If offered nine points and a +39 points differential, and with it leadership of the Six Nations table after two rounds, Joe Schmidt said he'd have bitten your hand off. In truth, Ireland are exactly where they would aspire to be coming to the third leg of their campaign against Wales on Saturday week.
The downside, of course, is the possible loss of Tadhg Furlong and the likely loss of Robbie Henshaw with a suspected dislocated shoulder, to compound the ongoing absence of Sean O'Brien among others.
As with Henshaw, the extent of Furlong’s hamstring injury may be clearer today and in the aftermath of Saturday’s 56-19 win over Italy at Lansdowne Road, Joe Schmidt clung to the hope that the Lions’ tight-head merely suffered a “tightening” that might clear up over the next two weeks.
It sounded like wishful thinking, as the manner ïn which he pulled up so abruptly in the fourth minute last Saturday indicated he had suffered a tear. If so, he would be a significant loss. Furlong, O'Brien, Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton were Ireland's starting Lions against the All Blacks, which says it all.
The options to replace him would be John Ryan and Andrew Porter, who won his fourth cap against Italy after being promoted ahead of Ryan to the replacements' bench. He performed more than creditably, carrying very strongly, but he is only 22 and has started just four games for Leinster, all in the Pro14.
Schmidt also did not rule out the possibility of Garry Ringrose being pitched straight back into the Welsh game, even though a return for Leinster next Saturday at home to the Scarlets could be a week too soon. Ringrose hasn't played in five weeks after undergoing surgery for the third time since last July on his ankle and both shoulders.
More likely though, Chris Farrell would again partner Bundee Aki, as he did when making a favourable all-round impression against Argentina last November a week after his debut against Fiji. Farrell was one of the two additional players on duty last Saturday.
The squad come together again in Athlone on Tuesday lunchtime until dispersing after an open session in Buccaneers on Thursday morning.
“Maybe we will have about 22 players in Athlone and the other members of the squad will go back and be available to play for their provinces,” said Schmidt.
England and Ireland are the only unbeaten sides left after two rounds, and thus the only ones who can win the Grand Slam, although there’s a long road to travel before their St Patrick’s Day finale.
Right direction
Scotland host England at Murrayfield on Saturday week buoyed by yesterday’s comeback 32-26 win over France at the same venue. Beforehand, on the same day, Ireland entertain Wales, who sit third three points behind, after pushing England all the way to a 12-6 win at Twickenham last Saturday.
Reviewing the first two rounds of the tournament, Schmidt said that backing up the win over France with a bonus point win over Italy “allows us a bit of confidence in that we’re heading in the right direction”.
“Wales will be a whole different scenario. They play a lot of territory, they force you to bring the ball back against a full line of defence, they are very attacking as a defensive side and then they squeeze you and force errors.”
Ireland also have a key ingredient, momentum.
“You do feel that you’re a chance when you can get those two wins and especially an away win first up,” said Schmidt. “You know that your next two games are at home, we haven’t lost a home Six Nations game in the five years that I’ve been involved so there’s a real benchmark and pride that we can hopefully defend.
“We probably had a couple of knock backs injury-wise today. Hopefully most of them are going to be okay, so it’s a bit of a wait and see. Every week is a little bit different and every championship is a little bit different.”
Wales will be fighting for their Championship lives too, and will be carrying a justifiable grievance from Twickenham given the 23rd minute decision by TMO Glenn Newman and referee Jerome Garces not to award what appeared a clear try by Gareth Anscombe.
“They’ve flown a guy over from New Zealand to be a TMO and he has one big call to make, and unfortunately I think he’s made a terrible mistake,” said Warren Gatland.
Schmidt seemed to shift uncomfortably when he and Rory Best were informed that Sergio Parisse had expressed the view that Ireland were a superior side to England.
The Italian captain was, admittedly, still feeling the effects, mentally and physically, of the latest beating inflicted on the Azzurri by Ireland, but even so, he was fairly unequivocal.
Pretty similar
“Ireland played much better rugby than England for me. It is much more difficult to defend. After these two games it was most difficult against Ireland. I like the way they play.”
At face value, whereas England had a 31-point winning margin in Rome six days previously, and Ireland won by 37 at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, the scale of the two wins look pretty similar. But it’s also worth noting that whereas Italy were competitive, not least on the scoreboard, for the first hour against England, they were never in Saturday’s game.
“I think it’s always nice when you get a compliment from an opposition captain,” said Best, a tad sheepishly, “but we’ll judge ourselves with how we go. In terms of comparisons with England, it’s a long way away from us.”
Indeed, it is, and the extent to which Wales pushed England to the wire is ample proof that Ireland have plenty enough on their plate in two weeks’ time.
In the first Six Nations campaign under Schmidt, Ireland beat Wales in 2014 at Lansdowne Road, but haven’t beaten them since, losing 23-16 in Cardiff in 2015, drawing 16-all in Dublin two years ago, and losing again in Cardiff last year by 22-9.
