GETTING BACK UP TO SPEED
A title victory that appeared unlikely earlier this year is now very much in Irish sights
THIS fixture was one of the first dominos to fall in February when the full scale of the coronavirus was beginning to be realised. On February 26, the I RFU emerged f rom a meeting with then-health minister Simon Harris and the government, confirmi ng that their l ooming Six Nations meeting with Italy was off.
It was an anomaly at the time, but it was a portent of things to come. The other two Six Nations fixtures would go ahead that weekend. Cheltenham, lest we forget, was one of several highprofile sporting events to be given the green light well into March when the full impact of Covid-19 was beginning to reverberate across the globe.
Eight months on and this dreaded virus is very much part of everyday life now. Ireland’s clash with the Azzurri will finally resume this afternoon, in very different circumstances. The stands will be empty. Both squads — operating out of bio- secure bubbles in recent weeks — will adhere to the strictest of health measures on arrival at Aviva Stadium.
The streets around Ballsbridge will be eerily quiet in the hours leading up to kick-off. The usual pre-match buzz across town will be non-existent. No bars, no chat, no vendors, no craic. Ironically, a record TV audience could be tuning into today’s game. The country is in full lockdown now and it is likely that a raft of fans of nonrugby disciplines will be tuning into the action at Ireland HQ.
Andy Farrell acknowledged the idea of lifting the mood of a nation this week but was keen to stress that his players have more pressing matters in hand. They have played it down all week — paying the necessary respect to the visitors — but a five-point haul is the target today.
A maximum return would see Ireland leap to the top of the table ahead of next weekend’s round of matches. England should bag five points in Rome next Saturday, leaving Ireland and France to fight it out later that night. Ireland will need to win in Paris, and probably score four tries to snatch the title. It would be some achievement if they manage that.
Phase one of that plan begins today. Much has changed since the championship was put on ice in February. Farrell’s squad were still reeling from that loss in Twickenham amid criticism of the team’s selections and tactics.
Time can be a great healer and that implosion in London seems like a long time ago now while this Ireland team has undergone a major overhaul. There are six changes — one positional — to the side which lost to England last time out. Farrell is without the likes of Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, Keith Earls and Jordan Lamour to either injury or suspension. His hand has been forced in some selections, but there are still some bold calls here, with four debutants in the matchday 23.
Hugo Keenan’s f orm since August has been impossible to ignore. A modern- day wing, the 24-year- old ticks a lot of boxes. Keenan’s pace and footwork has been apparent all year but it’s his workrate and willingness to get in amongst it which will have pleased Farrell.
He likes a lot about Will Connors as well — not least his ability to chop down defenders with ease. Rising to the top of the backrow queue at Leinster is a mark of distinction these days. Connors will be fully aware that Josh van der Flier is not far away while across town last night, Dan Leavy made his comeback after 18 months out of action. For now, Connors is worthy of his place in this Irish backrow. This combination with Caelan Doris and CJ Stander has a nice balance to it and there is plenty of mobility with James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter in the front five.
If that group can consistently win the gain-line battle, dominate at the set piece and win turnovers ( which i s highly l i kely with Stander and Beirne on board), they should ensure a steady stream of possession for Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton to unleash a backline which looks born to run. All going well, Jacob Stockdale will be cutting lines from full-back, Garry Ringrose will be racing onto Bundee Aki offloads with Keenan and Andrew Conway enjoying plenty of ball in space. That’s what Farrell, Mike Catt and the rest of the backroom team have planned anyway.
Anything less than an emphatic display will do morale no good heading to the Stade de France.
So, do Italy stand any chance today? Franco Smith has named a youthful line-up for this visit. All eyes will be 20-year-old Paolo Garbisi. The Treviso No10 is the latest great hope for Azzurri, who have struggled to find a consistent, Test-level playmaker since Diego Dominguez retired in 2003. He can expect an early visit from Aki or Stander down his channel.
The visitors will look to their powerful backrow of Sebastian Negri, Braam Steyn and Jake Polledri for inspiration. Polledri, the robust Gloucester flanker, is a real handful. All their experience will be needed to guide a relatively callow front five. The second pairing of Marco Lazzaroni and Niccolo Cannone has just nine caps between them. Ditto, the propping duo of Danilo Fischetti and Giosue Zilocchi, who are set to win their fourth and sixth caps respectively this afternoon.
That gulf in class and experience should be telling by the final quarter of this game.
‘Implosion at Twickenham seems like a very long time ago now’