Feelgood factor has deserted Irish for Munster

IT was a depressingly familiar routine. Throughout the 1990s, Irish rugby’s grimmest decade, there was a Groundhog Day element to international Saturdays.

You’d brew the tea, fix the soup and sangers and plonk yourself in front of the box full of foolish optimism.

Two hours later, after another soulless defeat, you were left hoarse and hollow trying to erase the painful memories by watching the other Five Nations match featuring teams whose fate would not affect your physical well-being. Thankfully, Ireland’s fortunes turned with the century and delighted bellows became more commonplace than shouts of fury. Win or lose, following Ireland was always a noisy experience. That is no longer the case. I watched both Six Nations games this season in a sports bar surrounded by knowledgeable rugby followers and while the loss to France was greeted with a predictable, resigned silence it was quite a surprise to see a similarly muted reaction to the comprehensive win over Wales.

Many fans now find it hard to identify with the national side. Denis Hickie could be seen the other night presenting a Meteor award and Brian O’Driscoll, for all his protestations, seems to court a celebrity lifestyle of model girlfriends and hair alterations while his persistent plugging of Powerade during post-match interviews continues to irritate.

Another unavoidable fact is coach Eddie O’Sullivan’s failure to capture the hearts of the rugby public.

Although his “Dagger” nickname is totally unrelated, there were predictable conclusions drawn two years ago when Eddie, then the assistant coach, benefited from Warren Gatland’s shafting. He overcame the early ill-feeling by presiding over a period of sustained success but things have gone sour since the World Cup. The IRFU decision to award him a long-term contract backfired badly.

Meant as a confidence boost before the tournament, it de-motivated players out in the cold and was a kick in the teeth for O’Sullivan’s number two Declan Kidney.

Then there is the selection policy. Over the past couple of seasons, the likes of Victor Costello and Malcolm O’Kelly have been accumulating caps which should have gone the way of Trevor Brennan, David Wallace and Donncha O’Callaghan. There was the revolving door policy at out-half (which has hopefully been abandoned) and Guy Easterby’s consistent presence on the Irish bench.

The 33-year-old Rotherham scrum-half may be the squad “character” but calling him an international number 9 is not funny. In the wake of heavy defeat, there also seems to be a refusal to face reality. After our harrowing World Cup exit at the hands of France, the coach seemed to hide behind Keith Wood’s retirement rather than dwell on the fact that we were 37-0 down after 48 minutes.

Throw in Tony D’Arcy and the Mike McGurn, “will he go, will he stay?” saga and it is hard to escape the conclusion that the Irish camp has become a haven for intrigue.

The fans sense this and their passion seems to have become a provincial preserve. Prior to the Six Nations, the fervent hope down south was not that Ireland would capture the Grand Slam but that the Munster players would emerge unscathed for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup. Fans who would once have made the internationals the focus of their season are now hoarding funds in the hope of following Munster to Lansdowne Road and Twickenham in a few months’ time. Brian O’Donovan runs The Plough bar near Richmond in London and would ordinarily expect the Ireland-England clash in Twickenham to be one of his busiest weekends. “There’s no real buzz about this game,” he said yesterday. “Guys who I’d always expect to travel over tell me they are holding off and hoping to come over with Munster for the Heineken Cup final.”

There is a feelgood factor with Munster that seems to have deserted the Irish camp and begs the question: are Munster the new Ireland?

A win in Twickenham tomorrow would go a long way towards convincing the doubters that the current regime is the way to go. However, one supporter, overheard at an AIL match in Woodleigh Park last Saturday, has little confidence for tomorrow. “What time is Ireland’s game next Saturday” he was asked. “Four o’clock until ten past,” was his reply.