that tour together," Ian McGeechan said.