Performance key as Ireland's World Cup jigsaw takes shape

This contest is about more than furthering individual causes and the management will want to see a step up in cohesion from the collective than was on display against Italy

READY FOR ACTION: Ireland's James Lowe during the Captain's Run at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Day by day, piece by piece, the Ireland World Cup squad jigsaw is taking shape and significantly so in the last few days.

The jettisoning of five unfortunates from the training squad by Andy Farrell, announced on Wednesday evening, was a decisive ramping up of the intensity surrounding the ongoing selection process that will conclude with the unveiling of a 33-man squad for France 2023 a week on Monday.

With Caolin Blade, Gavin Coombes, Calvin Nash, Jamie Osborne, and Kieran Treadwell having departed the stage after eight long weeks in camp, 38 players remain for the final nine days before the axe falls once more. Saturday evening’s Bank of Ireland Series clash with England at Aviva Stadium will represent another turn of the pressure valve for many of those on the bubble for selection, whether they are involved in the matchday squad or watching nervously from the stands.

At least those in Saturday’s 23 have a chance to further their claims, be they making their first start for Ireland, as in the case of No 8 Cian Prendergast, or their 100th appearance, take a bow outside-back replacement Keith Earls. Experience will not be underestimated in the final analysis but nor will it be uppermost in Farrell’s final selection criteria and Earls, 35, will know better than anyone that once the applause for his excellent contribution quietens it will be his performance off the bench that needs to continue singing from the rooftops if he is to grab one of those precious back-division berths on August 28.

He is not the only one of course, though much of this strong matchday squad named by Farrell on Thursday will already be inked in on the head coach’s World Cup squad list. Yet this is a contest that is about more than furthering individual causes and the management will want to see a step up in cohesion from the collective than was on display in their opening warm-up game against Italy a fortnight ago.

Farrell described that performance as “clunky” and James Ryan, his captain on Saturday, emphasised the importance of taking collective strides forward against tailor-made opposition for this pre-tournament Dublin farewell.

England may not be firing on all cylinders under their relatively new head coach Steve Borthwick but they caused enough problems at the Aviva five months ago to give a less than fluent Ireland plenty of food for thought before the men in green settled down and closed out the Six Nations Grand Slam for the first time on home soil.

"They are very good defensively, they get off the line very aggressively, so they put our receivers under pressure as well,” Ryan said of England on Friday. “So they sort of put the four pods we have off number nine, they put them under pressure as well.

"So for us, it is just about being calm and scanning and seeing those pictures early. Obviously (former England lock) Steve Borthwick is their coach so their line-out drive is a huge part of their game. They got a great maul try against us in the last 10 minutes here which we were gutted to concede so set-piece is huge against them as well.

"They have a great kicking game, they like to play in the right areas of the pitch so it is about being as consistent as we can and that we don't give them access into our half, that will be important too.” 

This is just the sort of opposition Ireland need three weeks out from an opening Pool B game against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9 and a last hit out against a Tier One team before the Grand Slam winners meet defending world champions South Africa in Paris at Stade de France on September 23.

They have a very different challenge in Bayonne next Saturday when Samoa bring some Pacific Island physicality to the table in a warm-weather setting in south-western France but Farrell, that master of eking performances out of apparent chaos, will want to see Saturday’s team put under pressure by England’s aforementioned aggressive defence and in-your-face line speed. Not only does it need a distinct improvement from that 33-17 win over Italy on August 5 but also on that Grand Slam-clinching performance against Borthwick’s men.

Ryan admitted Ireland were not at their best last St Patrick’s Day weekend, though he rightly pointed out that securing the Northern Hemisphere’s most coveted rugby prize with a below-par performance also was a point of satisfaction.

Asked what a good day at the office on Saturday would look like come the final whistle, the stand-in skipper added: “I think just putting in a performance that when we review it on Monday that we are very happy with. One that is a step forward from Italy.

“So, I think success looks like us coming into the changing room tomorrow evening and looking at each other being very happy with how we played.

“That would obviously involve a win, so that’s what it would look like to me anyway.” 

There would be few of an Irish rugby persuasion who would disagree.

Ireland: H Keenan (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Lowe (Leinster); R Byrne (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster); T Beirne (Munster), J Ryan (Leinster) – captain; P O’Mahony (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht).

Replacements: R Herring (Ulster), J Loughman (Munster), F Bealham (Connacht), J McCarthy (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), K Earls (Munster).

England: F Steward (Leicester Tigers); A Watson (unattached), J Marchant (Stade Francais), M Tuilagi (Sale Sharks), E Daly (Saracens); G Ford (Sale Sharks), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers); E Genge (Bristol Bears), J George (Saracens), W Stuart (Bath); M Itoje (Saracens), D Ribbans (Toulon); C Lawes (Northampton Saints) - captain, B Earl (Saracens), B Vunipola (Saracens).

Replacements: T Dan (Saracens), J Marler (Harlequins), K Sinckler (Bristol Bears), O Chessum (Leicester Tigers), J Willis (Toulouse), D Care (Harlequins), M Smith (Harlequins), O Lawrence (Bath).

Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand).