Power of positive thinking

FROM the sublime to the Soviets.

On the back of Ireland’s greatest World Cup performance and victory against Australia, as an encore Declan Kidney’s men had to recharge the batteries and face a challenge from the opposite end of the spectrum.

Sandwiched in between the must-win final Pool C game against Italy in Dunedin on Sunday, it was imperative that Ireland maintain their focus to deal with the task in Rotorua against Russia.

They did just that.

Kidney was aware that a fresh spark was required and sought to ignite it by making nine changes to the side that swamped Australia.

In squad terms this was the time for those on the periphery of the first XV to take responsibility, maintain the high standards set in Auckland last weekend but also to show the management team that they are primed and ready to go if required.

As Australia are now discovering, injury could yet play a vital role in the aspirations of many teams in this tournament.

With a potential first RWC semi-final looming next month, there is every possibility Ireland could go into the biggest game in our World Cup history shorn of some key personnel. So for many it is time to stand up and be counted.

For the third game in a row Ireland arrived at the stadium accompanied by a torrential downpour and while that may have proved advantageous against Australia last weekend it was not what they wanted on this occasion.

Thankfully, it failed to dampen their ambition and overall Kidney has every reason to be happy.

Just think back four years to Ireland’s performances against Namibia and Georgia in Tests equivalent to this one and the difference could not be more marked.

Many of the Irish players, deprived of starting positions to date, took their chance to remind Kidney of their talents — none more so than man of the match Ronan O’Gara.

Russia were blown apart in the opening half due to the fact that their set-piece was shocking.

Their scrum in particular has been a disaster area all tournament and struggled again until Tony Buckley was asked to switch to the loosehead side.

He has never made a success of playing on that side of the scrum.

The most pleasing aspect of this performance from Ireland was the offloading and interplay between backs and forwards.

While players such as Sean Cronin and Donncha Ryan will not start in the big games, they displayed the ball skills and stepping ability which compliment the way Ireland want to play. Ryan, with game time in both the second and back rows, was outstanding.

O’Gara’s display will open the out-half debate once again but Jonny Sexton will probably start against Italy.

The only issue that may impact on that decision is that O’Gara’s place kicking is more consistent than Sexton’s at present. Playing against Italy, with their penchant for giving away penalties, it is imperative that those indiscretions are punished to the full.

Another positive for Ireland is that the way has now been cleared for the squad to focus totally on that key game against the Italians in Dunedin on Sunday.

Italy don’t have that luxury just yet as they meet the USA tomorrow in Nelson, thus giving them a much shorter preparation time for their key fixture of the pool.

Ireland must maximise the time at their disposal given the rewards on offer.

The other major plus from yesterday’s contest was a clean bill of health which is astonishing given the attrition levels suffered by some teams.

Rob Kearney and Cian Healy — magnificent for the second game in a row — did take nasty knocks but appear fine. By scoring nine tries, Ireland have rediscovered the art of keeping the ball alive through several phases and improved their handling ability, something that looked beyond them against the Americans a fortnight ago.

Much has changed since that opening game with that momentous win over the Wallabies now opening all sorts of possibilities for this group.

Given that the Italian match is the final game of the tournament’s pool stage, Ireland will be fully aware of what they need to do to guarantee a first quarter-final appearance since 2003 before they take to the field.

At this stage a fourth successive pool win looks like resulting in a shoot-out against Warren Gatland’s Welsh side in the quarter-finals, with a first ever semi-final against either England or France the reward for the victors.

Ireland’s progression from week to week has been impressive and the fact that all of the squad, with the exception of Jerry Flannery’s replacement Damien Varley, have now sampled game time, will only add to the sense of belonging within the group. At this stage in 2007 Ireland’s World Cup campaign was in disarray. Right now things could not be better.

PERFORMANCE of the weekend?

Plaudits on this front have to go to New Zealand who, despite looking vulnerable and a little nervous in the opening minutes, gave the most complete display of the tournament so far. France failed to turn up for this one and were filleted.

Four years ago in that fateful quarter-final win in Cardiff; they faced the Haka with a third of their squad wearing either a blue, white or red tee shirt in the formation of their national flag. It delivered a statement.

On this occasion, with the All Blacks launching the Ka Ponga version of the Haka for the first time in the tournament — they usually mean business when they unveil that — the French stood like lambs to the slaughter, resigned to their fate. Marc Lievremont is playing a dangerous game.

He is convinced that the French would not beat New Zealand twice in the same tournament and was holding something in reserve for another day.

The question now, however, is how much psychological damage has been inflicted in the minds of his temperamental squad after this comprehensive defeat. England or Ireland could yet be the beneficiaries of Lievremont’s latest bout of tinkering. Only time will tell.