RUGBY: Ireland stay in hunt
THE 'last stand' for rugby at Croke Park is fittingly a 'cup final' on Saturday.
Ireland's simple, comfortable and straight forward win over Wales in their penultimate match of the Six Nations Championship has kept them on course for a Triple Crown success.
There were 81, 340 packed into Croke Park, Irish Rugby's adopted venue for the past two seasons as Lansdowne was redeveloped.
The same figure, if not more, will cram into Ireland's GAA home for the final fling against Scotland on Saturday evening and cheer Ireland on to what should be another 'home' victory.
It would be fitting that such a fantastic venue should be left with Brian O'Driscoll carrying the silver salver 'Triple Crown' trophy, before rugby returns home to the new Aviva Stadium across the city.
Scotland, yet to win a game in the Championship but took a deserved draw with England on the weekend, do have a habit of producing the odd shock, but if Ireland can produce the same determined effort as they did against Wales, it will be the colour of green which will emerge triumphant.
The three try to zero victory over Wales was nothing spectacular, and indeed the Welsh had most of the possession all afternoon.
But Ireland were resilent and containing the Welsh to a try count of zero was an impressive return, just as it was they scored three tries again, having done the same against England.
That is another significant statistic given the general trend of fewer tries being scored in the top level of the game.
It was a special day for skipper, O'Driscoll, as he earned his 100th appearance, but the performance overall perhaps did not make it the occasion he would have liked.
However, while he gave us usual 100 per cent and was playing more in defence than attack, his ability and want to keep the ball alive led to a third try – a second for flying winger Keith Earls – towards the end of a lively game.
Ireland had started poorly with outhalf Jonathan Sexton and fullback, Geordan Murphy, fluffing early clearance kicks, which allowed Wales to dominate in both territory and possession.
Sexton missed a long range head on penalty and his counterpart, Stephen Jones kicked a fairly simple effort on nine minutes to put the visitors in the lead.
That situation was reversed in the next 10 minutes, with Sexton taking an opportunity and Jones failing, before Sexton kicked Ireland ahead on 22 minutes just after Gordon D'Arcy had limped off.
Then came the first of two crucial incidents.
Welsh fullback, Lee Bryne, was sin-binned for deliberately killing the ball on 24 minutes and within two minutes Earls turned on the burners and raced in for the first try, which Sexton failed to convert.
On the half hour mark a superb try was finished off by man of the match and scrumhalf, Tomas O'Leary – again unconverted – for a 16-3 lead.
With the sin-bin over, Wales got on top again and Jones left a differential of 10 points at the interval with a penalty.
The Welsh have had a habit of really upping things in the second half and they game out all gusto.
Having forced a penalty in corner, they took the interesting option of a scrum. It worked, and they repeated the decision with a second scrum.
Ireland were ready for them, and willed on by the crowd, drove them off the ball, No 8 Jamie Heaslip secured ball and Sexton popped to touch.
Sexton and Jones exchanged penalties on 52 and 54 minutes respectively and then Earls killed the game off as a contest with a try on the hour mark, although Jones did kick a penalty, and Sexton dropped a goal near the death.
It was a job done, and done well at the end of 80 minutes, against a Welsh side that has appeared to have gone backwards instead of forwards since winning the Grand Slam two years ago.
Following Ireland's win over South Africa last year, and with a World Cup on the horizon, there was much discussion over whether this Irish squad was ready to finally take on the world.
The loss to the French and the surrender of the Grand Slam in such poor fashion earlier in the Six Nations campaign suggested they were not.
Wins against England and Wales – and the expected victory against Scotland – will leave Ireland sitting in a dimension all on their own between the top sides and the rest.
France have certainly shown they are up there with the main challengers in the Southern Hemisphere, while an improving Ireland are on the next level – but are certainly superior to anyone else – and have much to do before there is a serious World Cup challenge in New Zealand next year.
For now, a packed Croke Park of near 82,000, are gearing up already for the final fling this weekend in Dublin – let's hope Ireland do not disappoint.
- Ulster's Paddy Wallace or Andrew Trimble could get a call to the Ireland team for the visit of the Scots.
With Gordon D'Arcy facing a layoff due to injury, either player could be in the mix to make the side.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
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Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
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