Talking Points: This Ireland forward pack is going backwards

Elsewhere Jack Crowley impresses but Ireland's second half problems continue.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell before the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Ireland just about limped over the line against Argentina in the Aviva on Friday night with a display that won’t be so easily blamed on the #10s as last week’s loss was.

The truth is that this Irish forward pack is going backwards - at the lineout and in contact - way too often, and until that area of the team is freshened up all the forced debate about #10 is the ultimate waste of your time.

Here’s your three talking points;

Jack Crowley

Impact After a lot of the talk last week - he was rolled into Ciaran Frawley’s 20 minute waking nightmare so that it could be criticised - Jack Crowley needed a big game and he got that with an action packed 60 minutes where he scored a try, landed a drop goal and turned around 10 minutes of Argentinian pressure in the second half with an excellent deep kick that Ireland’s lineout managed to mangle after the exit.

But then he was taken off the field for Sam Prendergast and Ireland began to flatter to deceive. Crowley’s time on the field saw him dealing with two Irish yellow cards in the pack, but they still managed to make the system work with that.

Without Crowley’s running threat, Argentina started to mop up Ireland’s static attack and turned over multiple 22 entries.

Second Half Trouble

Ireland’s lack of impact in the second half of games hasn’t become a problem, necessarily, but it’s certainly notable at this point in November.

Is it a fitness thing? Aled Walters - Ireland’s new head of S&C - has been known to grind the gears really hard when he first comes into a setup with a view to seeing them peak at the right time, but I don’t think it’s that.

A far more obvious answer is that Ireland do not have any impact off the bench, in the pack especially, and that is why the second half of games seems to taper away into ever decreasing cycles of physical torture for the players, and mental torture for those watching.

The Pack Is The Problem

Almost all of Ireland’s issues in this game and against New Zealand can be laid at the door of the forward pack.

From a numberwang perspective, they just aren’t winning collisions this calendar year - something that Ireland’s genuinely good breakdown work has been hiding the entire time - and it was particularly noticeable here.

Once the game slowed down, Ireland were repeatedly punished by heavy Argentinian defending and it looked less likely with every passing phase that a dominant collision was coming Ireland’s way.

Farrell’s attacking system has thrived with agile, mobile players in the back five of the pack but surely he must be considering adding some heavy ball carrying to this rotation to allow this team to play with a little simplicity.