So Ireland are number two in the world? Earned – yes; relevant – not sure. Twickenham last Saturday was a lesson learned by the following morning, where unit selection and lineout management were key to solving the 38 missed tackles and eight try concessions. Joe Schmidt’s selection ensured as much.
So how do we benchmark this performance and win over a second-string Wales? Against the 31-man squad, or rebuilding confidence? Or was is it about simply beating Wales? To me, it was none of these things.
As predicted on Friday, Ireland’s victory in Cardiff was almost assured. Warren Gatland’s selection was one key reason, but a bigger one was Ireland’s unit cohesion, which was manifestly presented in the lineout. It helped that Ireland varied their game in selection and execution. Peter O’Mahony has the technique, ambition and mentality to play across the back row, but to see him as an old-fashioned link man will only add value to whichever position he takes up down the tracks.
In the 36th minute his tip-on pass to James Ryan was one moment worth noting. This one spilled in contact, but the option was a good one and worth repeating because the players will become more accustomed to it and expect him to make that pass.
Conway was at his industrious best and I couldn't help wonder as I watched: did Schmidt take the blinkers off?
But a bigger play evolved from the error. Off the resultant scrum Wales kicked to Andrew Conway who ran the ball back with a vengeance. It won’t make the highlights package, but it was a highlight. By half-time Ireland had run the ball 290 metres. However, over 80 minutes in Twickenham, Ireland managed just 255 metres.
Real insight
Yes, the Welsh selection meant they were no England, but to see the Irish back three running 202 metres of those 290 in the opening 40 was a real insight into what could be achieved from this style. Conway revelled in the opportunity. His colleague Jacob Stockdale on the other wing got a brace, but Conway was at his industrious best and I couldn’t help wonder as I watched: did Schmidt take the blinkers off? Horses for courses, no doubt, and Scotland in Yokohama may have tighter reins.
But back to O’Mahony and his tip-on pass. Moments after Conway’s return run, O’Mahony popped up in midfield as the classic link man, taking a pop-pass from Bundee Aki before firing a quality right-hander to his wide backs. So much of what O’Mahony does is abrasive and in the trenches – I think of those breakdown steals or ag bualadh bradán pilfering high in the air. But the linking, offloading and, more importantly, creative plays that he displayed in Cardiff are huge parts of his game that are often dormant. What a difference four, five or six forwards adding in continuity to the donkey work can make to an outhalf. Yes, Jack Carty got man of the match but in David Kilcoyne he had a forward conditioned into the trenches, but with the bonus of adding value in open field.
For the first try Kilcoyne picked an immaculate line and was followed by Carty, who has the sense all great half backs have to get multiple touches on the ball. Kilcoyne pumped his legs in contact, taking it on his terms, not quitting and staying alive to the possibility to break the soft shoulder. He did this before Carty popped up.
With the entire lineout functioning, the flight of the ball is all that can ensure safe arrival into Irish hands
Then came the play of the match – arguable, but it was mine for many reasons. On Friday I spoke of the importance of our wingers supporting Carty at number 10. Primarily because we do not have the natural freakish physique of the “top four” sides – England, South Africa, New Zealand and AN Other – so we need huge ingenuity to shift their fatties around into uncomfortable places. And in uncomfortable places fatties make mistakes, so to have Conway reading the evolving Kilcoyne and Carty move and spot a real opportunity was a real eye-opener into how the Irish unit’s cohesion can exploit the opposition.
Coalface of defence
All of this of course is redundant if Kilcoyne hits the coalface of defence and doesn’t break through, but he entered that contact with the intent of a man wanting to smash his way free. Carty fed into that, Conway read the situation and, like all brilliant blindside wingers, popped up to maximise the Welsh fatties’ discomfort. His performance didn’t stop there as Kilcoyne contributed 31 metres to those 290 by half-time, but also added eight tackles. In fact, the Irish defence was the real catalyst to their performance.
Monday mornings are never much fun after a big loss, but no doubt defence coach Andy Farrell and lineout coach Simon Easterby were waiting. Bundee Aki was clearly listening, as he planted several monster hits, with one beauty on the hour mark which required a deft read and execution. The lineout also flourished where it now appears the trajectory of the hooker’s throw is all that will inhibit Ireland. On 43 minutes O’Mahony soared highest as the Irish target but Welsh wing-forward Aaron Shingler got up a fraction ahead of him to steal the ball. With the entire lineout functioning, the flight of the ball is all that can ensure safe arrival into Irish hands.
After three warm-up games, where are we on the World Cup cycle? Italy was irrelevant, ditto England and so too Wales – appalling scrum et al. It cranks up entirely this week against Wales, where we have five games remaining before the quarter-finals. Can Ireland prepare for that and get five big games out of key personnel? No, so how does Schmidt manage those resources? I expect the full monty on Saturday, and that will be the true test of Ireland’s use of the ball.
liamtoland@yahoo.com
