Young guns needed to spark Ireland revival

PAUL O’CONNELL and Marcus Horan argued after Saturday’s defeat for Ireland in Cardiff that this is not the end of an era and there are several players coming through to replace some of the older guys for whom the end of the road is nigh.

“There are people who weren’t here at all who are disappointed at not being involved,” Horan said.

“There is strength in depth in this squad.”

O’Connell agreed: “No one is talking of retirement. There are a lot of guys coming through in the positions of the older players.”

Brave words from two of the younger squad members, on whose shoulders much of the battle to reinstate self-belief and confidence in time for the autumn internationals will fall.

New Zealand and Australia come to Lansdowne Road in the autumn and there could hardly be two more difficult assignments, especially if coach Eddie O’Sullivan decides this is the time to look to the 2007 World Cup and to give some new boys a chance.

O’Sullivan said: “We weren’t able to cope with our injuries like the other countries.”

That is clearly due to a lack of alternatives coming through.

However, few would quibble with a back line of Geordan Murphy; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Denis Hickie; Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer.

With David Humphreys facing his 34th birthday, his race may well have been run and the alternatives to O’Gara, should he be unavailable for any reason, are not at all apparent.

Paddy Wallace fared well for the A side against France recently, but when Paul Burke was introduced as his replacement, one realised just how few young out-halves are coming through.

Likewise at scrum-half. Peter Stringer has only to stand up to be a shoo-in. Guy Easterby was one of only two replacements - the inexperienced Gavin Duffy the other - not to be introduced by O’Sullivan in Cardiff; enough said.

As for the three-quarter line, the game must be up for Kevin Maggs and Girvan Dempsey, with the management instead wondering what they can do to develop the talents of younger men like Tommy Bowe, Wallace, Duffy and Jeremy Staunton, while all the time bearing in mind the qualities of John Kelly, Anthony Horgan, Mark McHugh and David Quinlan.

No matter what O’Connell and Horan may claim, there are problems to be confronted in the front row of the scrum. Horan and Frankie Sheahan are obvious alternatives at loose head and hooker, but if the current trend continues, then John Hayes will have to labour away on the tight head side without any chance of a break.

Ulster’s Simon Best is mentioned but those in the know agree he is short of what is required.

Simon Easterby was an automatic choice throughout the championship and was never once replaced.

Eric Miller was called up for Johnny O’Connor and Anthony Foley, but never for Easterby. The strange thing is the options were numerous; Miller himself, Alan Quinlan especially, David Wallace and Roger Wilson all come to mind. When fit again, a strong case can be made for Denis Leamy. The great Anthony Foley will come under pressure and again there are suitable replacements. O’Connor has improved with each game but he knows that Keith Gleeson is back again from serious injury and ready to lay his claims for the number seven jersey.

So if the current back-row has struggled, at least there are others to take up the mantle. The same applies in the second-row where neither Paul O’Connell nor Malcolm O’Kelly will rest easily with Donncha O’Callaghan breathing down their necks.

He, Horan and Sheahan made a

difference when called in against the Welsh. There is potential further down the line, too, in Mark McCullough of Ulster, Bob Casey of London Irish and Leinster’s Leo Cullen.

Eddie O’Sullivan’s role, especially in the tactical area, and the captaincy qualities of Brian O’Driscoll, will come under scrutiny.

It is an unarguable fact that the side’s best performance of the Six Nations came against Scotland, when O’Connell was captain, which in turn coincided with a towering display by the Young Munster player.

Finally, let’s play the ever popular game of picking a Lions test team.

First, with the obvious exception of Jonny Wilkinson, we won’t consider anybody who retired from Six Nations action, such as Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back. Second, form in the championship should be paramount.

Here’s my XV: Thomas (Wales); Lewsey (England), O’Driscoll (Ireland), Shanklin (Wales), Robinson (Wales); Wilkinson (England), if fit, otherwise Jones (Wales), Peel (Wales); Jenkins (Wales), Davies (Wales), White (England), Kay (England), O’Connell (Ireland), Corry (England), Williams (Wales), Owen (Wales).