RUGBY:Three ex-internationals give GERRY THORNLEYtheir views on what Ireland did wrong and how they can progress after going so close against France
IMAGINE, FOR a moment, that Seán Cronin holds on to that fateful 78th-minute pass from Brian O’Driscoll against the French last Sunday. Ireland recycle the ball off Cronin and, as they had done in four multi-phase attacks inside the visitors 22 (including the over-ruled Luke Fitzgerald try early on), eventually cross the whitewash again. We’d have been heralding a famous four-tries-to-one Irish win and there would already be muted talk of a Grand Slam.
It would be full steam ahead with the running game, but of course, on such wafer thin lines are many Test matches decided, and this is a results business. But in the fall-out from the infuriating defeat to France, there has been exasperation and sympathy rather than condemnation for the Irish team.
“Definitely one that got away, for sure,” says Ollie Campbell. “To score three tries to one and lose by three points, oh that will hurt. That will hurt for a little while.”
As Campbell acknowledges, the championship is probably out of reach already given how England boosted their points difference against an Italian team who suffered a hangover from their near-miss against Ireland and optimistically went for a more attacking but strictly non-tackling outhalf in Luciano Orquera.
He believes “there’s still plenty to play for in terms of the Triple Crown, even though Triple Crowns don’t have quite the same currency as they used to have”, which is a candid acknowledgement from the two-time Triple Crown winner from the relative golden era of the early 1980s as to how much higher Irish rugby now aims.
Nonetheless, the general consensus seems to be Ireland are on the right lines. “I think Ireland, to their full credit, are doing some things very, very well,” says former captain Ciarán Fitzgerald. “But just a little bit of naivety or whatever it is, is giving away all that hard work. It must break their hearts. They’ll know themselves. Their body language and their verbal language – I saw them after the match and read their comments – they know they let it go.
“The perception about Leinster is they’re a running team but in fact they’re got a very good running game and a very good kicking game as well,” adds Fitzgerald, for whom this also keeps an opposition defence guessing. “It’s down to decision making and balancing it. When you have a team under pressure, you don’t allow them back into your half. You punish them or make them work, because they’ll make more mistakes.”
Balance, balance, balance. Campbell cites the introduction of Ronan O’Gara to illustrate his point. “As Ronan showed when he came on with that one kick down to the corner, and look what it led to. It’s always the balance but essentially I think it (the current style of game) is the way to go.”
Former Ireland outhalf Ralph Keyes says: “I think you just need to recognise pressure points in a match when they are actually in the ascendancy and all bets are off at that point because it’s trying to turn those pressure points into your advantage by just not playing, maybe, for five minutes, and putting it in the corner, and let them try and play, and let the psychology of the pressure point take effect. It’s commendable that you try and out-skill them but sometimes you try and out-think them. And I think that’s really the key.”
All part of the learning curve, says Keyes, “but the learning curve will be over come the World Cup. It will be win the match. So there’s an element of practising that as well, practice winning the match, practice turning the pressure points into your advantage, practice putting fierce pressure on them.”
He cites how the All Blacks came up short at pressure points in World Cup knock-out matches, and nowadays even Dan Carter kicks the ball. “Are you telling me that if the All Blacks played South Africa tomorrow in the World Cup quarter-final, it would be all running entertainment?” asks Keyes. “Absolutely not.”
Most of the focus is now on the half-back pairing. All three ex-Irish internationals would retain Sexton, though both outhalves would go with Peter Stringer against Scotland.
Keyes is assuredly on the money when he says of O’Leary’s selection: “Declan Kidney has tried to get him to play back into form and it hasn’t worked. I think the reason he has done that is because in his mind’s eye Kidney has Tomás O’Leary on the team against the Australian backrow in the World Cup in the crunch match, and that would be his plan, I think, barring a disaster. But in the short-term, if his form has dipped, to speed up the game, and if that’s the game you want to play, then you’ve got to pick the form player in that skill.”
Regarding Sexton, Keyes says: “I don’t think he’s gone madly off form but he certainly needs to manage the game better than he has shown in the last two matches.”
Campbell would like to see Stringer and Sexton paired, not only from the start, but ideally to the finish. “My gut instinct is it would be worth seeing maybe even for the whole match against Scotland.”
In also opting for the retention of Sexton, Fitzgerald adds: “I think they need to give him a licence to use his judgment and kick two or three times in a half, within the policy they’re trying to pursue.”
All three agree Gordon D’Arcy will be forgiven his recent blips, that the backrow worked well against Scotland and that the only other change will be Tommy Bowe, although Campbell believes the Scottish game would be a great opportunity for someone like Cronin to get a whole game, rather than coming on with four minutes to go.
EXPERT VIEW
Are Ireland playing the right game?
