RUGBY:THE STADIO Flaminio provided an apposite backdrop to the scrum theatrics of Ireland's opening Six Nations Championship match against Italy. Referee Romain Poite resembled a Roman emperor, albeit dispensing his brand of justice with a shrill blast of the whistle rather than his thumb. The French official had little trouble in deciding between the ranks of sinners and those sinned against.
Although Poite didn’t elaborate on many of his decisions Ireland hooker Rory Best was privy to the set-piece collisions and chose his words carefully when casting his mind back to last Saturday and also looking ahead to the arrival of France in Dublin on Sunday.
“In terms of being in the scrum, it felt quite good. The sort of stuff we have been working on with Greg Feek in terms of our balance, our timing; it certainly felt like it was getting there.
“We are very disappointed with the penalties we conceded but that’s the referee’s interpretation and I’m not going to get into that. Going forward, it felt like we were very cohesive. There is going to be an element of not having scrummed together as a front five; that particular front five (in the Italian match). We didn’t get shoved around the pitch. We sort of more than held our own and as I have said it was disappointing to get penalised as many times as we did. It’s something we are working very hard on. We are under no illusions. Last weekend, the Italian scrum was a very good scrum. This French scrum has shown, against what is a very good Scottish scrum, how dangerous they can be.”
It will not just be in one set-piece, the scrum, that Ireland face another mammoth examination at the Aviva Stadium. The French boast an excellent lineout, especially on opposition ball where Julien Bonnaire and Imanol Harinordoquy supplement the secondrow resources, shimmying up and down the line and pilfering possession.
Best nodded: “They have a very athletic back five. With Ulster we have come up against Harinordoquy twice this season. He can move about and gets up in the air very quickly. Bonnaire is much the same and they have big secondrows. I suppose a little bit like a game of chess, you’ll have to work out how we’re going to best get the ball. There’s no doubt within our squad we have secondrows that are more than capable of working that out.”
Ireland threw the majority of ball to Donncha O’Callaghan at two in the lineout and Best smiled when asked if he would like to see the backrow tweaked to introduce more height and therefore possibly more options.
“The first note I’d drop under the door would be for myself, rather than anything else.” He continued in a more serious vein: “We have a lot of options across the back five; we have height, we have explosive jumpers as well. In terms of the back five in the scrum, going forward, we have a lot of thinkers there so we can get space, no matter who we pick back there.
“The French showed they have a very strong scrum and lineout so that is something as a pack we will be looking to counter and try and stamp our own game on them. There is a lot to be said for playing for territory but you have to make sure your kick-chase is very good.
“Their back three is very dangerous. If you give them time and space they will punish you.
“The fact we created quite a few chances at the weekend gave us a good lift. Our general shape was quite good. We know now it’s a bit of the same story from the autumn; we just have to try to minimise the errors and when you get chances at this top level, you have to be able to take them. You can’t keep coughing up opportunities, especially – and I don’t want to disrespect Italy – but against France you may only get a couple of chances in the game.”
HOOK STARTS AT OUTHALF FOR WALES
UNDER-FIRE Wales coach Warren Gatland has named James Hook at outhalf for Saturday’s Six Nations match against Scotland in Edinburgh (5pm) as he seeks to end a run of eight matches without a win. Stephen Jones, who started in the number 10 jersey in Friday’s 26-19 defeat to England, drops to the bench having taken a limited part in training after a neck injury.
Lee Byrne replaces Hook at fullback, while Ryan Jones starts at number eight in place of Andy Powell, who injured his shoulder against England.
With the Welsh backline struggling in recent games there has been a clamour in the Welsh media for Hook to start at outhalf, despite barely playing in the position for the Ospreys this season.
Winger Morgan Stoddart, Wales’s try scorer against England, retains his place despite breaking a bone in his hand in Friday’s match.
WALES: L Byrne (Ospreys); M Stoddart (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), J Davies (Scarlets), S Williams (Ospreys); J Hook (Ospreys), M Phillips (Ospreys); P James (Ospreys), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), C Mitchell (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), A-W Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys). Replacements: R Hibbard (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), J Turnbull (Scarlets), T Knoyle (Scarlets), S Jones (Scarlets), R Priestland (Scarlets).
