Series victory can help engender real mental belief

Let's do "a Joe" on it here, for, in many ways, Ireland merely achieved what by rights should have been expected of them, especially if they are to take themselves, and others are to take them, as genuine contenders at next year's World Cup.

To go to the World Cup without a win over one of the southern hemisphere big three since the last World Cup would have left their status as contenders a little hollow.

Instead, by backing up their win over South Africa against Australia, which in turn augmented their performance against New Zealand a year ago, Ireland have come within a whisker of beating the best team in the planet, put away the second-best team by two scores and held on against an Australian side that produced their best performance on tour.

It doesn’t guarantee them anything when they square up to Italy and France in next year’s World Cup, and then hopefully Argentina as opposed to New Zealand, but it does substantiate the claim that they can beat any side in the world on their day.

Furthermore, were Ireland to retain their Six Nations title, then the body of work would be more considerable than any Irish team has ever taken into any previous World Cup – the anti-climactic pool exit of 2007 included.

Real mental belief counts. It’s important to recall that the only northern hemisphere team to win the World Cup, England in 2003, won away in Australia and New Zealand in 2002 and backed that up by finally winning an elusive Grand Slam with that 46-6 win over Ireland in a Lansdowne Road shoot-out.

That assuredly made them better equipped psychologically to pull through some nervy times and ultimately win the World Cup final in extra time.

Expected

In many respects, too, Ireland achieved no less than they would have expected of themselves this past month. After all, they beat a South Africa team that appeared a little too smug with themselves after beating New Zealand, that were spooked by the wet conditions and that made a hat load of handling errors.

Had Ireland not beaten Australia after leading 17-0, having lost from 19-0 ahead against New Zealand a year previously, they might have been damaged goods, whereas the scars from that New Zealand win may have helped propel them through the month.

But if Ireland couldn’t beat an Australian team under a new head coach, which was playing their 14th Test match out of 15 in six months, and at home, after resting up the vast majority of their front-liners a week before while Australia were going toe-to-toe with France in Paris seven nights previously, then when could they?

Ireland have just completed a stellar year with nine wins and one defeat in 10 matches, just shy of the nine wins and a draw (at home to Australia) from 10 matches in the Grand Slam year of 2009, and reached the dizzying heights of third in the world.

In doing so, they won six out of six at home, and three out of four away – the Slam decider in Paris and two Tests in Argentina.

They beat both South Africa and Australia despite set-piece wobbles and conceding the majority of possession, with wins founded on a superb defence (the bedrock of any good team in any sport), an excellent kicking game, a strong maul, an opportunistic ability to take their chances and a real tactical flexibility. They have the spirit, organisation and focus of a brilliantly coached and superbly led team.

Despite missing 17 Test players through injury, the 34-man squad assembled for the Guinness Series contained nine players who have captained their respective provinces.

This in turn reflects their strong, experienced spine.

Below par

Yet they will know their attacking game, their “spot” moves and ability to retain the ball through the phases is not on a par with where they were in scoring three tries against New Zealand a year ago or in Paris last March.

In mitigation, Ireland were without their primary ball carriers up front in Seán O'Brien, Cian Healy and Iain Henderson, compounding the retirement of Brian O'Driscoll, and with Jared Payne sidelined after the first game, Ireland tried three new midfield pairings.

Watching France lose at home to Argentina last Saturday night was instructive, given beating this duo could be Ireland’s route to a first World Cup semi-final.

That France came down from the emotional high of beating Australia a week before was no surprise, and doesn't alter the fact that Les Bleus did take strides forward in the month and remain as equipped as ever to beat anyone in the world on their day.

Beating France for the fifth time in their last nine meetings underlined how playing in three successive rugby championships has made the Pumas a better team, and they have unearthed some apparent gems in the locks Giulio Peti and Tomas Lavanini, as well as blindside Facunda Isa, all of whom are under 22.

There was also something of the 2007 vintage as Nicolas Sanchez and Juan Martin Hernandez kicked four drop goals to build up a lead with which to absorb French pressure in the final 30 minutes.

Ireland’s traits are particularly suited to leading from the front, but one of these days they may need to play catch-up, and the five minutes when Ireland trailed Australia by 20-17 until the last kick of the first half was the only time Ireland were behind in the autumn window.

It was a vintage year, 2014, for sure, but Schmidt and his think tank will know better than anyone that the margins remain tiny, and more will be required for the World Cup. gthornley@irishtimes.com