Ralph Keyes:"I think they're actually trying to do the right thing and it's the way to go, but there is no game that's all running and there is no game that's all kicking. There's got to be a balance and I think some commentators are getting a bit defensive when you say they need to manage it a bit better."
Ciaran Fitzgerald: "I can understand the whole concept of having to attack France with ball in hand, and I support that 100 per cent. But at the same time you've got to do the other clever tactical options; to kick and protect your team, and that's where the half-backs come in. I understand what he (Kidney) is trying to do but my opinion would be that you can't just swing the pendulum from one extreme to the other."
Ollie Campbell:"Yes. I think it's just the way that the better teams are playing. It's the way forward and I think we have the talent to do it as well. We probably just need to bring a little more balance to it, rather than going so totally one-dimensional on it, but essentially I think it is the way to go."
Are Ireland making progress?
RK: "I think they're making progress in the sense that you have a depth in the squad now who are capable of playing Test rugby. There's a litany of injuries, and four/five years ago they couldn't have coped as well as they've done with that. That's a big plus and it will stand to them in the World Cup."
CF: "In terms of developing their skill levels, I think they've improved enormously; in terms of their retention and offloading, and all the difficult parts of the game. And it's the most difficult thing for another team to defend against if you can continue to play like that. But it's the simple stuff that's let them down."
OC: "I think the jury is probably still out on that. At the end of the day, it is down to actually winning international matches, and our recent record in that regard isn't very good. If you go back to losing to Scotland in Croke Park last season, and who we have actually beaten since then, I think the jury is still out on that one."
Who should be the halfbacks v Scotland?
RK: "Tomás O'Leary can play that game when he's on form, but since he's come back from injury his form has dipped. It would probably be (Peter) Stringer in my book given that his form this season has been fantastic in a season when nobody expected it, least of all himself maybe. But, he's delivered.
"Both outhalves offer very good traits. I probably wouldn't make the change initially but Jonny Sexton is 13 caps old now, he's no longer the bridesmaid on the learning curve. He's there, so both should be judged on form. Up to the Six Nations, Ronan O'Gara has really been producing it, but Sexton was producing it in a Leinster context.
CF: "I think I would stay with O'Leary and Sexton. I know there's a lot of debate about O'Leary's passing and he needs to be critically judged in that area, but if you examine every other aspect of his game in terms of his defence, his support play, his breaking ability and his box kicking has improved when he has sometimes been guilty of poor kicking, he brings a lot to the team."
"At outhalf I don't think there's a question at the moment, because Ireland are trying to play that running game and I think they need Sexton definitely to play that running game."
OC: "Myself, I would go with Peter Stringer and Jonathan Sexton. I think to bring Peter in is consistent with the way they're trying to play. It's a square peg in a square hole, and it just seems to me to be the missing piece of the jigsaw at the moment. He's been playing well. Jonathan is still inexperienced by Test-rugby standards and he's not going to learn or develop by sitting on the bench. We all know what Ronan can do, and he's shown it in the last two games and if they're committed to the way they want to play then I think they've really got to stick with it and have belief in it."
Would you make any other changes?
RK: "If Tommy Bowe is fully fit I think he'll start on the right wing. He's a class player, he's a big guy. Fergus McFadden has done brilliantly this season in various positions, he's got his just reward, but I think if you're picking head-to-head, you'd have to pick Tommy Bowe, if he's fit. I think they won't make any other changes."
CF: "If Tommy Bowe is fit, he'll come in. He's not a player you can leave out. At hooker, Best might just be edging it in terms of lineout throwing, because I've a lot of time for Cronin. He's a fine player in many respects. He is improving in terms of his lineout, but the only area where I think Rory might be ahead of him is throwing."
OC: "If Tommy Bowe was fit, then he would be a natural one to come back in. At this stage it just depends on fitness and availability, but essentially the same team, but certainly someone like Tommy Bowe would add immeasurably to the Irish team at the moment. Even if Stephen Ferris was available, backrow isn't exactly weak."
Will Ireland beat Scotland?
RK: "Scotland are backs to the wall; they were supposed to be on an upward curve, they got put back in their box, and they'll come out hunting. They won't be as bad again, and Ireland's confidence has been dented a bit maybe. So it's very hard to call. I think it's up in the air, to be honest."
CF: "I think they will, yea. I think the team are developing nicely. I just hope the mental hang-ups doesn't get to them, but I think they are developing nicely and I think the longer the season goes on the more they'll regret last Sunday."
OC: "I do think so, but I think it will be a very tough and awkward game, particularly with how Scotland played last weekend. They will be hurting, but for totally different reasons than we will be hurting. I just think we have too much talent, and too good at this stage to lose to Scotland."
