A lesson Marcus needs to learn
England, fielding only one survivor from their World Cup final side of seven months ago and just four from the 33-11 defeat of Ireland in their last international in March, enter the fray this weekend in Auckland.
That level of player turnover demonstrates the demands on players in a World Cup season. Ireland have survived relatively unscathed but the level of attrition at this level is taking its toll.
It is now 29 years since Fergus Slattery led Ireland to a tour victory over one of the SANZAR nations despite 24 attempts. Even the best Irish internationals have only sampled the adrenalin rush that accompanies such moments in a Lions jersey. It remains the biggest anomaly of the professional era for Irish rugby.
Unfortunately, next weekend will be no different. This Ireland squad is in a difficult place since decamping in Melbourne earlier in the week. Going into this Test, Ireland needed momentum and the only way of providing that was with a historic win over New Zealand last Saturday.
Ireland had their opportunities but in the end were derailed by a complete systems failure in the line-out and a lack of discipline at the breakdown which was ruthlessly punished by an otherwise out of sorts Dan Carter.
The final game of any tour is always fraught with danger, and even more so in Ireland’s current set of circumstances. This group of players have being going flat out for the last 12 months since regrouping in Spala, Poland in preparation for the World Cup. While the interim period has brought moments to savour, particularly for the Munster and Leinster contingent, their experience at international level has been eminently forgettable.
When they look around the room at the team meeting in an effort to refocus their attention on what is likely to be a hungry group of Australians — not only looking for redemption for their personal World Cup woes but also keen to impress new Kiwi coach Robbie Deans — they see a management team that won’t be around when the squad reassembles in August.
This is a very difficult situation for the interim management team which has handled itself impeccably since coming together for the game against the Barbarians three weeks ago. Both Michael Bradley and Niall O’Donovan must not only cope with the uncertain nature of where their coaching jobs are next season but must also provide leadership and direction for a talented group of players on their last legs after the emotional rollercoaster of a season.
Before Saturday’s test they will firstly have to look back at the issues which ultimately cost them a first ever victory over an extremely nervous and vulnerable looking All Blacks side. The manner in which the New Zealand players punched the air at the final whistle said everything about the tension surrounding their camp.
In the unforgiving conditions that prevailed in the Wellington storm, control and precision out of touch was always going to be a key element. The fact that Ireland lost six of their 17 throws deprived them of the necessary platform to control territory.
When one looks back to Munster’s success in the Heineken Cup final against Toulouse, the dominance of Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell and Alan Quinlan over their much vaunted opponents was a key element in that success. On this occasion even the All Blacks were stunned at their dominance, given the loss of specialist jumpers Chris Jack and Keith Robinson since the World Cup.
With Jim Williams at the helm of Australia’s forwards, Ireland will face an even more difficult task on Saturday.
Williams knows the Munster system inside out and is sure to have briefed Nathan Sharpe, Rocky Elsom and co as to the areas to attack. Quinlan’s unfortunate absence will not help.
The biggest disappointment in last Saturday’s performance was the ill-discipline at the breakdown and the failure to cope with the irrepressible Richie McCaw. Nobody in the international game influences the breakdown more than the All Blacks skipper and on a day when New Zealand needed leadership, McCaw was the one who stood out like a beacon. Without him, Ireland could well have won.
All season Marcus Horan’s all too frequent bouts of ill-discipline threatened to prove costly in a big game. Last Saturday was that day. Defending heroically and having won a penalty to clear their lines Horan’s stupid punch on McCaw not only led to a reversal of the referee’s decision but also provided Carter the opportunity of putting the All Blacks in the lead the first time.
Offered that chink of light, the Blacks grew in confidence and within minutes produced the match-clinching try from Ma’a Nonu. The look on Paul O’Connell’s face when Horan protested his innocence said everything one needed to know. There are times when you need to take a punch for your team and hold your counsel. Horan badly needs to learn that lesson.
Despite the difficulties debated here last week facing the southern hemisphere teams off the field, the big three still reign supreme.
Warren Gatland was wondering after Wales’ Grand Slam where his team sat on the world stage. The ease with which South Africa blew them away on the high veldt, despite only selecting five of their World Cup winning side, provided him with a sobering eye-opener.
The measure of both teams will come from the manner in which they bounce back this Saturday. Argentina’s narrow win over Scotland (despite fielding a largely second string) at least offered Ireland’s incoming coach Declan Kidney some measure of solace as Ireland attempt to hold off our Celtic cousins from leapfrogging us into the top eight world rankings which could have such an influence on World Cup draw next December.
Ireland’s best opportunity to take something from this tour was last Saturday. That defeat has left the squad with a mountain to climb as this marathon season finally reaches closure. It now appears that Ireland will finish where they started against Scotland on August 11 last, with a defeat, their eighth of the season. Neither Wales nor England are likely to fare any better.
