Ireland can visit Paris with spring in their step
It was a cracking game with the English crowd in raptures with the strides made by this emerging side since that dismal implosion in Cardiff last season.
Yet the possibility of the English players repeating that experience next weekend was all but blown away by events elsewhere over the weekend.
Ireland’s comprehensive win over Italy on Saturday has left them in pole position to claim the championship due to a vastly superior points differential.
In theory, France are still in contention for honours having cobbled three wins from their four outings, but would require a victory against Ireland and for Italy to do likewise against England in Rome.
Ireland’s abysmal record in Paris will be cited repeatedly all week, but I see no reason whatsoever why this Irish side should not travel with an expectation of victory.
It is well within their compass and head coach Joe Schmidt, with his inside knowledge of the game in France from his days with Clermont Auvergne, is in the perfect position to make it happen.
England, on the basis of their last two performances, will rue conceding that last-ditch try to France on the opening day as it would have seen them heading to the Stadio Olimpico with a Grand Slam on offer. They are growing in stature and that win over Ireland a fortnight ago has served to increase their belief even further. They were magnificent against Wales yesterday, with the performance of Courtney Lawes elevating second row play to a new level.
Everything about Saturday’s game in Dublin revolved around the enormous character and presence that Brian O’Driscoll has brought to Irish rugby over the last 15 years.
All of a sudden tickets for this fixture were as rare as an Irish win over the All Blacks. In previous years, you couldn’t give them away.
I have never seen a Test occasion so emotionally dominated by a player. Even the Italians had the grace to applaud O’Driscoll on his final home appearance when he emerged on his own from the tunnel to a rapturous ovation from the entire stadium.
It must have been very difficult for the iconic centre to shut out the unbridled emotion that was pouring down from the stands but that is exactly what he achieved with another memorable performance that had everything bar a try to add to the 46 he has accumulated in an Irish shirt, one of many records he now holds. He did, however, contribute three crucial try-scoring assists. Perhaps he’s saving the try for Paris. Don’t bet against it.
It was a strange day all round, with the carnival atmosphere in evidence from the minute O’Driscoll appeared on the field for the pre-match warm up. The game itself bore no resemblance to the traditional slugfest we have come to expect against Italy and for that much credit must go to the visiting coach Jacques Brunel. He has sought to expand the way Italy play with a shift away from their forward-orientated approach.
With young backs of the quality of Leonardo Sarto, Michele Campagnaro and Angelo Esposito you can understand why he has taken this approach. The problem is that they have nothing like the conditioning base that Ireland have accumulated over the past few years and when forced to play at the sustained pace and tempo that the home side produced throughout this magnificent spectacle, it was only a matter of time before they would wilt under the excellence of their opponents all out attacking strategy.
Unfortunately for the Italians, their skill levels are not quite up to the level of the running game they are attempting to produce, even if you have to admire their effort and desire to play with ball in hand.
In the end it contributed to their downfall as Ireland were always going to come out on top in a free-flowing, end to end extravaganza.
Schmidt judged his one to perfection, even to the point of having the confidence to make a triple switch 12 minutes after the break when introducing Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin and Rhys Ruddock.
That declaration of faith in the younger brigade spread throughout the side and enabled Ireland to stick to their plan of winning the game first before extending the margin of victory in the final quarter.
The brave Italians deserved more for their troubles than such a hiding and were left with nothing to show for their efforts other than a tournament record of 215 tackles made. That in itself is an extraordinary effort but the danger from an Irish perspective is that it is likely to have emptied their reserves of stamina before facing England.
Ireland may require the Azzurri to defend with the same zeal they displayed for long periods in Dublin in order to prevent England registering a cricket score before they take to the field at the Stade de France. The only consolation is that Stuart Lancaster’s men have a six-day turnaround.
Ireland’s record in Paris is appalling but the rugby gods may yet conspire to deliver a rare victory in a city that has offered nothing but heartache and pain for Irish fans for far too long.
The respective results over the weekend now afford O’Driscoll the opportunity to bow out on the stage that announced him to the world almost 14 years ago to the day in the most appropriate of ways, lifting silverware.
From the players’ perspective they will be satisfied that the destiny of this championship remains steadfastly in their own hands.
Paris in the spring may carry a silver lining after all.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
