The Generation Game

THE MORE you distance yourself from the events of Stade de France 10 days ago, the more the feeling grows that the opportunity for an all-too-rare victory in the French capital was spurned.

In the interim, there has been a measure of relief and satisfaction that Ireland showed considerable composure in recovering a 20-point deficit when a sizeable French victory looked very much on the cards.

If Paris is to prove a turning point in what, up to that stage, has been a torrid season in the international jersey, then Saturday’s game again Scotland offers the perfect opportunity to increase the pace of this team’s rehabilitation.

On the evidence of the championship to date, Scotland appear the ideal opposition for any team looking to boost confidence levels. In their two outings, Frank Hadden’s team has offered nothing in attack and look bereft of inspiration and imagination.

For a team that was tipped to open the campaign with a win over an inexperienced and vulnerable French side, the manner and comprehensive nature of that opening day defeat seems to have impacted hugely on the psychological make up of the team.

The question now with Scotland is whether they can summon sufficient pride in their own performance to trouble Brian O’Driscoll’s team.

If Scotland have had difficulty scoring tries with just one in their last five games, Ireland has also struggled in that department, particularly behind the scrum. Of the three tries scored in their two games, two were products of the set piece — a penalty try from the scrum and a close-in lineout drive by David Wallace — both against France. Girvan Dempsey’s touch down against Italy is the sole return from a back division who for years produced tries for fun.

This game affords Ireland the opportunity of removing the shackles and exposing a Scottish defence that has looked vulnerable in this tournament. Right now this Scottish team is between a rock and a hard place. From the moment of his appointment two years ago, Hadden set out to beef up his forward unit, dominate possession and territory and rely on the metronomic boot of Chris Patterson for points. While Scotland enjoyed initial success going down this route, the one-dimensional nature of their game has now been exposed. The problem is, when the Scots are matched up front their options are severely limited.

While their forwards have piled on the poundage in the gym, that increased power has only had a limited effect. Take the hooker, Ross Ford as an example. Against Wales, I couldn’t help but notice the size of his biceps as he threw into the lineout. They were bigger than the match ball! Yet that increased power impacted on both his mobility and flexibility and was no addition as the considerably lighter James Hook handed him off for a crucial Welsh try in the second half. The lack of a play-maker at out half has also curtailed their effectiveness and the most significant change in Hadden’s armoury for Saturday’s game is the reintroduction of Patterson at No 10 at the expense of Dan Parks.

This suggests an alteration in their game plan in favour of the all-action, side-to-side continuity game favoured by both Glasgow and Edinburgh in the Magners League and Heineken Cup. The selection of the more mobile Scott MacLeod in the second row over the giant Jim Hamilton re-enforces this view.

The trouble is Patterson has been tried in this role before without any lasting success. More recently when his new club Gloucester played him at out half against Ulster in the Heineken Cup and last weekend against Bristol when they were beaten 29-26, he failed to get the back line functioning. In the Ulster game it was the introduction of Ryan Lamb that signalled a reaction from Gloucester.

The return to the side from injury of Rory Lamont and Simon Webster will facilitate a change to a more expansive game with Webster positioned at outside centre in an effort to bolster a midfield sadly lacking in creativity.

The inability of new cap Nick De Luca to reproduce excellent club form on the international stage in his first two caps has been a blow to Hadden as the Scots clung to the belief that they had unearthed a midfield gem. He has been demoted to the bench but his time will come.

The formation of their back row is still in doubt but the loss of the captain Jason White is a serious blow for which the likely return of Ally Hogg will offer little comfort.

The challenge for the Irish pack is to build on their excellent showing in the second half in Paris both in terms of set piece dominance and producing quick ball at the break down. Mick O’Driscoll’s contribution to that second half revival is now rewarded with a starting place — plus any reserves bench with Paul O Connell on board is sure to offer serious impact, fitness permitting.

Having grown used to seeing the names of Horgan, Hickie, Stringer, Murphy and D’Arcy in an Irish back-line, it will be interesting to see how the next generation of Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Eoin Reddan and Rob Kearney combine as a new attacking unit. It is only a matter of time before Luke Fitzgerald joins that quartet.

With the pressure eased slightly after Paris and the Scots clear underdogs, this Irish side must make sure that their mental preparation for this game is spot on. Scotland are fighting for respectability, a cause that is sure to extract the best from them.

Of even more importance is the fact that they will harbour no inhibitions against this group of Irish players against whom they have performed well in recent provincial and national encounters.

Ireland will win but the Scots will fight for every inch. It will be closer than is generally predicted.