It’s time for Eddie to hold up his hand and admit his mistakes

A FEW weeks ago, in a ‘Where are they now’ piece on the Kilkenny/Limerick teams from the 1973/74 All-Ireland finals, I wrote that in 1974 Nicky Orr was the first Protestant to captain a Kilkenny team to an All-Ireland title.

> I was wrong. Nicky Orr is and always was Catholic, and I apologise to him for getting it wrong.

Nothing against Protestantism, of course, but religion is very personal. The information was given to me in good faith, printed in good faith, but it was incorrect.

All you can do is put your hand up, admit your error, apologise.

There’s another guy this week who should be putting his hand up. Immediately after the end of last Sunday’s World Cup loss to Argentina, TV3 reporter Sinéad Kissane asked Eddie O’Sullivan if, in light of the Irish performances in their pool, he would now consider his position, even with his new four-year contract in his back pocket.

Not a chance, says Eddie, giving her one of those Eddie killer-looks as he eventually walked away from what was a short interview. How dare you ask me that question, that was the inference, how dare you.

Fair dues to you Sinead, I thought, fair dues to you, because that is only the final question in a whole series of tough questions that the Irish coach should have to answer, following this World Cup.

I don’t like hysteria, I don’t go in for blood-letting simply because your team hasn’t done what you expected them to do in a certain competition, but there are definite issues here.

A man’s job is at stake, a man’s professional reputation, and I don’t take that lightly.

Mistakes are an integral part of O’Sullivan’s job, just as they are part of mine, but surely, there are limits.

Eddie O’Sullivan is fond of talking about performance, about getting the job done, about ticking all the boxes; what about his performance in this World Cup, did he get the job done, did he tick all the boxes?

Let’s examine, let’s itemise those boxes, ask the questions the IRFU should be asking the Irish coach this week, before they gave him a contract extension that takes him to the next World Cup.

As coach, did you, Eddie O’Sullivan: Develop a full 30-man squad over the last four years, giving players serious game-time in different positions?

Have cover for every position on the field, the pivotal positions especially, in the event of injury or loss of form?

Use that squad in its entirety during the four pool games, letting every player know he was needed, putting the leading players under pressure to perform in every game?

Have this team operating at its peak for the World Cup, both physically and mentally?

Use your bench to its maximum potential in every game?

Have a game-plan to counter every opponent, backup game plans if plan A didn’t work?

Know exactly what was required from every game, for Ireland to qualify for the quarter-finals?

These are some of the questions Eddie should now have to answer; can he tick the ‘Yes’ box to all those questions? Can he tick the ‘Yes’ box to any of them?

Eddie O’Sullivan has an abundance of talents, not least his work ethic. He’s intelligent, analytical, an organiser, a leader; he’s honest, conscientious, lots more besides. Sometimes, however, even with all his talents, a fella can simply be in the wrong job. I believe that’s the case here.

Over the years since his appointment, I’ve disagreed many times with Eddie’s team selections.

Well before a ball was kicked in this World Cup, it was almost universally pointed out that he hadn’t picked an out-and-out seven, that we were going in with a guy who had been injured for several months, and no specialist back-up.

That cost. Then, against what turned out to be four abrasive packs, he left probably the most abrasive player in Irish rugby, Alan Quinlan, sitting in the stands for all four games.

He has blind spots, has Eddie O’Sullivan, huge blind spots. Bob Casey anyone? One of the most feared and respected second-rows in the English Premiership, still only 28, can’t even get a look-in with Ireland.

Out-half cover? Stringer going from first-choice to nowhere in one game?

Geordan Murphy? Through the last four years, while every major rugby nation was trying to build cover in every position, Eddie was trying to win games, even the challenge games.

Think back to last autumn — Australia played Matt Giteau at second half against us, South Africa had Habana in the centre, experimenting.

I still believe in this team, in these players, in the players that are coming on stream. If one or two key men hadn’t performed in the World Cup you could probably point a finger at that player, but name me one Irish player who played to his potential in the four games? In three of the four games? In two? Just one Irish player — name one. I can’t, and that’s an indictment not of the players, but of their coach.

This was a glorious opportunity for Irish rugby to make a name for itself.

We blew it. Last week in this column I said that when it was all over, someone would have to account for the failure. Put your hand up, Eddie O’Sullivan.

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