Against a big and brave but limited England team the Irish need to shed the defensive mindset of last week and get out of the trenches, writes Liam Toland
'JUST A BEATING Tadhg, just a beating. What you did to the donkey was wrong; you should never hit a defenceless animal." So, with Eddie O'Sullivan and Brian Ashton facing each other today, who's Tadhg and who's the defenceless animal?
I'll never forget Brian Ashton's face when the Welsh scrumhalf Mike Phillips galloped over for the killer try only a few short weeks ago. Remember, Ashton is on a one-year contract. So the defenceless animal can be killed off and thrown into the depths of the Killary Harbour.
That's of course if Ireland wake up this morning remembering their pedigree, realising they are not over the hill, regain their self-belief and back themselves.
What Ronan O'Gara has achieved since RWC 2007 is extraordinary but today he must kick the Irish players up and down Twickenham demanding from them the performance we've all been waiting for.
I'm delighted for him and there is no lost irony in him once again facing Danny Cipriani. In Thomond Park O'Gara spanked young Cipriani.
Of course England have further problems, most of which stem from their disjointed management. Ashton is a backs man, willing to use width but with a dormant backline. His assistant John Welds, a Leicester man, is very much in the Dean Richards mould, forward-orientated to the core.
And then there is the defensive coach, Mike Ford, whose RWC comments - "England didn't have any world-class players" - cannot sit too easily with the men in white. All three coaches are at loggerheads.
Furthermore the England team appears to lack strong characters as of yore to "influence" management.
The RWC finalists have flaws but they are beautifully balanced by some serious strength. The Irish scrum has been in top form over the weeks. But expect England to target it. The Australians lost a World Cup match because of their scrum last year.
The English used the scrum to negate the Australian backs and this Irish backline (with shackles off) are just as potent as the Aussies.
Who's the man to watch at scrum time? Well it's the man of the match from that England-Australia RWC encounter - none other than 6ft 5in, 18st 10lb Andrew Sheridan.
Sheridan is the only man I can recall to have played for England in the backrow (schools) secondrow (under-21) and frontrow (senior). Some achievement. He can also bench press 225 kilos (for our older readers 35 stone), which is nearly five Kate Mosses. He can cause serious damage, as can the rest of the English front five.
They proved against France that their hearts, minds and bodies are strong so Ireland will have to reverse their tactics of last week and get out of the trenches. In doing so Ireland need total confidence in the lineout, varying the point of entry, with maximum-speed, off-the-top balls to Shane Horgan running at none other than Cipriani.
I know it's an old classic but Horgan has destroyed many classy outfits from such a simple ploy. His form is back and I wouldn't like to tackle him, would you?
Cipriani is a talented player, especially going forward, but his defence is highly questionable. The Wasps coach Shaun Edwards thinks so and repeatedly deploys him to the wing in defence.
The English backrowers are another reason for such a tactic. Nick Easter, Michael Lipman and especially Tom Croft are a long way short of the great men they have replaced.
Today's game is crying out for a very clever use of the four Irish backrow players. It's such a pity there isn't a tearaway among the four. It would allow better tactical use of players if an "openside" was started and a big ball carrier introduced to create damage. David Wallace and co must work off Horgan by trailing him and looking for the offload.
Tactically, Ireland need to keep real pace on the ball, using the full width of Twickenham. Remember Girvan Dempsey's try in the far corner to beat the World Champions four years ago.
Paul Sackey, Lesley Vainikolo and Jamie Noon are no fledglings but they are flawed. They are everything you expect from an English player - big, strong and very fast but ask them to play a game of donkey after school and they'll run a mile.
I can't wait to see Luke Fitzgerald running at them, twisting, and turning, changing angles until their blood turns inside out. Can you remember Sackey's defensive effort against Wales? Creativity is Ireland's greatest weapon. The big English backs have very little and Noon has none.
There's no doubt in my mind that England are far better against their superiors - Australia in RWC, France in RWC and Six Nations - but they have struggled badly against the minnows - USA, Samoa and Tonga RWC and Scotland Six Nations. God only knows what Irish team will turn up today but if they are prepared to make a pact among themselves in the tunnel and with O'Gara at the helm then anything is possible.
Well, to today's loser I offer this:
Capt Blackadder: Well, George, I strongly suspect that your long wait for certain death is nearly at an end. Surely you must have noticed something in the air . . .
Lt George: Well, yes, of course, but I thought that was Private Baldrick.
