“Victories that are easy are cheap. Those only are worth having which come as the result of hard work.” Henry Ward Beecher’s words had nothing to do with rugby, but I’d identify with the message in the context of playing a sport.
I’d rarely dwell on or recall the easy wins during my playing career. A game can be fun or enjoyable for various reasons but those that live longest in the memory are the ones for which you fight hardest, where the outcome is in the balance in the final throes of a contest, but you find a way to tip it in your favour. It comes with a weary delight, where the salve of winning mitigates the aches and pains.
Where do Ireland go after the Autumn Nations Series?
There is pride in emerging from the struggle and validation in finding a solution. Those thoughts struck me in watching Ireland edge past Australia 22-19 at the Aviva Stadium. It was far from a vintage performance, but the character and resilience shown by the squad is important. Execution can be improved upon but if you don’t have that ticker, you won’t be robust enough to survive the rough match days.
The extra game to celebrate the IRFU’s 150th anniversary has curtailed the preparations of the provinces, to varying degrees, for the first week of the Champions and Challenge Cups. There will be a few tired bodies this week after what turned out to be a very physical and demanding match against the Wallabies.
Going into that game, the hope from an Irish perspective was that Andy Farrell’s side would once again mark the occasion with an appreciable improvement and be able to dictate to and control their opponents, keeping them at arm’s length on the scoreboard. It didn’t pan out quite that way as Australia played smart rugby on both sides of the ball.
It won’t come as a surprise to anyone, given their coach, that the Wallabies were well prepared. Joe Schmidt would have imparted some key post-game messages to his players about how had they managed to control the controllables better in that final quarter they would have been able to deliver the positive outcome that their performance threatened for large parts of the match.
[ Joe Schmidt: ‘I felt we could have built on our lead after half-time’Opens in new window ]
A loss can be the catalyst for improvement when framed the right way. The ceiling for this Australian team has become higher in the wake of their northern hemisphere tour and it augurs well for an exciting Test series against the Lions next summer.
Ireland will be in a slightly different headspace. Post-World Cup years have been historically poor, but eight wins in 11 matches is a fine return by any stretch of the imagination. A Six Nations Championship title, a drawn series in South Africa and finishing the calendar year ranked number two in the world should be celebrated.
I’m sure Farrell, Caelan Doris and Ireland’s incoming interim head coach Simon Easterby took time to point out these achievements without dwelling unduly on the areas for improvement. The Irish changing room in the Aviva Stadium last Saturday would have been upbeat, or at least that would be my hope.
[ Owen Doyle: Caelan Doris plays a risky game but match officials found wantingOpens in new window ]
Celebrating success is so important. That is quantified differently from team to team, but for a largely mature current Irish squad, success is defined by results, which they are delivering for the most part. The challenge moving forward centres on the capacity for improvement and what that looks like in a practical way.
They might reflect on how many performance markers they hit in the four November matches and the scope for improvement. Farrell drives competition for places when and where possible. Until recently there hasn’t been much volatility in the pecking order but now it feels like the pot has been stirred a little as he steps away to take up his Lions commitments.
[ Will Andy Farrell’s Lions sabbatical hurt Ireland’s Six Nations chances?Opens in new window ]
Farrell was at pains to point out that Jack Crowley was not dropped for the Australia match and that Sam Prendergast had instead earned the opportunity to start. The ideal relationship between a head coach and players is built on trust and respect. Farrell has said to the two young outhalves through his words and actions that he will pick on form, without fear or favour.
Farrell isn’t suddenly taking a new direction. For the second Test against the Springboks in Durban, Peter O’Mahony was on the bench. Players have been challenged, some given opportunities, others a reminder. In November, Craig Casey, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw, to highlight three players, were ruthless in taking the opportunity presented, some after disappointment.
Two other brilliant examples are James Ryan and Josh van der Flier, who for me have been fantastic across the games in which they have been involved. They have clicked with the new attack shape, adding their own stamp. Van der Flier’s carrying has been very important, helped get Ireland back into games when trailing, while Ryan’s all-round work-rate and physicality is back to the level to which we grew accustomed.
The Ireland team has a very lofty standard in performance terms at its best and while that wasn’t the case in November, there were enough bright moments from individuals and the collective to be positive about what can be achieved in the Six Nations Championship.
Take the Doris try as an example. The set-piece provided the launch, crisp passing and the work of Aki and Robbie Henshaw trapped Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, leaving a hole for Doris to power over. Rugby is a simple game, but nothing happens in a vacuum and Ireland are very dependent on front-foot ball to play.
When we manage that, we look like a different team. This hasn’t happened consistently enough during the recent matches. The team knows where it is headed; some players are already there and comfortable with what their roles are, and others are still thinking or reacting, rather than anticipating the play.
Ireland are evolving the way they play, and mistakes are creeping in which is par for the course. The missed shoulders at rucks the slight delay between passer and receiver, and long, loopy skip passes can all be easily fixed ahead of the Six Nations. It’s over to the players now. They get to audition for those green jerseys while wearing provincial colours.
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