Ireland at the crossroads

QUITE where one starts to analyse Saturday’s events in Paris is anyone’s guess. It was one of the most remarkable games of international rugby I’ve witnessed.

With 48 minutes gone, Ireland were staring down the barrel of a defeat of historic proportions. To their unending credit, they responded with 28 unanswered points and turned a catastrophe into a comeback of an epic scale. Only their ineptitude in the first half proved too much to redress.

From the moment the final whistle went in Murrayfield last Sunday week, I could never see anything other than a French victory from this game.

When Bernard Laporte reacted with five changes to his side including recall from the international wilderness of former captains Raphael Ibanez and Olivier Magne, one suspected that Ireland would be in trouble.

To survive an international in Paris, it is imperative that you compete with the French in the opening 20 minutes. This is also the period when France go for broke in the scrum.

The mindset of the French forwards is built around the scrum. If they smell a weakness at that early stage, you're in trouble. If you survive, you have a chance.

From an Irish perspective, the opening quarter could not have been worse. The malaise started from the first scrum when Ireland had the put-in. Loose head Oliver Milloud was recalled for one purpose only he may lack the footballing skills of Sylvan Marconnet, but he is a ferocious scrummager.

Such was the intensity of the French hit that not alone were Ireland propelled backwards, France also succeeded in taking a ball against the head, a rarity in the modern game.

The French public appreciates the importance of the scrum and uniformly stood to acknowledge the significance of that opening effort.

A serious marker had been thrown down. From that moment onwards the Irish scrum was under constant pressure and Denis Leamy did remarkably well to generate any forward momentum when picking from the base.

When under pressure up front, it is imperative that your discipline and communication holds in defence. When Geordan Murphy missed a straightforward one-on-one tackle on Aurelien Rougerie for the opening try, the malaise quickly spread.

Numerous players were guilty of missing straightforward tackles and from an organisational perspective Ireland were at sea.

In far too many of their recent test matches, Ireland have started the game poorly. In effect they are handing the initiative to the opposition.

Their pre-match routine requires serious scrutiny by the management, as the team is too passive in the all-important opening phases. If Italy started the game comfortably last week, France couldn't believe how accommodating Ireland were in the opening quarter.

The contrast in the handling skills of the two teams was remarkable. In possession the French moved the ball through the hands with consummate ease. By way of contrast, Ireland lacked composure and suffered a serious case of white line fever any time they got within five metres of the French line.

When France added two further tries in the opening eight minutes of the second half, such was the magnitude of their lead they totally lost concentration. It was reminiscent of the 2003 World Cup quarter-final in Melbourne when they had the game won after 20 minutes.

Ireland took full advantage as the game descended into the realm of an international sevens tournament. Without any structure, the individual brilliance of Murphy, Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy came to the fore.

The introduction of Donnacha O'Callaghan and Simon Best also contributed hugely to a much-improved performance from the Irish forwards in the second half. In this respect, despite a shoulder injury, Paul O'Connell was an inspiration to those around him. Leamy and David Wallace were also magnificent.

In the fullness of time, the second half performance could well dictate the future development of these two teams.

Despite their undoubted brilliance, the opening two games of the Six Nations have shown that when France are put under pressure, their mental stability is questionable. New Zealand would never capitulate from such a position of strength.

Likewise, last Saturday's game encapsulated the best and worst aspects of Ireland's play at present. Under pressure, they are guilty of far too many errors and are prone to the concession of soft tries. At their creative best, they are a match for anyone.

The challenge for Eddie O'Sullivan is to build on the positives of the second half and exorcise the demons that contributed to a woeful opening 50 minutes.

This Irish team is now at a stage where it could irretrievably collapse or build on the free-flowing continuity game that almost yielded the most unlikely victory of all time.

With two home games to come against Wales and Scotland, the next three weeks will dictate the direction and future of everyone in this current Irish set-up.