RUGBY: Win does not hide Ireland's shortcomings
NOT a thing of beauty – that was the way Ireland skipper, Brian o'Driscoll described the 20-10 victory over Samoa which ended a streak of six losing defeats (Four tests).
It was a dour and boring win – was the way Ireland outhalf, Ronan o'Gara, saw it.
Ireland achieved their goal of seeing off a stubborn Samoan side, who basically threw in the towel when outhalf, Ronan O'Gara crossed for Ireland's second try towards the end of the game.
Prior to that, Samoa had Ireland under pressure and at one point looked as though the unthinkable would happen and the South Pacifc Islanders were going to leave the Irish embarrassed.
New Zealand are next up at the AvivaStadium on Saturday evening and having watched them tear Scotland apart, there is the real worry Ireland are heading for a hiding.
Given what had gone before against South Africa in the 23-21 defeat a week previous, much had been said about the sweeping changes, 11 in all (one positional) for the Samoan game.
Unexpected was the way some had described those changes, but it was not
really the case. Samoa were seen as the weakest of the four games to be played and Ireland coach, Declan Kidney, was always going to look at his options.
Had things gone a different way theweek before, there could have been a few more changes, but Plan B (against Samoa) was probably altered somewhat after the question marks were raised against the Springboks.
The frst two test matches were alwaysabout building for the huge challenge of the Tri Nations champions visit, New Zealand, so it was not rocket science to expect sweeping changes for Saturday's
game.
Kidney had said he would get an idea of the health of the squad and where they were as they look to the Six Nations championship, but more importantly next year's World Cup in New Zealand.
There is no doubt there is a depth of talent in certain positions, but that talent is yet to show itself, and at the minute Irish Rugby is no where near the heights it was two years ago when they won the Grand
Slam.
Last week's loss to South Africa came on the back of a malfunctioning lineout and creaking scrum, coupled with a lack of direction in a backline who had difficulty catching and passing the ball.
Those areas are key in a side being successful.
The scrum is becoming a major area of concern not just for Ireland, but the game on a whole.
And the inept refereeing display from New Zealand offcial, Keith Brown, particularly at the scrum and ruck, did not aid Ireland's case. The game never got a chance to fow and the offcial has to take much of the
responsibility for that.
Devin Toner's inclusion, winning his frst cap, in the second row, certainly made the lineout function perfectly and although he lacks experience, he may well have secured a place against the All Blacks.
In the scrum, prop John Hayes and hooker Sean Cronin struggled. they could not even get the 'engage' process right. In all, the front fve struggled, due to a lack of physicality in the second row.
Kidney had named a strong bench and the frst double substitution came on the hour mark, with Ulster's Stephen Ferris and Rory Best coming on for try scorer Jamie Heaslip and the found wanting Cronin respectively.
That had an immediate impact with Ferris, who maybe made more of the elbow in the face that was needed, getting himself straight into the trenches and making his presence felt.
Hayes was finally and thankfully withdrawn on 62 minutes, Cian Healy
coming on and Court switching to the tighthead side. Suddenly the scrum was solid once again.
While Mike Ross is in the squad he wouldprobably be in Kidney's thought on the tighthead side, one would expect a starting front row of Healy, Best and Court against the All Blacks.
Paddy Wallace had a golden opportunity to grasp a starting place in midfeld, but never took it although he was no better and no worse than Gordon D'Arcy from the week before, the latter will probably get the selection next week.
Another Ulster player, Andrew Trimble, had also got the chance to make his mark on the international front, but while he gave some directness, probably did not do himself justice.
This was a fxture which did not promise what was expected of Ireland. It was a job done, but it was not the performance which was needed to make any of the 30,000-plus hopeful that the men in green will trouble
New Zealand too much next week.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
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