Irish lay the foundations for success
Denied the services of key personnel in Paul O’Connell and Brian O’ Driscoll, the team faltered in their absence, and it was disappointing at the time that none of the other experienced hands emerged from the ranks to fill the leadership void.
In the circumstances, new caps Andrew Tremble, Jerry Flannery and Rory Best had a tough introduction to the international scene but displayed sufficient promise to warrant further inclusion.
Others, such as Kieran Campbell and Matt McCullough were less fortunate.
Twelve months on and the confidence and self-belief within the current squad knows no bounds. While O’Driscoll and O’Connell, two of only four players along with John Hayes and Shane Horgan to feature in all three autumn tests, displayed their customary zeal, it was the willingness of some of the other senior pros to accept responsibility that proved the most telling factor this month.
In this context, the performances of Ronan O’Gara and Shane Horgan have elevated them to the top of the pile in world rugby. When it comes to managing a game, O’Gara has few peers. His decision-making and appreciation of what is required at any given time on the field makes him O’Sullivan’s most valuable asset at present.
While Horgan had an outstanding Six Nations campaign last season, culminating in that never-to-be-forgotten try against England which clinched the Triple Crown, his game has reached new heights this season. For a winger his work rate is phenomenal and he now performs more as a third midfield option.
His increased upper body strength has created problems for even the best marshalled defences and was highlighted by the manner in which he blew aside noted Pacific Islanders’ defenders Kameli Ratuvou and Seru Rabeni to score his second-half try.
The biggest difficulty for Eddie O’Sullivan over the coming months will be to manage the level of expectation that will undoubtedly follow the team to Croke Park and beyond. It is inevitable that talk of a Grand Slam and Championship will ensue. Already the players have recognised this but relish the prospect of coping with the additional pressure.
Given that South Africa and to a lesser degree Australia travelled with weakened sides, Ireland were correctly installed as favourites for both encounters. Yet the current squad had the mental strength to cope with such circumstances.
In many respects, it is just as well that Ireland face Wales and France in the opening two games of the Six Nations. The Welsh game in particular, given that it will be played at the Millennium Stadium, will help to focus the mind.
It is only two years since the Irish players where forced to adopt the role of bridesmaid when the Welsh accepted the Six Nation trophy in Cardiff. With the majority of their injured players now back in harness, they will provide stern opposition in the opening game. That said, I was disappointed with the inability of the Welsh to offer any stern resistance to New Zealand last Saturday.
There are those comforting themselves with the thought that the current All Blacks team may once again have peaked in the year prior to the World Cup. The bad news, in my opinion, is that this New Zealand side will improve even further next season. Graham Henry has learned from Ireland’s pre-season preparations and the majority of the current All Black squad now face a four-month break.
As a consequence, many of their players will miss the opening six games of next seasons Super 14 competition as they work on skills and individual conditioning.
The autumn window also provided the opportunity to study the well-being of Ireland’s World Cup pool opponents France and Argentina. French pride took a severe hammering given the manner in which they capitulated to New Zealand over the past few weeks.
With the absence of a playmaker at out-half, the flair and spontaneity that one always associated with French teams is sadly lacking at present. Their physical conditioning must also come under question given that they have capitulated in the last twenty minutes of many games in recent times.
Last season, having destroyed Ireland in the opening half of the championship clash at Stade de France, Ireland almost achieved a miracle recovery in the second period. Likewise against Argentina on Saturday, France barely scraped home having surrendered a 27-9 lead to win by just one point.
Argentina, with victories over England and Italy, will not be too upset to have lost to the French by the narrowest of margins. With more preparation time they will pose problems for any side, but a major plus for Ireland however is that their lineout still looks vulnerable.
Eddie O’Sullivan has a decision to make in respect of how he approaches the two tests against the Pumas at the end of the season. One suspects that much will depend on what is achieved by the national squad and the provinces in the forthcoming Six Nations and Heineken Cup campaigns.
In the meantime, the past two weeks have done much for the development process of the current squad. In all, 26 players achieved meaningful game time and, more importantly, sampled success against good quality opposition. Solid foundations have been laid for the business end of the season.