Front five hold key for further improvement

RUGBY:If we want to threaten the All Blacks this November, we must sacrifice some of our measurables for the unpredictables, writes LIAM TOLAND

THE COMMON concept this November will be that there are no excuses for not winning. Over the seasons Ireland has progressed in all the areas that are measurable; lineout, scrum, breakdown clearouts, line breaks and defence. But the areas that are less measurable are worth examining.

In a recent Last Word interview Ronan O’Gara articulated the most important element to Munster’s performance over Toulon and by extension a winning team. When Matt Cooper asked does the axiom hold true, forwards win matches and backs decide by how much, O’Gara was quite emphatic. It was numbers one through 10 that won matches but he then immediately narrowed the numbers further to the front five. His thesis was the front five must first win the collisions before getting on top of the opposition.

We saw this in its truest form last Saturday when Munster ran in six extraordinary tries. However, in a week where high-performing players were rewarded by Irish squad selection O’Gara’s words ring truer than he may have intended. Winning the collisions is a given but what more can the front five do this autumn?

Pádraig Harrington with three Majors under his belt woke up one morning and decided to change his swing. Why? Tiger Woods did something very similar while world number one. Nick Faldo did likewise but slowly drifted away from the limelight. Why do highly successful golfing pros risk everything to rebuild? They do so in a belief that remaining at the same successful level will soon leave them behind in the race for more Majors. What wins you games and tournaments today (Six Nations, Grand Slams and Heineken Cups) will fail tomorrow.

My rugby career reached its ceiling because of my inability to progress my skill-set beyond the level they remained. The fact that my starting point was ahead of many was immaterial as it remained behind others which was crucial. Not until Willie Anderson arrived into my life did I fully embrace the need to evolve, a point which was hammered home by Keith Gleeson’s arrival to Leinster.

For his first match in Leinster he was awarded Man of the Match. As I was in competition for his jersey I spent much time analysing why an Irish jersey beckoned for him after just 80 minutes of rugby. I focused on my weaknesses. The lessons opened my eyes even though it was a tad late. But I improved immeasurably in that period. Unfortunately I became an excellent tackle-bag holder!

The relevance may be a tad subtle but to me learning skills from those better and more comfortable in their art (Gleeson) may not bring you to their level but it will ensure your own development. This brings me back to O’Gara’s front five. He contends that on winning the collisions success will soon follow.

This concept has won at every level for Irish rugby over recent years; AIL, Magners League, European Cup, Triple Crown and Grand Slam including touring sides with two exceptions; primarily the All Blacks and then the World Cup. To beat the All Blacks and progress further than ever before in the World Cup we need far far more than what brought us so much success in the past. Our overall game must improve but it is in our front five where that improvement can be sourced.

In beating Toulon last Saturday Munster varied their game like never before, particularly in the front five. With Lifeimi Mafi and Sam Tuitupou’s loss came Johne Murphy, Paul Warwick and Doug Howlett’s big performance. The Toulon try line was pulverised by Munster’s front five seeking tries. But in the middle third the backrow and secondrows provided Peter Stringer a wide option, which sweated defenders and left gaps for Stringer and others to exploit off the fringe. The lineout was varied and the blindside was targeted.

If Stringer is to figure in the autumn then his ball-carrying forwards must mimic the Thomond Park lines. This will afford him more options and dare I say it the option to break. Mick O’Driscoll was superb as were others but if they can add a coordinated off-load to onrushing forwards, it’ll add even more value.

Seán Cronin is an excellent guinea pig for my point. Not many All Blacks (backs or forwards) could have scored his try against Bayonne. Clearly he’s still learning the finer art of hooking but his ability to add value is unique. It may be too late to get some of our front five playing with ball in hand, setting the tempo and exploiting space. But with 17 internationals pre-World Cup there is a potential front five coming through that must embrace their importance near the ball.

Cian Healy and Tony Buckley can do it, likewise Seán O’Brien and Cronin and relatively new boys Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip even Jerry Flannery and Denis Leamy. Can our secondrows do it? Brad Thorne can. I believe there exists a golden triangle in each and every pack made up of the hooker and secondrows. This golden triangle must provide our leap forward.

Toulon were hammered by Munster last week for many reasons. Regardless, Toulon were able to display an uncanny ability to convert 2 v 1s. Each and every Toulon player was comfortable on the ball and understood the subtle difference between finding contact and creating space. Put simply Toulon were able to convert 3 v 2s. Many of the Munster players were not.

Front five players running with the ball, in traffic and offloading to hard-running forwards is not in our culture. Generally players get pigeon-holed into their role. Secondrows jump, props scrummage and hookers throw. Until the Irish front five can get on the ball in various pitch positions (and not exclusively off the fringe) draw defenders and put fellow forwards through the subsequent hole, stay alive and get back on the ball, we will not compete against the All Blacks. If we really want to threaten them this November we must sacrifice some of our measurables for the unpredictables.

Once again there is a mammoth rugby weekend ahead of us but it’s in Garryowen at 3pm on Sunday where I’ll be, supporting the Shane Geoghehan Blitz.