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The M88 and its crew were being held in reserve and were sent out on the recovery mission when news came in over the radio that another vehicle was in trouble.

With the likes of James Ryan, Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham held in reserve, and Hugo Keenan not involved at all, this is by some way the most callow line-up Ireland have named so far in this championship.

“But we always keep people in reserve. We never say, ‘Oh, dump the whole county to the Palisades fire,’ because we always have to be prepared for the second fire.”

Whatever the historicity of this story, it captures the perceived image of a snake in China and other East Asian countries: resourceful, audacious, cunning, alert to opportunity and conscious of the power it holds in reserve.

The 46-gun frigate was built during peacetime and launched in 1824, spending its early life in reserve, anchored on the River Medway in the south east of England.