Dismal Boks insult proud rugby heritage
Without taking anything from the merit of Ireland’s fully deserved victory, the woeful defending of the Springboks, especially in midfield, was one of the chief reasons for the remarkably one-sided affair.
It may well be a sign of the times when Irish fans are less than enthused by such a score line achieved against one of rugby’s traditional powers. It is also a positive sign of the rude health of the Irish game.
Both as a team and individually, they lived up to Paul O’Connell’s pre-match argument that if they were to entertain realistic ambitions of making a serious impression in next year’s World Cup, this was the time to start demonstrating that they had the measure of the top sides in the Southern Hemisphere.
However, the team fielded by Jake White on Saturday would be charged with serious infringement of the Trade Descriptions Act. The Springbok coach signed his own managerial death warrant, if you like, by leaving at least a half dozen of his top players at home.
What ensued was totally predictable. The Springboks defence, such as it was, bordered on the porous. The freedom enjoyed by D’Arcy not to mention the vastly improved Andrew Trimble and Shane Horgan in scoring the first and fourth tries would have been viewed as scandalous by any self respecting Springbok supporters. They must have closed their eyes in horror and disbelief at the manner in which Girvan Dempsey was allowed to run through virtually their entire side before sending Horgan over in the dying minutes.
“To be fair to these guys, it was the first time they played together as a unit,” claimed White in a desperate but unavailing attempt to paper over the cracks in his side and his own naivety in travelling with such a below standard squad. “It was always going to be tough going out against what must be remembered is an Irish team that has been together for a very long time.”
And with the Irish forwards providing fluent and refreshingly quick possession, Peter Stringer plying Ronan O’Gara with a flawless service, the number ten pulling the strings as only he can and the Springboks standing off in the tackle, the mystery is that the Irish didn’t score more than four tries. White and his think tank should also be grateful that Brian O’Driscoll was relatively quiet for otherwise the result could well have been of even more embarrassing proportions.
INTERESTINGLY, though, in their previous seventeen meetings, Ireland had never totalled more than eighteen points against the Boks and had beaten them only twice in that time. In that context, O’Sullivan was fully entitled to insist that he was “happy with the result and with the performance.” His players proved they possess the potential to put it up to John Connolly’s Australians on Sunday and to make a serious challenge for a Grand Slam in the Six Nations. Always depending, of course, that the keymen avoid injury and stay well.
When it comes to try scoring, Ireland usually look towards O’Driscoll and before him Denis Hickie but Saturday suggested that others have also discovered the knack. Andrew Trimble touched down the first and Marcus Horan the third — their fifth at this level. David Wallace scored Ireland’s second; it was his sixth in the green jersey. And the hugely impressive Horgan brought his tally to 17 to rub salt ever deeper into South African wounds.
So far, so good. O’Sullivan is now turning his thoughts to Sunday and the clash with Australia. Quite understandably, many are advocating change with a view to seeing what the likes of Bryan Young, Isaac Boss and Paddy Wallace, can bring to the party about nine months before the coach names a 30 strong World Cup squad. I suspect, though, that he will keep changes to a minimum in pursuit of another win over Southern Hemisphere opposition which would further boost self belief and morale.
“We’ve got to make the Southern Hemisphere sides know what we’re about,” insisted captain Brian O’ Driscoll. “We lost three times down there during the summer because we couldn’t sustain a level of performance right through over 80 minutes so to score the last try just after they had scored was the most pleasing aspect of the performance”.
O’Sullivan, quite understandably, shares that view. Trouble is that while there is strength in the back five of the pack and excellent cover as well, that is not the case in the front-row where the great hearted John Hayes yet again had to battle it out to the finish. Few members of the Irish side have more vocal critics but you still have to wonder what Ireland would do without this mountain of man.
The same applies to O’Gara at out-half. His pass to Trimble for the first try was nothing short of sublime and he accomplished so much more as well.
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