Dominic Crotty: Hope for the future

Former Ireland and Munster full-back casts his eye over Ireland's clash with England this weekend in the 2008 RBS 6 Nations.

A ragged Ireland hobbled to defeat last Saturday after what, for long periods of the game, may have been the team’s best performance of the 2008 RBS Six Nations.

By the end, the frustrated Irish rugby supporter was left, not for the first time in the last 12 months, wondering who had kidnapped the confident, inspired players that had started the game hunting in packs and replaced them with forlorn, isolated look-a-likes desperately trying to play rugby with a bar of soap; as the weather deteriorated, so did Ireland’s performance.

Once again, Ireland started the game at a cracking pace: Running great angles, taking risks, quickly recycling or offloading the ball in the tackle. Within a few minutes they had scored their best try of the season through the brilliant passing of Ronan O’Gara and the hard, intelligent running of the outside backs, aided in part by an overzealous English midfield defence.

When Rory Best made Ian Balshaw hold the ball in the tackle, Ireland were 10 points up inside seven minutes and had an air of confidence about them that this would be their day - instead Ireland would not score again.