RUGBY: ITALIAN JOB done, as Ireland duly came, saw and conquered Italy in what has become their eternal fashion hereabouts. Maintaining their five-try average in a typically sunkissed Stadio Flaminio from their previous four visits here, Ireland thus went to the top of a formative Six Nations table ahead of Wales on points' difference. It's becoming a little harder not to get a little giddy.
As with previous treks, though, the scoreline assuredly gives little indication of the travail and pain Ireland had to endure before getting there in the end. In truth, but not entirely surprisingly, Ireland did not play especially well but, in the heel of the hunt, they thought their way through this one as much as fought their way through it.
Needless to say, with England in town on Saturday week, no better man that Declan Kidney to keep our giddiness in check. Though still somewhat limited, England’s defence showed improvement in making Wales sweat for their 23-15, despite taking their costly tally of yellow cards to eight in four games.
“I thought that they improved 300 per cent from the previous week. They’ve really come on,” ventured Kidney, before making a telling contrast with the ramshackle, overplayed English team that came to Croke Park in round three two years ago.
“It’s important with the new agreement that they have a week off and it gives Martin a chance they didn’t have heretofore to improve for two weeks time. They’ll have learned from today. Ireland-England games you look forward to in a kind of masochistic way. You know how god they are. The size of the challenge has improved enormously and they’ll be eyeing us as a target.”
Ireland had sought to play more of a ball-in-hand, offloading game – kicking the ball only eight per cent of the time. But in trying to force things, it was getting them nowhere in the face of some fierce defending and they were indebvted to an intercept try by Tommy Bowe to turn a 6-0 deficit into a one-point lead. Gradually, they narrowed their focus, played more territory and wore Italy out, only varnishing the scoreline late on.
“We did well to adapt in the 20 minutes before half-time,” enthused Kidney. “Now whether that adaptation was forced upon us by the injury and yellow card? But that’s when I thought we were at our best, when we just said, ‘right let’s do something different here’. That’s what I liked.”
A stiff arm, neck-high hit on Rob Kearney by Andrea Masi inside the first 30 seconds welcomed the Irish fullback into the game and set the tone for a slightly frenzied and madcap opening half. The Italian fullback became the first of three players to be yellow carded as Ronan O’Gara (who had a decidedly mixed bag in the first 40 but regrouped thereafter) and Salvatore Perugini followed him to the bin. That said, O’Gara’s tug of Andrea Masi after having his own kick charged down was one of the better yellow cards ever conceded – for it may have prevented Italy extending their lead from 9-7 to 16-7.
In the event, it also proved a blessing in disguise for, coupled with the unfortunate Paddy Wallace departing with another facial injury, it left Ireland with no choice but to keep knocking penalties into the corner in the build-up to Luke Fitzgerald’s try bang on half-time.
Championship moments, as Matt Williams calls them, and followed soon after by David Wallace muscling over in trademark style through some beaten blue jerseys, the game was up.
Although the glory and the tries went mostly to the backs – Fitzgerald scoring two, with Tommy Bowe and Brian O’Driscoll adding one each – the pack will arguably derive more satisfaction from gradually subduing the Italian forwards. Ireland cut down on their ratio of kicking and, with large tracts of territorial dominance, kept the ball in hand much more, but their moves and attempts to introduce more of an offloading game struggled in the face of Italy’s rush defence.
Nearing half-time, in the pivotal period of the game, Ireland adopted a different strategy, pounding away at the Italians’ defence closer in through 19 phases. Eventually Stephen Ferris made the play for Fitzgerald to score with a razor-sharp trailer.
Ferris was magnificent, positively revelling in the full-on arm wrestle Italy sought to engage Ireland in. He was the one gaining the yards when they were the hardest to accrue, running some superb lines and pumping his legs in contact. Paul O’Connell was, well, Paul O’Connell in true lead-from-the-front style and for almost half an hour it was as if the Irish forwards simply kept ownership of the ball.
So it was that Wallace grew more into the game, and even for his try in the 46th minute, the Italians looked out on their feet. So it was no great surprise when Fitzgerald and O’Driscoll waltzed in for tries against opponents who had long since wilted.
Peter Stringer, too, could feel happy with his contribution, Ireland scoring three of their five tries when he was on the pitch.
Surprisingly, given the innumerable bruises and bangs which the Irish players incurred, Kidney appeared none too concerned about the various injuries to Stephen Ferris (a blood injury), Marcus Horan (a bang on the back of the head), Rob Kearney (calf tightened up) and poor old Paddy Wallace – a wound around one eye which required 16 stitches against France has now been replicated on the other eye.
No doubt the Irish coach was also mightily grateful for an additional week’s rest, and may look to have Gordon D’Arcy play for Leinster next week as well, perhaps, as some of the other subs. But not too many more.
“We’ll decide whether we need to freshen things up for the next match or whether we should play a few in the Magners League. It’s brilliant to be involved but there’s nothing won already. Experience has told me that in the Heineken Cup, you could have two wins but that’s all it is. A huge game for us next. Every game is like a Cup final.” It is now.
