In search of less tangible rewards

THERE may not be any silverware on offer for Ireland at the Aviva Stadium but there is an awful lot besides resting on the outcome of their RBS 6 Nations finale with England this evening.

Never mind about the visitors’ hopes of securing a first Grand Slam since the one achieved on the same pitch eight years ago, unpredictable Ireland are desperately in need of a great leap forwards to send them to the Rugby World Cup this autumn with ambitions of more than just getting out of their group in New Zealand.

The Ireland players and management may well have cause to bemoan the try that should never have been against Wales last week in Cardiff and a near miss against France in match two that prevents them from going head to head with England in a Grand Slam decider. But the fact that the home side’s role will be simply one of party pooper is a position entirely of their own making.

The problems highlighted in this championship by Declan Kidney’s team, for the most part Grand Slam winners just two years ago, have been raked over time and time again yet keep reappearing to scupper the try-scoring progress made with ball in hand.

Only England have scored more tries in this year’s Six Nations and man for man there is little to choose between the sides. The difference appears to be what’s inside the heads of these Ireland players is preventing them from being the sum of their parts and delivering the 80-minute performance that we keep hearing is about to be delivered.

On reflection, the 19-13 loss to Wales saw many positives in Ireland’s progression towards a team capable of competing on the highest stage. There were periods of attacking flair, a solid set-piece and defensive structures that have been the one consistently impressive thing about Irish play throughout this championship.

And yet. Ireland, though dealt a raw deal at the hands of referee Jonathan Kaplan and linesman Peter Allan over the decision to let Mike Phillips’ try stand when it was clearly illegal, were the architects of their own downfall, by poor decision-making and sloppy play.

The lack of clear-thinking seems to be affecting some players worse than others and Jonny Sexton, coming on surprisingly early for starting fly-half Ronan O’Gara in Cardiff, seems to be suffering more than most.

His 50th minute introduction was marked by the poor kick for field position that led to Phillips’ controversial score and he also missed a penalty kick well within his range but it was more his persistence with the boot, seemingly abandoning his running instincts that was the more surprising.

Still a player with his best to come, Sexton appears to be conflicted in his approach to the game and yet he has been chosen to start against England at the expense of the in-form O’Gara. That cannot be good for him or Ireland with the World Cup less than six months away.

Are Ireland still top class, Kidney was asked yesterday? “Yeah, I think we are a good side,” he said. “Obviously we are just working on bringing that consistent 80-minute performance, that’s what we are aiming towards and I have seen improvements again this week and that’s what we are looking forward to tomorrow.

“How close is it? It can be a bounce of a ball, we have learned that over the past couple of years but you don’t want to be depending on luck. Luck will only factor into it if you get yourself into contention. We have been in contention in a few matches and we just need to learn how to finish it off without depending on luck.”

There is no doubt that the 15 and bench Kidney will send out tonight is capable of beating this England side. A mediocre Scotland team showed how to frustrate the previously swashbuckling English with in-your-face defence and terrifically accurate scavenging at the breakdown.

A much better equipped Ireland must finally deliver that 80-minute performance and at the last meaningful opportunity before the World Cup in September do themselves justice.

“Granted, it mightn’t quite have happened for us and we’ve run out of games: this is the last one in the championship,” captain Brian O’Driscoll said yesterday. “But I think we feel because of the hard work that goes in, if you keep working as hard as we have done, and it hasn’t happened, well it eventually it will happen.

“We’ve been good for 30, 40 and 50 minutes in games, but not the full 80.

“If we keep working hard during the week and talking about the things we have to get right, eventually it will happen. I genuinely feel that performance is in us, and it’s waiting to get out.”