Three wise men must settle on a team

You probably didn't have to be a soothsayer to see that the Bologna trip was a disaster waiting to happen. At the very least, you didn't really need the benefit of hindsight to judge the autumn/pre-championship programme as an opportunity wasted.

When all the IRFU sub-committees emerged from their various meetings over the weekend, they could do worse than pointing their fingers at the themselves as well. All stand indicted for this recent phase in Ireland's tortuous development, from union to team management through to players.

It's been well documented that this fixture was crassly timed and designed, and whether the initiative came from Union bureaucrats or team management, sure enough that has proved to be the case. The war of words and missives with the English clubs, aside from placing Keith Wood in an invidious position, merely highlighted the problem.

Thanks to England's hectic November/December programme, Ireland had access to their cross-channel player for four successive Saturdays. Betraying a blatant lack of understanding for the modern professional game, only two of the Saturdays were used, prior to another three-week break before the Italian game.

Thus in stark contrast to England - who effectively became a club side for a month - Ireland's programme kept losing impetus. Had the Italian game been dovetailed with England, not only would the Irish squad have been able to stay together, but Rob Henderson, Conor McGuinness, Nick Popplewell, Paul Wallace, Kieron Dawson and Ross Nesdale would all have been available.

The two additional changes decided upon by the three wise men ultimately compounded the lack of continuity in selection. In the selection of Dylan O'Grady, especially, there seems to have been a lack of continuity. Granted, Brian Ashton had wanted initially to use O'Grady as a quick number six rather than an out-and-out tearaway. But O'Grady was still chosen on the basis of just one league match for Sale after a lengthy injury-enforced absence. O'Grady really didn't do enough to merit his inclusion and probably didn't do himself justice as a result.

Undoubtedly, the back-row was the weak link in the Irish chain. All but obliterated defensively, they made few inroads as runners or at the point of breakdown. Eric Miller, no less than Wood and the majority of the Lions, looks knackered and Wood's enforced three-week break might be the best thing that could happen to him.

But in contrast to O'Grady, earlier inactivity counted against Jonathan Bell and Richie Wallace, yet the former had played as many games, while the latter had come through four outings and continued his prolific form since returning from injury. As an aside, what kind of message the selection of O'Grady after just one outing sent out to the likes of Eddie Halvey and David Corkery, one can only imagine.

The post-match mantra from Whelan and a surprisingly upbeat Ashton about the Italian game possibly constituting a step forward in terms of creativity was partially justified on examination of the video. Again, most of this emanated from Ireland's strong set-pieces. The restarts also went well and the backs did create a few things, generally through Niall Hogan and David Humphreys.

With the addition of Warren Gatland and Mike Ruddock to the coaching team, if anything, the scrums and line-outs have improved further. Half of Ireland's eight tries this season have come directly from set-pieces. But if this Irish team is ever to develop the type of continuity game and try-scoring potential Ashton is striving for, quicker ruck ball is required. That's where tries are scored from in the modern game.

All of this begs the question: Are Gatland and Ruddock being given enough power? For whatever reason, it seems that Gatland and Ruddock are being given more accountability than responsibility. By contrast, it appears as if John Mitchell and Phil Larder are exerting greater influence in the English set-up, even down to the actual makeup of the team.

It doesn't help that the Irish players are coming from so many different set-ups, and aren't playing the quicker-rucking, quicker-mauling game that Ashton is seeking to develop. Nor does it help that so few are coming from winning environments.

In addition, is there also a fear of actually playing for Ireland, undermined as it is by constant changes in selection? It's almost a running joke within the squad. When Darragh O'Mahony turned up for the first time in over two years at an Irish session last week, one of the other players said, perhaps only half-jokingly, "great to see you again Darragh. Ah sure, it'll be another few years before we see you again."

The talk on the long trek home from Bologna was on the possibility of up to 10 changes for the Scottish game. Once again, it seems, practically every area of the team is up for grabs apart from second-row. Is it any co-incidence that the team's one constant combination has also performed the most consistently?

All told, 35 players were used in Ireland's seven matches last season. Admittedly, a change in coach always brings with it selection upheavals. This process was always likely to be exacerbated by a new coach with little or no knowledge of domestic players.

The timing of this Italian game further compounded the problem, so much so that 27 players have been used in three games this season, and a staggering 43 players in the eight games in 1997 under Ashton. In the last three years there have been seven scrum-halves and three out-halves.

Aside from the disruptions this invariably causes to any team's level of consistency, what about the `fear factor' it is imbuing in the players? The three wise men undoubtedly must realise that a more settled team is imperative.

Yet, in addition to the aforementioned players unavailable in Bologna, the likes of Conor O'Shea, Bell, Richie Wallace and Corkery will come back into the equation. Nowlan's inexperience and positioning were ruthlessly exposed, most notably by the brilliant Diego Dominguez - though one wonders what the ill-timed announcements of the latest contracts did for his state of mind. Little or nothing is still coming from midfield, where the options, of course, remain extremely limited. Bell's stock is soaring in abstentia, while Richie Wallace is at least playing and scoring in a winning team.

One wonders, too, about Ashton's state of mind. Is he getting the back-up he requires? Is he even getting the team he wants? He cut an atypically jocose figure at Saturday's press conference, a far cry from the angry figure after the more creditable defeat of the development team in Western Samoa. Will he stick it out, especially if Ireland were to lose to Scotland?

I think he will, but though Ashton detests the term, in the context of the season, that Scottish game on February 7th is predictably assuming a `make-or-break' air.