Getting their act together

EVER since the words ‘golden generation’ began to be ascribed to the core of this Ireland team, one always wondered what heights they’d hit if Munster forwards and Leinster backs fused regularly in Six Nations or World Cup campaigns.

Certainly there have been some sublime performances in the past where the best attributes of both provinces combined to produce stunning displays — against England in Croke Park in 2007 or Australia in Lansdowne Road in 2006 are just two examples. But, on Saturday, against a quality France side, there was ample proof of two provinces blending to sometimes devastating effect.

There was grind, industry and discipline amongst the forwards, and flair and defensive prowess in the backs; patience and confidence also underlined the team’s general performance and, above all else, self-belief was coursing through their veins.

The contribution of the Ulster contingent — and Ospreys’ Tommy Bowe — cannot be discounted either, but admittedly the heart of this team has been built on the respective strengths of Munster and Leinster over the last eight years.

And yet to class them as simply ‘Munster forwards/Leinster backs’ is too simplistic: Ronan O’Gara’s distribution was instrumental in two of the game’s tries, slinging a wondrous pass to O’Driscoll for the latter’s try, while Tomás O’Leary’s delivery to Gordon D’Arcy needed to be at the right pace and angle to allow the Leinster man break the defensive line and dot down.

The O’Gara/O’Driscoll axis has always been a strong point in this Irish side, according to former Munster and Ireland international, Moss Finn.

“O’Gara always brings the best out of O’Driscoll in that he’s able to float the pass into the space and O’Driscoll can then hit the space. That telepathy they have built up over the years was at its brilliant best on Saturday. They’ve a wonderful understanding of each other’s strengths. O’Driscoll can do that playing with the Munster half backs. He plays better off the Irish half backs than the Leinster half backs.”

It was a display that had its imperfections and flaws and improvements are needed if they are to reach Wales’ level, but what Declan Kidney has managed to do is take the best attributes of the three provinces — Munster, Leinster and Ulster — integrate a game-plan and mould the team into a free-flowing unit.

Finn says the ‘Kidney Effect’ cannot be underestimated as Ireland search for Championship and Grand Slam glory. “Declan Kidney is absolutely wonderful at eliciting the best from players that are underneath him. He is very comfortable in his new role. He has picked his own team of coaches and is very happy with them.

“The whole atmosphere seems to be much happier and a happy camp and free-will see them play to their potential which they did.”

He added: “Even when Munster were winning Heineken Cups, Kidney has always said that Munster is about preparing players for Ireland. He kept on saying, ‘this is a stepping-stone for Ireland to be better’. Now he’s in the position to have them better, and I’m glad this golden era of players can listen to his philosophies of the game.

“But I wouldn’t go so far as to say Munster and Leinster combined because Ulster make a big contribution with Stephen Ferris, Rory Best and Paddy Wallace and Tommy Bowe of Ospreys. I wouldn’t see it as Munster-Leinster thing — I think that the whole camp appears to be much happier, and I feel that that was projected into their play.”

It also appears that Kidney doesn’t apply the game-plan as strictly as Eddie O’Sullivan once did; rather the former allows his players make decisions as they arise; essentially empowering them in high-octane clashes. On Saturday, it seemed to work.

“They have a plan but he allows O’Gara or Paul O’Connell or O’Driscoll make up their mind in situations — it isn’t a rule book,” says Finn. “He empowers them to make decisions, to go away from the plan if they wish and I think that’s very important.”

Kidney’s job was made that easier given that the provinces had arrived in camp off the back of largely positive performances in the Heineken Cup, but there must have been a fear that all that confidence generated at provincial level would evaporate as soon as they pulled on the green shirt.

And following the performances against Argentina and New Zealand in the autumn there was a general fear that Ireland’s Six Nations campaign might mirror those underpar displays. Former Leinster and Ireland prop forward Reggie Corrigan believes that the team needed time to find its feet.

“It was just transition the players were going through, and they needed to get a bit of confidence, bit of belief in the type of stuff that they were doing. Ireland showed great strength of character, defensively put in some great tackles driving the French lads back and turning over some ball. When they did get the bit of freedom the bit of openness they were willing to have a cut, things worked and things happened.

Corrigan added: “It had the mark of Declan Kidney but also a very patient feel to it. All around me in the stand people were panicking worrying, but you could see there was steadiness here in this Irish team.”

It looks like the very essence of Team Ireland has been born.