IN THE 55th minute Paul O'Connell replaced Mick O'Driscoll and his immortal words floated through my head - "Did you put the fear of God in them?" The score stood 22-13 but Scotland dominated possession and position and I was hoping O'Connell would put the fear of God into the Irish team. In the end a very talented Irish team scored five tries to one and in doing so displayed sporadically a "ruthless pursuit of excellence".
To score two tries within four minutes on the first real visit to the Scottish half was ruthless. But for long periods Ireland were dragged down to the level of an awful Scottish team.
There is no doubt Ireland are becoming much more comfortable with ball in hand and Rob Kearney's try was an excellent example of the ability within the side. It was wonderful to see Ronan O'Gara, Brian O'Driscoll and co at full flight, but Geordan Murphy's man-of-the-match performance is nothing short of extraordinary. To be bounced from Billy to Jack and produce the full array of touches and magic was mesmeric. His role in Kearney's try and Tommy Bowe's second try was obvious but the line he ran deep inside his 22 for Eoin Reddan's searching pass had everything - pace, power and an appreciation of hard running - but mostly it bespoke a mental alertness for opportunities that mere mortals could only dream of.
His influence on his peers and the crowd was uplifting. His relationship with Eddie O'Sullivan must be at breaking point. So what will happen next? This is a relationship straight out of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Lee Van Cleef, The Bad, standing off with Clint Eastwood, The Good. Who will flinch first? Hey Blondie!
On Saturday I highlighted the need for Ireland to play at a scintillating pace, avoiding rucks and the influence of the referee. More importantly I had hoped that Ireland would prioritise the contact zone. They made almost twice as many tackles as Scotland; in fact they made 123 but unfortunately Andrew Trimble's two in the first half and O'Driscoll's one in the second were the only ones that stood out.
For long periods Ireland allowed the Scottish to maintain possession, labouring their way over and back and slowly inching their way forward.
In any match, regardless of level, you expect the opposition to have 50 per cent of possession so you must plan accordingly. What Ireland needed was big hits. This point was most accurately illustrated by Simon Webster's try in the 53rd minute. Ireland's defensive line speed was non-existent.
In fact the Irish players remained on their heels waiting for the Scots. Plenty of tackles were made but no chassis-stopping ones - which allowed Scotland to find holes.
To score five tries and concede just one and outtackle the opposition by 123 to 64 suggests a very good defensive system but Ireland should never have had to work that hard. David Wallace completed a monster 20 tackles, with John Hayes, a tighthead prop, making 11 followed by Marcus Horan, a loosehead, on eight.
There are two weeks until the Welsh arrive and defence, or more accurately defensive systems, should occupy all concerned. They need to be much faster off the line with the intent of stopping the ball-carrier dead. After all, Saturday's game was just a dress rehearsal for what's to come.
Against France, England were phenomenal in the contact zone, so be warned. We simply cannot go into the Welsh and English games conceding so much possession and expect not to be severely punished. Scotland were not capable of maximising the ball. We must attack when we have the ball and attack when they have the ball. I may be wrong but as Joseph Heller put it in Catch 22, Yossarian knew he was right, because to the best of his knowledge he had never been wrong!
Squad selection still concerns me, or more accurately the 22-man "team" concept. To see accomplished players entering the fray with minutes remaining is embarrassing. They are either good enough to exert a positive influence or they are not. The selection process should centre on each unit. In other words, we have 80 minutes to utilise all 22 players and pick accordingly. For example there are four backrowers for three slots. Not, these three are the best options with the other a poor fourth. Therefore if a player is not utilised from the bench he should be deemed surplus to requirements. For the challenges ahead squad selection should be brave, allowing for an increase in team performance and not stopgaps.
Finally in the middle of the five-try bonanza a feeble Fields of Athenry echoed around this state-of-the-art stadium and for some reason I realised I missed Lansdowne Road. I miss the hustle and bustle, the panic before kick off, the DART, the craic and the terraces.
