Tom O'Toole: 'It was time for me to step up and add to the team'

Of the many things we've learned in Ireland's first two Guinness Six Nations games, it's that the depth at tighthead is better than we'd given it credit for.

With Tadhg Furlong missing the opening games of the championship due to a calf injury, Ireland still haven't missed a beat.

Finlay Bealham has stepped into the starting 3 jersey and played like he's owned it for years, doing the nuts and bolts front row work, and combining it with a ferocious appetite in defence.

The Connacht prop emptied himself in his 60-minute shift against France yesterday, but crucially there was no drop-off after that.

The 32-19 win against France said a lot about the depth in the Irish squad, with pretty much all eight replacements making significant contributions. Tom O'Toole - who replaced Bealham just after the hour mark - may well have caught the eye more than any of them.

The Ulster prop has had to be patient for his chances in an Irish shirt. He's been a consistent presence in Irish squad since the 2021 Six Nations, but yesterday's win against France was just his sixth senior cap.

And after producing his best Irish performance in his first home Six Nations game, he says there's no doubt it's the highpoint of his Test career.

"I'd have to say so, it definitely was [the high point]. In terms of Six Nations, playing for Ireland it doesn't get better than that, does it?," he said.

The Drogheda native, who grew up in Australia before returning to Ireland as a teenager, showed just how dynamic he is on the ball with an eye-catching eight carries for more than 50 metres in just under 20 minutes.

And having broken a tackle with his first touch of the ball, he says it gave him confidence to keep looking for it.

"Absolutely, it was one of the days where