Reasons to be fearful

THERE can be no equivocating or refusal to face facts after this near horror for Irish rugby at the Stade Chaban Delmas last night. Ireland were awful, and deeply embarrassed by a Namibian side ranked 24th in the world and who were in no way flattered by running their vaunted opponents to a margin of 15 points when many good judges believed it would be three or four times that amount.

Argentina’s defeat of France has, of course, thrown Pool D of the World Cup into a state of chaos and it will be another couple of weeks or so before we fully realise the implications of this shambolic Ireland performance. They appear to have learned nothing from the warm-up game against Italy and, at this remove, it is impossible to foresee anything but difficult times ahead against France and Argentina. Qualification for the quarter-finals is a fanciful proposition unless something drastic happens — and quickly.

Coach Eddie O’Sullivan will have been alarmed by the considerable number of handling errors that cost points and tries in this most competitive of pools. And he will be even more upset at the way the Namibians were allowed to take control for long stretches of the second half when they might well have been out on their feet with Ireland leading by 27-3.