Ireland can bridge the gap

Last Saturday week in Rome Ireland achieved what had not been attained since 1988 - the side won the opening match in the championship. But the win was even more significant than that.

In 1988 the victory was in Dublin over Scotland. The last time Ireland won the opening match in the championship away from home was in 1985 at Murrayfield, 18-15. It was to prove the prelude to Triple Crown and championship victories for Ireland. That season Ireland drew the second championship encounter with France in Dublin, 15-15.

Ireland will meet France tomorrow at Lansdowne Road and the Ireland players get the chance to make it two wins in a row. The last occasion Ireland won the first and second matches in the championship was in 1983.

As circumstances should have it, Ireland opened that season with a win over Scotland at Murrayfeld and next up was France in the second match. Ireland won it 22-16.

The Ireland team that lined out in that match was: Hugo MacNeill; Trevor Ringland, David Irwin, Micheal Kiernan, Moss Finn; Ollie Campbell, Robbie McGrath; Philip Orr, Ciaran Fitzgerald (captain), Gerry McLoughlin, Donal Lenihan, Moss Keane, John O'Driscoll, Willie Duggan, Fergus Slattery.

That team lost to Wales in the third match and then beat England 25-15 in the final encounter. Ireland shared the championship with France, but finished on top on points difference.

A remarkable feature of that season was that Ireland lined out with the same 15 players in all four championship matches. Indeed only 16 players were involved. Tony Ward came on as a replacement for Campbell in the final match against England.

That side was, in fact, the last to beat France at Lansdowne Road. So an 18year gap is the longest spell Ireland have gone without a win over the French in Dublin. Indeed until that memorable win in Paris last season, the 1983 victory was the most recent win by Ireland over France. The best result attained between 1983 and 1999 was a 15-15 draw in 1985. I am not forgetting the win in Auch in 1988 but caps were not awarded for that match. They should have been.

So a great incentive for Ireland tomorrow to make it two wins from the initial two matches. There is no doubt Ireland must play better than a fortnight ago against Italy. The return of Brian O'Driscoll and Denis Hickie strengthens the back line. There was a certain lethargy to the Ireland pack in Rome, especially in the first half. Ireland would have been punished, too, for conceding penalties in that first half had Diego Domiguez been playing.

Two years ago, Ireland had a golden chance to beat France. With the match in its closing stages Ireland led and the concession of a needless penalty enabled France to steal the match 10-9. The previous season in Paris, Ireland might well have won, too, but lost 18-16.

So there has been very little in it between the two countries over the last three years. It could be the same tomorrow. If the Irish are disciplined and the back line moves as it can, then we could well be celebrating a first win over the French in Dublin for 18 years.

I HAVE had a few queries over the last week, not surprisingly one came from an ardent Shannon follower. He wanted to know when a club last had five players on an Ireland team in a championship match. In 1998 against Scotland, London Irish had five players on the team. They were Conor O'Shea, Mark McCall, David Humphreys, Malcolm O'Kelly and Kieron Dawson.

Tyrone Howe was Ulster's sole representative on the team that lined out against Italy. If he does not play tomorrow it will be the first time that Ulster will not be represented on an Ireland side.

In 1978, there was only one Ulster player on the side that beat Scotland 12-9. That was Alistair McKibbin. In three matches in 1981, against France, Wales and England, David Irwin was the sole Ulster representative. He was joined for the final match of the championship by Ken Hooks.

In 1969 Alan Duggan was the only Leinster player to line out against France, England and Scotland. Mick Hipwell made it two when he played against Wales in the Triple Crown match that year. He also come on as a replacement for Noel Murphy against France and for Ken Goodall against Scotland.

In 1976 Moss Keane was Munster's only representative on the team that lost 2030 to Australia in Dublin. In 1991 against England and Scotland, John Fitzgerald, the Young Munster prop, was Munster's only representative. Kenny Murphy came on as replacement against Scotland.

One final point. Ireland has not scored two successive wins over France in the championship since 1973. Last season Ireland bridged a 28-year gap by winning in Paris for the first time since 1972. Let us hope we see another 28-year wait end tomorrow.