BATTLE FOR LIONS PLACES HEATS UP
Dublin battle for Slam and tour places
THE moment the 2017 Six Nations fixture list was revealed one match stood out above all the others. On the final weekend, the day after St Patrick’s Day no less, Ireland would host England in Dublin.
It always had the look of a Grand Slam decider and final international audition for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. And so it has come to pass. Next Saturday at 5pm Eddie Jones’s men face D-Day in Dublin, seeking to secure the Grand Slam after yesterday’s win over Scotland.
A world record 19th win would see this England side forever written into rugby’s history books. Ireland would like nothing better than to rain on their parade.
‘It will be a humdinger of a game but I think with the size of the occasion, on St Patrick’s Day [weekend] in Dublin, a real celebration of Irishness and a party atmosphere all weekend, Ireland are going to be desperate to spoil England’s party,’ said former Ireland international and current Leicester backs coach Geordan Murphy.
‘The question is whether or not they get the Grand Slam. It may be my heart ruling my head but I think Ireland will win.’
With 18 straight wins already under Jones’s belt before the most eagerly anticipated fixture between Ireland and England since 2003 when Sir Clive Woodward’s men finally secured a Grand Slam at the fourth attempt, defeat would not be the end of the world.
But, following a mixed Six Nations which saw them labour to wins over France and Wales before being flummoxed by Italy’s no-ruck tactic and then beating Scotland, it would leave a very sour taste.
For Lions coach Warren Gatland it is likely to be a hugely revealing afternoon.
‘Gatland has to look at how players perform in big pressure occasions,’ said former England captain Lewis Moody.
‘He’ll look at teams that make the finals of different competitions as well but he has to pick players who can operate and deliver under pressure consistently. He won’t write off performances that happened earlier in the Six Nations but there’s no doubt this one will have heightened importance.
I don’t think it will impact an individual if their team loses per se but if they have a complete meltdown it undoubtedly will shape his decision. Selection will be more exciting than ever because of Scotland’s resurgence.’
With so many potential Lions set to be on show at the Aviva Stadium next Saturday the fascinating headto-head match-ups are almost too many to mention.
Ireland tight-head prop Tadhg Furlong against England looseheads Joe Marler and Mako Vunipola, hooker Rory Best against Dylan Hartley, No 8 Billy Vunipola versus Jamie Heaslip, scrum-half Conor Murray against Ben Youngs, fly-half Johnny Sexton against George Ford. This list goes on.
But while Lions selection will undoubtedly be on players’ minds — however many public denials they make in the build-up — winning the game will be of utmost importance. Moody believes the return of fit-again Vunipola at No 8 in place of Nathan Hughes could tip the scales in England’s favour.
‘England’s back row has been particularly poor this Six Nations,’ he said. ‘I presume we’ll see Billy Vunipola start against Ireland because England really have missed his ball-carrying ability. If you go back and watch the games he’s played and watch his ball carries you get an understanding of how many metres he makes and his extraordinary ability to get over that gain line. In fact he gets well past it and then off-loads to give other people the chance to play.
‘That’s what England have missed. Nathan Hughes has carried a lot but he has not got across the gain- line. You can’t write off Heaslip, Taulupe Faletau or even Ross Moriarty but a fully-fit Vunipola would be one of the first names on the Lions team sheet.’
Fourteen years ago, Martin Johnson famously refused to move his team after they had been inadvertently directed to the wrong side of the red carpet to greet the Ireland president Mary McAleese.
Moody was injured that day while Murphy was on the receiving end of one of the most memorable performances in English rugby history as Woodward’s side won 42-6.
‘The atmosphere was heavily weighted in Ireland’s favour,’ he recalls. ‘Knowing the preparation that went into that match and the disappointments of previous years in terms of Grand Slams that had gone begging, I knew it was only ever going to go one way.
‘The amount of work that had gone in was extraordinary and the mark was set by Jonno standing his ground. It was completely not his fault. He’d been put there and when one of the stewards realised they’d been put in the wrong place and asked him to move, he was only going to get one response.
‘It wasn’t an arrogance thing it was just a case of ‘well you put us here, we’ll move if they do.’ It showed the character of the side that they won’t go to bow to anyone.’
While that match will have no bearing on next Saturday’s encounter, the atmosphere is sure to be as febrile and hostile towards Jones and his unbeaten team.
For several players, it could prove the difference between a seat on the plane to New Zealand or a summer of soul-searching. Murphy believes Ireland’s back-row of No 8 Heaslip, blindside flanker CJ Stander and openside Sean O’Brien could prove the difference.
He added: ‘The Irish back row has been a real area of strength for a lot of years and there’s a lot of depth there as well. It’s a confrontational, abrasive back row with some really good skills as well.
‘That’s a key area for me in that game. On paper, I like the Irish back row.’