SPOILING THE PARTY
Reshuffled Ireland look to save face by beating champions
REDEMPTION day for Ireland? It’s a long shot. Being stuck in a four-way battle for the silver medal isn’t what they envisaged for St Patrick’s weekend.
This was about reaching final day still very alive and challenging for a third title in four seasons, about building on very impressive November form. Instead, setbacks leave them running at a breakeven 50 per cent over 17 matches, eight wins, eight losses and a draw.
That isn’t good enough for a quality team still ranked fourth in the world. They are struggling to consistently stitch all components of their blueprint together, their dramatic lineout axe illustration of the pinch being felt.
Joe Schmidt has previous for turfing Devin Toner, doing so at the start of the World Cup. The lock responded excellently back then, but his current lack of assurance in lineout calling on both sides of the ball now sees him demoted (he also gave away that silly off-the-ball penalty which enabled France close to seven points late on, fleetingly placing a comfortable win in jeopardy).
It’s bad enough losing key lineouts deep in the 22 in Scotland and Wales after penalties kicked to touch, but Ireland’s inability to be a proper nuisance was telling when flanker Justin Tipuric collected nine of 11 throws in Cardiff.
This uninterrupted supply, mainly leading to quick ball off the top so runners in the backs could strut, can’t be repeated today as England were devastating when moving the ball in this way last weekend against outclassed Scots. Hence, the call-up of Iain Henderson, Toner’s starting partner on the day one loss at Murrayfield, to help combat the threat of Maro Itjoe and co after two energetic bench shifts.
Schmidt (right) has emphasised there is nothing wrong with Ireland’s very saintly behaviour, insisting their tournament-best concession of just 25 penalties — six fewer than next-best England — hasn’t made them any less competitive at the breakdown.
However, added Irish bite in the collision is vital today, especially from their back row, against an English team that is winning matches in different ways, with the foot firmly pressed on the accelerator in the title-clinching rout of Scotland or nervelessly coming from behind with crucial late tries in Wales and against the French.
Eddie Jones implicitly trust his entire bench whereas Ireland’s back-up doesn’t have the same cache, four only introduced in one fell swoop in Cardiff with the game in its final minute and the result beyond rescue. Repeat delay in reupholstering this evening could be damaging with fatigue seemingly a factor cooling Ireland’s tempo.
Losing two selection regulars to injury in the build-up was unsettling. However, wasn’t seeing Jared Payne more regularly at full-back instead of Rob Kearney something numerous fans wanted? The New Zealander showed glimpses in South Africa of what he can attackingly achieve when running lines from this deeper position unlike at 13 where his gets claustrophobic in traffic, so his inclusion could be a positive.
It is the other enforced switch that perplexes. No long-term investment was made in Kieran Marmion at the World Cup in the same way tighthead Tadhg Furlong was allowed gradually learn the ropes. Marmion was cut adrift and his rate of development handbraked since then, Conor Murray dominating the position and little allowance made for the possibility the day would come when Ireland must do without him. Marmion now features with just a single start to stalk England’s long-established 52time starter Ben Youngs, an experience disparity that extends to the bench where no-start Luke McGrath is 31 behind opposite number Danny Care. It’s massive imbalance and while Marmion was gutsy as a second-half emergency in Wales, starting in Six Nations is an entirely different task, especially as his box kicks, a vital tactic in Ireland’s approach, don’t have the same contestable hang time of Murray’s.
That shortcoming adds to Johnny Sexton’s already heavy work load, not an extra headache he wants while trying to jump-start a stalled Irish attack that frustratingly grinds to a halt in opposition 22s. Lack of variation was evident in Cardiff, more than half of Ireland’s 64 per cent second-half possession occurring in the 22 yet the 40 minutes was lost 3-14.
Not that there isn’t genuine hope of an upset. For all England’s grandeur in their 40-point win last Saturday, they still leaked three tries and Joe Launchbury clocked up 22 tackles to ensure there wasn’t more.
Ireland’s defence, though, has greater uncertainty. England’s two tries 13 months ago were disappointing walk-ins, Irish sucked in too narrow. This weakness hasn’t yet been eradicated under Andy Farrell and it’s likely to undo ambitions to spoil this standard-setting English party.