Ireland’s front-row has talent to Byrne

IF there’s one thing that riles Shane Byrne it’s criticism of Ireland’s front row.

A mere mention of the topic and the 33-year-old hooker launches into a passionate defence of himself and his two colleagues at the coalface.

With Argentina's monster front row providing the opposition at Lansdowne Road this evening, questions are again being asked as to whether their Irish counterparts are up to job.

Byrne is fed-up of the whispers.

"This Irish front row is as good as there is around," he says boldly.

"We actually get quite a laugh out of the criticism."

"We see all the stats for the games and then you hear people saying, 'the Irish front row were in trouble again'. And you think to yourself were they watching the same game we were playing in? John Hayes is one of the strongest men I've ever come across and when he gets things right, he gets things right.

"Reggie is one of the most intelligent scrummagers I've played with. I'd be happy to go with these guys against any front row in the world. And we've done that against nearly every top team in the world."

Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma and Omar Hasan are the men that face Corrigan, Byrne and Hayes this evening.

All three have huge frames, even bigger reputations and they ply their trade with Stade Francais, Castres and Toulouse in possibly the most physically demanding league in world rugby. Byrne is well aware of how highly the trio are regarded.

"It makes you focus extra when you're up against guys likes these," he says.

"I'm not saying it makes you focus, because you are focused already, but it makes you absolutely realise that you can't show a weak side, not even once.

"That's the thing with these big front rows, there's no in-between anymore. You're either on top of them or they'll murder you, that's the way it works.

"You just have to be on top of your game, on top of them and if all that happens, they'll start to question themselves.

"The South Africans would have expected to do a job on us. The more and more that's not happening, you're not only tiring them out, you're also helping the psyche of your team.

"I know the game has changed and the backs do all the flashy stuff, but rugby's still a basic game when you come down to it and when your front row is beating theirs, it has quite a psychological effect."

Naturally enough Byrne sees today's game as one that will be won and lost up front and in a lot of ways, he draws parallels with the South Africa game two weeks back.

"I don't think the challenge is any different for me and the pack as it was against South Africa," he says.

"They're going to big, strong men and the only way to beat them is to get right up in their face and not give them an inch.

"I'm getting pretty used to having everyone bigger than me, it's happening a lot with teams, but that's the way it is. We don't have that genetic stock like these other countries do.

"But that just shows the quality of the players we have, that we're able to stand up and able to rise above it. We may be batting a couple of stones down but we'll make sure every stone we have counts."

This evening's game may not have the same importance as last year's winner-takes-all World Cup game but Byrne sees the worth in winning it nonetheless.

Victory today would set Ireland up nicely for a crack at the Six Nations Championship next spring and continue the team's excellent recent record at Lansdowne Road.

"No matter who we'd be playing this week it would be important. We don't want to lose at Lansdowne Road. We've only lost once here in two years. It's becoming a great place to play and the atmosphere's fantastic.

"We never want to lose in a green jersey."