Donal Lenihan: Ireland will be all the better for second half stress test

THREE opening round away victories for the first time in the tournament's history signalled a captivating start to this year’s Six Nations.

SIX NATIONS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

SIX NATIONS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

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The headlines were nearly rewritten by the Italians who went within a whisker of shocking Grand Slam holders France who just about prevailed by five points in Rome. Whether that will prove a help or a hindrance to Ireland in Dublin next weekend we will have to wait and see.

For Ireland, a drought is over having finally delivered a Six Nations win over the Welsh in Cardiff for the first time since 2013. Given the growing list of achievements being chalked up by this group of Irish players, getting a traditional stumbling block out of the way marks the perfect launch to Ireland’s 2023 championship aspirations.

We shouldn’t be surprised. This Irish squad continues to set standards and create records of their own. The impressive thing about this one is they did it against a backdrop of massive expectations.

The fact that the performance, despite a winning margin of 24 points in a bonus point victory, was far from perfect presents Andy Farrell and his coaches with plenty to work on before what promises to be the most difficult challenge of the campaign against the French in Dublin next Saturday.

All the hype surrounding the return of Warren Gatland to the Welsh set up - even he had to acknowledge he’s not the Messiah - created its own pressure for the visitors as did all the advance noise about closing the roof. Four years ago Joe Schmidt insisted on it being kept open in an effort to dilute the passionate Welsh crowd and reduce the decibel levels.

It lashed rain, which impacted greatly on the way Ireland wanted to play, and they lost. This time out, Farrell was crystal clear in his support of the Welsh in having it closed. In a World Cup year, he wants to embrace every challenge, surmount every obstacle, and tackle every complication head on.

That was evident once again in the manner with which Ireland managed the late withdrawals of Jamison Gibson-Park, a key figure in the way Ireland seek to play, and veteran prop Cian Healy on the morning of the game.

Ireland didn’t have to worry long about the raucous support and the noise levels within. The best way to silence the home support is to strike early, to undermine confidence, to set the ground rules and show who’s boss.

Farrell couldn’t have envisioned a start as clinical as Saturday's, though. Seven points up after two minutes, fourteen on the board after nine. When you hear 'The fields of Athenry' reverberating around the Principality Stadium ten minutes into a contest of this nature, you know Ireland are in the ascendancy.

For some time now, this Irish team has made an art form of hitting the ground running and striking early. Against New Zealand last summer, they scored the opening try in the 5th, 2nd and 3rd minutes of the respective three tests which is an incredible achievement.

This time out Caelan Doris grounded the ball to put Ireland on the scoreboard before the second minute. For a team low on confidence, that was a body blow for the Welsh. Even worse when they conceded a second soon after.

Facing a Welsh side that appeared to overload on the emotion in the buildup to this one, with new captain Ken Owens highlighting the responsibility on his players in restoring pride in the famous Welsh jersey, his players were so wound up it looked like they forgot to play.

In truth, Ireland were so clinical and accurate over a blemish-free opening 27 minutes, Wales weren’t allowed play. Such was the continual pressure exerted during that period, Wales were forced into conceding seven penalties. In contrast, Ireland were penalised just once in the same timeframe.

It’s remarkable how this Irish group manage to pick up where they left off months earlier without any bedding in period. Much of that must be attributed to the fact there are so many Leinster players in the starting line up, but it’s also a credit to the coaches that they manage to get everyone operating in such unison from the first whistle.

Leading by a margin of 24 points at the break, it was inevitable that Wales would hit a purple patch at some stage. What will warrant Farrell’s attention this week, with the French looming, is the manner in which Wales bounced back and made serious inroads once they shook off the shackles and went for broke.

The impressive broken field running of restored full back Liam Williams opened Ireland up and if Wales had been more clinical from attacking line outs they might have stressed Ireland a bit more in a spirited second-half fightback.

When it mattered most, however, Ireland’s defence and scramble was rock solid, conceding only one try to the Welsh despite having to absorb sustained periods of attack throughout the third quarter.

While that will frustrate Gatland greatly, it was due in no small measure to some individual brilliance over the ball from Doris when generating two key turnovers and similarly to James Lowe and Bundee Aki who made a telling impact off the bench. Stuart McCloskey had a super game, adding even greater depth to the midfield options in the continuing absence of Robbie Henshaw.

Ireland were stressed for long periods after the break but, crucially, never lost composure. Forced to defend for long periods, they did so with a confidence and understanding that will stand to them.

It helped no end that Hugo Keenan was imperious at full back, not only a colossus under the high ball but with a calm assurance that took ownership of the back field. One brilliant scramble saved a certain try with a blistering turn of pace denying Welsh speedster Rio Dyer.

If Farrell wants his squad to get used to dealing with late setbacks, the likes of which have derailed Ireland at World Cups in the past, then losing Gibson-Park before the kick off was a blow certain to test them.

He’s the one who so often dictates the pace of Ireland’s attack off the base. Conor Murray may be fighting for his starting spot in a Munster jersey but delivered a really accomplished performance when promoted off the bench to remind all and sundry he’s not prepared to go quietly just yet. Good on him. Likewise tight head prop Finley Bealham stoop up and delivered in the absence of Ireland’s most disruptive scrummager in Tadhg Furlong.

Ireland will be better next weekend for that second half stress test. Given what’s coming immediately down the line, they will have to be. Farrell knows well that if the French are presented with the type of opportunities the Welsh failed to convert, they will not be as wasteful.

Ireland have also been favoured with an extra days rest and recovery over France who started their campaign in Rome on Sunday and looked a pale shadow of the team that had delivered thirteen wins on the bounce to that point.

Whether by accident or design Fabian Galthie’s men played well within themselves and looked as if they were holding something in reserve. If that was the case it almost proved fatal against an ever-improving Italian side who, to their credit, kept playing to the death and were really impressive.

With a bit more belief, they could so easily have won this game with an attacking line out right at the death. That France escaped with a bonus point victory was fortunate in the extreme but the points differential of +5 might just come back to haunt them.