Stadium roof not an open-and-shut case

Stuart Lancaster

resorted to playing the Welsh song

Hymns and Arias

at full volume on loudspeakers at the squad’s indoor training facility at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot, prior to their opening match against Wales.

The England coach believed the din was worthwhile despite that the match was due to be played with the Millennium Stadium roof open.

Simmering

In 2008 Wales were simmering when Italy requested that the roof should not be closed despite the gathering clouds. A wet day was forecast and the Italians were hoping rain would fall on the Welsh parade in Cardiff.

In 2013 England travelled to Cardiff to face Wales in a Grand Slam decider. But with heavy rain predicted for the area both sides agreed to play “indoors”. The roof was closed, the noise ratcheted up, as did the Welsh players and the English defeat is now history.

It's the annual mini dispute waiting to happen with Wales coach Warren Gatland insisting that the roof on the stadium should be a matter for Wales and not their guests. The understanding now is both sides must agree to close the roof, otherwise it remains as God made rugby, an outdoor sport.

Ireland’s preference is for clear blue skies on Saturday with benign weather conditions forecast, while Gatland typically holds the alternative view, although with the mind games he plays little is shot straight from the hip.

Since 2001, when a Keith Wood-led Irish side beat Wales 36-6 with tries from Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll and Denis Hickie, the roof – according to the Six Nations – has been open for all of Ireland's championship matches.

In all there have been seven games with Ireland winning five and losing two.

In 2005 Wales won 32-20 and in 2011 they won again 19-13. But in the run of fixtures since the start of the millennium, the open roof has been kind to the Irish cause in Cardiff.

Testified

Many players, including former Ireland international Anthony Foley and England

World Cup

winner

Martin Johnson

, have testified to the difference in conditions, not just in the way the ball behaves but how the noise is amplified by the enclosed space and by the Welsh singing reverberating around the stadium.

Lancaster also pointed to communication problems between the players as they couldn't hear each other shouting commands for plays and lineouts. But even with the roof closed Irish players have performed well, although in each of the four Heineken Cup appearances, they have never faced a Welsh side.

In 2002 Leicester beat Munster 15-9, the hand of Neil Back on a Peter Stringer scrum put-in playing it's part in the Tiger's win. But in 2006 Munster came back to beat Biarritz 23-19 and again in 2008 defeated another French side Toulouse 16-13 both of those wins under the closed roof.

In 2011 it was Leinster's turn and, with the help of an inspired Johnny Sexton in the second half, they overhauled Northampton 33-22. Of the four Heineken Cup finals involving Ireland, the Irish teams have won three, all of them under the closed roof.

Ireland’s most recent 22-30 win in 2013 is perhaps most relevant as nine players, Rob Kearney, Simon Zebo, Sexton, Conor Murray, Rory Best, Mike Ross, Peter O’Mahony, Seán O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip started for Ireland then and are again in Joe Schmidt’s starting team on Saturday. The noise from the close to 80,000 fans, most of them Welsh, is certain to be loud and while Schmidt has not had the loudspeakers blaring at Carton House, the roof will be as it was when most of his side won last time out.

Not to be out done, the Welsh win/loss record over the years with the roof open and closed looks very even.

Autumn internationals

With it open, the home side have won 27 matches from 52 played and with it closed they have won 27 matches from 53 played. They have lost 23 times “indoors” and lost 25 times “outdoors”. But those numbers have to be taken with the Autumn Series in mind. Because the roof is generally closed for the autumn internationals and Wales face tough Southern Hemisphere sides, the number of defeats with the roof closed is higher than it might have been.