RUGBY THE OLD ISSUES PERSIST

New coach bounce won’t be enough for Bemand’s team Ireland 21 Italy 27 DEREK FOLEY reports

IRELAND may have changed coaching staff but the 2024 Six Nations looks like mirroring the 2023 campaign as the side sit at the foot of the table.

That Ireland posted an intercept try 100 seconds from time, took a minute to convert it, and finished attacking the Italy line in over-time meant the scoreline and mood flattered at the close.

But the idea that this was an improvement on losing in France last week hinging on opening with a soft ‘home-town’ penalty-try and getting handed, as opposed to creating, a late try is hard to justify.

And that’s not least as the return of second-row Sam Monaghan was a huge boost, one of the few Irish girls capable of making an impact, her lineout work, her decision-making and her carrying forceful.

Not even RTE’s allowable home bias, however, was enough for Monaghan to pick up the Player of the Match on a day when Ireland’s basics were way off the standard.

The talk will not so much be about beating Wales next up - which is unlikely - but the fear England will score a point-a-minute in round four at Twickenham.

Astonishing

New coach or not, Ireland continue to select players not suited to their positions, their catch and pass was particularly poor on the day, the number of mis-struck kicks was astonishing while none of the ‘executive’ no8, no9, n10 seem capable of dictating tactics other than following first-up instructions.

Coach Scott Bemand may have won the WXV against third tier nations, but the evidence here is that other than ‘initial new coach boost’ this campaign will replicate last season’s wooden spoon.

By the time the five Six Nations games are up, the disgraceful exclusion of Exeter no8 Cliodna Moloney, the loss of her physicality, ball-carrying ability and her peerless leadership qualities will hopefully be an Irish sporting cause celebre.

Those that she so fiercely stood up for against the powers-that-be, causing questions to be asked in the Dail, should now be standing up for her threatening to down tools if need be.

The side needs a full-back as while Lauren Delany is a fine player, a terrific athlete, she is not best suited to full-back; there has to be a rethink at out-half and if that means designing the team around Nicole Fowley for 50/60 minutes, live with it.

Neve Jones, one of the finest poundfor-pound players in Irish rugby is wasted as a full-time hooker, she needs to be in the back-row for everything but as a capable front-row in the setpiece scrum.

Ireland should be auditioning the other 14 players on the team, wingers, centres, props, anyone, to find out who can throw in at a line-out.

Moreover the special team’s thinking needs to be force fed Ronan O’Gara matches with Munster so they get to understand the mantra ‘three-sixnine...’, that is take the points from every kickable penalty afforded you.

“We are deeply disappointed not to get the win,” said coach Scott Bemand after the game,“as a group we are trying to change the narrative a little bit and we want to talk about performance and we want to talk about winning.

“We had plenty, enough to put ourselves in a position of winning but we had enough handling errors at the wrong times with pressure and we let them off the hook.

“Look, when we are not winning we are learning and we accept the result for what it is, we will go away, dust-off, and come back for a big game against Wales.”

LOTS TO PONDER: ireland’s Fiona Tuite dejected after the final whistle at the RDS where a record Irish attendance of 6,605 came out to watch a six point defeat at the hands of Italy