Since South Africa dabbled in 7-1 splits on the bench during the last Rugby World Cup, replacement tactics in the game have become more important than ever. Eddie Jones called his replacements “finishers” when he oversaw the England team but even that term diminishes the roll of players who give 20 or 30 minutes to a game coming off the bench.
Ireland’s first replacement against Wales on Saturday was at half-time, when lock James Ryan came out in the second half for Joe McCarthy. That was quickly followed by number eight Jack Conan leaving the pitch and Ryan Baird coming in after 43 minutes. Both changes were premature and forced on Ireland. McCarthy would come back on and play in a second spell, but Baird triggered a run of replacements over an eight-minute period during which four changes were made.
Finlay Bealham replaced tighthead prop Tom Clarkson, McCarthy would come back on for Ryan and Bundee Aki would step into the fray for the first 20-minute red card Ireland have received, which Garry Ringrose picked up for a dangerous tackle before half-time.
Jack Boyle, Jack Crowley, Gus McCarthy and Conor Murray would follow, with the combined firepower enough to stop Wales and earn enough points to see out the game.
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Aki in the Irish centre, Baird in the backrow and lock Ryan immediately brought a jolt of energy into the match when they came on. Aki’s strength and his obvious commitment when he entered the match set a tone for the others and as blood ran down his face and cotton wool sprang from his nose after another committed tackle, the Irish centre in one frame epitomised an element of the game in which he excels, the physicality.
The tempo and the committed attitude of the replacements were also infectious and the players around them responded, with James Lowe presenting Jamie Osborne with a skilfully engineered tap-back try and the pack earning Sam Prendergast kicking opportunities to move the scoreboard.
Actions as simple as Baird sprinting up field to block the Welsh fullback Blair Murray from a clearance kick may not have been successful but his intention was as much to hurry the kick and force the execution.
There is a case to be made, too, that the new rule of replacing a red-carded player with another player after 20 minutes contributed heavily to Ireland winning the match. Before this year’s championship a red-carded player would not have been replaced and on Saturday a surging Welsh team would have been playing against a depleted Ireland for the rest of the afternoon.
The difference between 14 Irish players and 15 Irish players, with Aki the replacement for Ringrose, was critical to Ireland’s success and keeping the hopes of a Grand Slam alive. When Ringrose went off and Aki had not yet come into the match Wales scored a penalty from Gareth Anscombe, a try from Jac Morgan and a converted try from Tom Rogers.
When he was interviewed after the match on television as the winning captain, Dan Sheehan was explicit in his praise for the players who came off the bench. He said their input was central to the outcome. Sheehan lasted until the 74th minute, when Gus McCarthy came into the game.
“We rely heavily on our bench,” said Sheehan. “They came on and made a massive impact, James Ryan, Bundee [Aki], both made a huge impact to lift the boys with fresh energy. That was the making of the game there, relying on our bench to bring that energy.”
And so they did.
