Alan Quinlan believes that Tadhg Beirne has cemented his place in the Ireland team during this year's Guinness Six Nations, whether that's in the second or back-row. 

The Munster forward again impressed at lock in Saturday's 32-18 victory over England, having been man-of-the-match six says previously at blindside flanker in the win at Scotland.

The 29-year-old made three turnovers against England and also contributed three steals at the breakdown in forming an effective second-row partnership with Iain Henderson in the absence of the injured James Ryan.

"Beirne is gone to a level now where you have to select him," Quinlan said of the Kildare man's form for Ireland this season on OTB AM.

"Throughout the tournament and that game, with and without the ball, he's devastating. If James Ryan is fit then Henderson and Ryan start in the second row because their form in this tournament was very good as well.

"Beirne has to play in the back row then. There was concern over whether he was big and powerful enough for the second row, he's not a huge second row but he's proven that he can do the job there now.

"He was fantastic, if you were to pick the two best players for Ireland throughout the tournament it was Beirne and Robbie Henshaw.

"It was a phenomenal performance from Ireland, they have to try and build on that now and keep up that level of performance for as long as possible."

Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Henshaw at inside or outside centre?

Robbie Henshaw was named man-of-the-match after an another all action display in midfield and he's now being tipped to start for the Lions this summer.

The Leinster centre moved to the 13 shirt with his old Connacht teammate Bundee Aki at inside-centre due to the absence of Garry Ringrose.

"Henshaw was brilliant at 12 and then excelled again when moving to 13," Quinlan added on Henshaw's performance. "That would suggest that he has to start and hopefully Garry Ringrose will find his form.

"Ringrose is too good a player to leave out of the Ireland team. His form has dipped but he's a top class player. It's down to Mike Catt and the way they play and finding the right combination.

"There's been a fair bit of chopping and changing in the centre partnerships for Ireland in the last couple of years.

"We've looked a lot of games which Ireland has struggled in and there hasn't been a real natural flow to what our centre partnership have been doing.

"Do you go back to Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw now? You're only as good as your last game and I suppose in that last game they were both brilliant.

"Obviously for Bundee, getting sent off was personally very disappointing for him because I thought it was a harsh one. Even though letter of the law there's contract there, I thought he was excellent though and he really laid down a marker with his performance.  I thought beforehand they'd start Chris Farrell because he's a really good passer.

"You could end up playing Henshaw and Aki in midfield together and then Ringrose on the wing or full-back, who knows depending on injuries? But you have to find a position in the team for Ringrose because when the game opens up, he's devastating.

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