WATCH: Joe Schmidt reveals Christy Moore visited the Irish team on Monday and performed for them

Kate Demolder

Talent recognises talent.

It’s been a patriotic week for Ireland.

Never mind that we’ve just beaten England in their back garden or that it’s the international celebration of our patron saint – revel in the fact that none other than Irish musical legend Christy Moore visited the Irish team just days before their Grand Slam-depending performance to perform for them and wish them well.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt, speaking like a proud dad, revealed in an interview post-match that the singer-songwriter met with the team on Monday and performed his hit song Ordinary Man for the players.

Schmidt said the moment resonated with him as he believed that the Irish team are simply “ordinary men who are an extraordinary team.”

“We had Christy Moore in on Monday, and he was fantastic,” Schmidt revealed in the interview.

“He sang ‘Ordinary Man’ at one stage, and they (the players) are ordinary men who are an extraordinary team, who’ve delivered exceptional deeds.”

Joe Schmidt reveals that Christy Moore played a part in @IrishRugby's preparations this weeks. He's like a proud dad. #TV3Rugby pic.twitter.com/KT7Y5DZ4t7

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 17, 2018

The New Zealand-native was full of praise for his players after his team sealed Ireland’s third ever Grand Slam with a 24-15 win over England at Twickenham.

“I thought we showed a fantastic mix of class, and we opened them up a few times with some really clever stuff, that they executed so well,” he reflected after the match.

“We had to withstand some immense English pressure – a desperate team looking to get the result. I don’t know what the tackle stats were, but we had to work incredibly hard.”

The head coach came across particularly pleased with his team’s younger players, saying today that the Grand Slam win is a fantastic moment for the squad’s senior players.

When prompted about Johnny Sexton’s sensational drop-kick in Paris just a few weekends ago on the opening day, Schmidt joked that Sexton just wanted to do it differently to Ronan O’Gara back in 2009.

“He just didn’t want to do it the same way as ROG,” he said.

“They are very much the ‘yin and yang’, both absolute class people, and kickers, and players.

“ROG wanted to finish with one, Johnny thought he’d start with one.

“They both got what they wanted.”