Front-row issues not new or easily fixed
Bear in mind that all of those, with the notable exception of Alex Cuthbert, were at the World Cup for two weeks and two games longer than Ireland. Yet not only did they manage to carry the disappointment of that heart-breaking semi-final defeat to France and deal with the subsequent fallout from the Warburton sending off, but they came back with renewed enthusiasm and determination to surmount a potentially catastrophic run of injuries to capture the Grand Slam. Contrast that with the torture and abject pain etched on the faces of the Irish players after the nightmare afternoon they were forced to endure in Twickenham.
The last decade has been one of the most successful and decorated in the history of Irish rugby at international level but when compared to what Wales has achieved — three Grand Slams in eight seasons — it does make you realise we should have achieved more with the quality of player at hand. One Grand Slam for the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, John Hayes and Paul O’Connell seems a little sparse when you consider that Gethin Jenkins, Ryan and Adam Jones collected their third on Saturday. That is one more for each of them than Ireland have achieved in our entire rugby history.
The catalyst for this latest Welsh success is the extraordinary array of young talent that Warren Gatland has promoted over the last 12 months. The back row of new captain Sam Warburton (23), Toby Falatou (21) and Dan Lydiate (24) has the ability to drive this team for some time to come but it is the age profile of the back line that really stands out. George North, with 21 caps already, only celebrates his 20th birthday next month and, despite being a Lion three years ago, Leigh Halfpenny is only 23. Of the rest, Alex Cuthbert (21), Scott Williams (21), Jonathan Davies (23) and Rhys Priestland (25) have years ahead of them while the ‘veteran’ Jamie Roberts will not turn 26 until November. How good could they be when the next World Cup rolls up in England in three years time?
Gatland has never been afraid to trust youth, as evidenced by the selection of the famous five (Hayes, Easterby, Stringer, O’Gara and Horgan) against Scotland back in 2000 along with picking 19-year old Brian O’Driscoll in 1999. By and large, we prefer the slow burner route over here and the fact that Donnacha Ryan was 28 making his first Six Nations start against Scotland says something about our system. We must be more proactive. Just look at the freshness, vibrancy and appetite that Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony and Simon Zebo brought to the Munster set up this season, with two of that trio capped already.
It was a major plus to Gatland that the young Welsh players he gambled with were all massive physical specimens. That makes the transition easier. It also helps that he had the facility to introduce them with solid foundations in place. Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones were the twin foundations this Welsh pack was founded on. Those two along with the returning Matthew Rees were a proven Lions test front row combination in 2009 and the Welsh scrum offered the stability and platform that teams thrive on.
Ireland had a similar platform up to last Saturday when it all unravelled. Tom Court has taken a lot of flack for what happened at Twickenham but it was no surprise once he was asked to fill in at tight head. Contrary to what people think, the demands of playing on opposite sides of the scrum are totally different with far more pressure to absorb on the tight head side given that you are scrummaging against two players — the opposition loose head and the hooker. Conversely, the loose head is only scrummaging against one opponent and he is aided in that battle by working in unison with his hooker.
That is why all the most notable props who successfully switched sides at international level for Ireland (Syd Miller, Ray McLaughlin, Des Fitzgerald and Peter Clohessy) were tight heads first and foremost who switched to the comparative comfort of the loose head side. I remember talking at length to the Claw when Gatland and I initiated that switch back in 1998 and after a period of time he couldn’t believe the freedom it offered him. It also helped to extend his career by another few seasons.
The Irish management were crossing their fingers in every game that Mike Ross would last until at least the final quarter before having to make that switch. Introducing a player for the final 10 minutes to man the tight head side when the opposition have tired is totally different to coming in before the break when they have the chance to size you up.
There has been much frenzied debate about Ireland’s front row problems since last Saturday but this is not a new issue or one with a quick fix. The schools system has come in for much criticism given that scrums can only push 1.5 metres before conceding a free kick for the offence but people should be aware it is also a ruling worldwide for all Under 19 age grade rugby in the IRB law book, so every country has to deal with the issue.
There is also the misnomer that you have to be a 19 stone 6’5” man mountain to play tight head, which is a fallacy. The overuse and reliance on the scrummaging machine has meant that scrummaging has become a pushing contest with technique becoming less important. Yet some of the best tight heads in the business have been little pocket rockets. Look at what Paul Wallace, a comparatively small tight head, achieved against the giant Oz du Randt on the 1997 Lions tour. The best example of all is under our nose here in Munster. If you put John Hayes’ jersey on BJ Botha he would be swamped. Botha is a small man when compared to Hayes or Tony Buckley but he has honed his technique over years of playing against far bigger men in South Africa to the point where is one of the most difficult props in the world to scrummage against. Apart from what he has contributed to the Munster cause this season, his biggest legacy to the province could yet be the knowledge and technique he imparts to the next generation of budding Munster prospects at tight head in Stephen Archer, John Ryan and Alan Cotter. Those three should be told to live in Botha’s pocket for the next year and suck every possible bit of knowledge. Yet another reason why we cannot write off the prospect of overseas talent making their mark with the provinces here.
