A curious thing has happened with Irish rugby supporters. There’s a weird sense of entitlement these days. It’s almost like we’ve morphed into England football fans. We lose a game and then, all of a sudden, we’re the worst in the world.

All sense of balance and rationality is lost. And it’s not as if it’s even unexpected losses that’s causing this strange phenomenon. These days, if we lose to giants like the Springboks and All Blacks, fans suddenly transform the team from heroes to zeros. Social media becomes awash with reports of doom and disaster.

Why? Well, it’s partly the world we now live in. With the internet, social media platforms and instant online reactions, we don’t do nuance and complexity anymore. Things are either fantastic or awful. There are no shades of grey. No middle ground. Rigorous analysis is spurned.

The other issue, frankly, is that Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell have spoiled us. Over the last 15 years, Ireland have regularly and consistently won silverware and topped the world. Whole generations of fans have grown knowing nothing else-for them, Ireland have always been one of the best teams in world.

Of course, it wasn’t always like this. I remember the ‘90s where Ireland were perennial wooden spoon contenders and struggled to buy a win against even the likes of Italy. Glorious victories were as rare as hen’s teeth. Back then, today’s consistent success was simply inconceivable.

And, empirically, Ireland are still extremely successful. Even if this year wasn’t exactly vintage, we still won the Triple Crown. Recent seasons have yielded Championships, Grand Slams and regular wins against the best teams in the world. If that’s failure, how do we define success?

Perhaps the naysayers should take a broader view and look at the totality of Irish rugby history. We’re a small country that routinely punches above its weight. That’s something to be celebrated rather than criticised. Fact is, we’ve never had it so good and that’s something we all must remember.

@rorymcgimpsey