Joey Carbery shows calm in the Paris cauldron

Ireland's Joey Carbery comes up against Anthony Jelonch of France. Picture: INPHO/Billy Stickland

Welcome to the Jungle

Joey Carbery’s elevation to the Irish XV at the weekend prompted all sorts of questions about the Munster pivot’s readiness for the fray. It’s true that this first Six Nations start was a significant step up, and one he negotiated excellently, but he wasn’t the only man to have been shepherded beyond his comfort zone.

Nine of Andy Farrell’s 23-man squad had never played a major Test game away from home in front of a raucous crowd before. Even Finlay Bealham with his 18 caps coming in to this one had only played at Stade de France and Twickenham when the great arenas stood empty of supporters because of Covid.

This will stand to Carbery and the rest of them.

Let’s (not) get physical

Ireland’s ability to hang on in there deserves recognition but the evidence of the first half again showed how susceptible they are to an opponent that can align speed, athleticism, and a breakdown nous with that key ingredient: power. It’s a conundrum that still confounds the group’s best brains and bodies.

Ten of the starters in Paris were Leinster players who have suffered similarly at the hands of Saracens and La Rochelle — although they did get the better of a similarly-sized Exeter Chiefs outfit — while Ireland have come up short against France and England on this sort of form as well. It’s not like they’re alone in that.

New Zealand folk have been wringing their hands about the same sort of deficit for a while now but there’s not much comfort in sharing such august company. Ireland will be back in Saint-Denis in 17 months’ time and facing a South African side that is the original of this species. The clock is ticking.

Ireland’s ‘D’ doing just fine

Let’s not forget that Ireland outscored France by three tries to two. That they did it by hanging on by the skin of their teeth at times doesn’t take away from the fact that their ‘D’ is proving to be a crucial component and maybe one that is overlooked by many. Andy Farrell said after the cruise against Wales that his team’s work without the ball was, by a country mile, the most pleasing thing about that performance, and Ireland’s defence has been mightily impressive ever since he took over.

The team has played 21 times under the Englishman and conceded just 38 five-pointers. That’s a rate of less than two per game. For all the praise afforded to men like Shaun Edwards and Scotland’s Steve Tandy, Simon Easterby is doing a fine job.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

Chris Robshaw took endless stick 10 years ago after opting for the posts when England were 16-12 down to the Springboks with two minutes to go. Three years later and he copped more flak after opting for a kick to the corner when Stuart Lancaster’s men were three down against Wales in the dying seconds.

It took just 24 seconds from the time Angus Gardner blew his whistle to the moment James Ryan signalled Ireland’s intention to go for the sticks at 27-21.

There were nine-and-a-half minutes still to play and they were six points adrift. Iain Henderson was one of four players in the vicinity and he clearly expressed the view that three points were the way to go.

Rob Kearney felt it was the right call, Shane Horgan didn’t. The Virgin TV pundits were fairly typical of the debate that raged after but, as with Robshaw, it was a call inevitably coloured by the fact that Ireland ultimately lost. That’s the gig: win and you’re a genius, lose and brace for the incoming.

Sheehan slips seamlessly into the fray

It was inevitable that Ireland’s vaunted front row would find life tougher in Paris after all the praise directed their way the previous week. In fairness to Tadhg Furlong, he did point out that his partnership with Andrew Porter and Ronan Kelleher was in its infancy.

They managed only 26 minutes on the pitch as a unit this time before Kelleher had to exit. Unfortunate, obviously, but the performance of Dan Sheehan for the remaining 50-plus minutes only solidified the suspicion that those two hookers will be pulling on the opposite sleeve of the same shirt for club and country for some time to come.

The only issue is that Sheehan’s level of comfort, in what was only his fourth appearance, cast an unfavourable light on shortcomings elsewhere given Farrell opted to leave Porter and Furlong on until the 73rd minute against a French front row that was replaced en masse after 55.

Cian Healy is 34 now and on the back end of an exceptional career. Bealham is a solid operator, but not near the level of Furlong. Ireland could do with a few more Dan Sheehans to beef up the competition on the tighthead and loosehead sides in the years to come.