Cleverest performance of the past 12 months

Ireland managed to maximise their abilities and minimise the English strengths

I BEGIN WHERE I left off on Friday with Lt Bromhead at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift where Michael Caine’s character utters the immortal line, “Well chin chin, do carry on with your mud pies”. On Saturday the Zulus won out and it was beautiful.

Truth be told I’m not sure which team were Zulus and which were the 24th Regiment of Foot as either side had so much to win and lose. Under immense personal pressure the Irish team and all its individuals stood very tall: beautiful.

Although there was a massive shift in intensity their defence was still patient, calm and measured. The aggressive line-speed of yore was tempered with a real confidence that the English simply couldn’t or wouldn’t break through. Many examples flood to mind, but none more than Brian O’Driscoll’s taming of the giant shrew that is Matt Banahan.

O’Driscoll was not unique in his defence but he continually displayed the military nuance of trading space for time. On the rare occasion Banahan got his hands on the ball he ran hard, but as O’Driscoll chaperoned him, retreating under supervision, both Banahan and his team-mates simply ran out of ideas.

After 32 minutes England finally began to gain tangible possession. They had a breakdown on the half-way line 20 metres from the left touchline. With it they had huge numbers on the open side facing Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Rory Best and Andrew Trimble. They ran meekly into the ferocious Irish defence and slobbered around until they found themselves back in the exact same spot on the 34th minute. A team fighting for a Grand Slam would surely launch something big. Ben Youngs box-kicked into the Irish 22. No one followed and Ireland, with a real spark, countered and brought the score to 17-3.

From the outset it was all centred on how Ireland managed the rules of engagement. With this in mind, it was our cleverest performance of the past 12 months. Ireland managed to maximise their abilities and minimise the English strengths. I use the word “strength” as that is what they are: a brutish team, and Ireland reduced them to babies.

England strengths, as highlighted on, Friday were at the breakdown, so Ireland avoided that phase where possible, but not to the determent of their game plan. Apart from some cameos it was Trimble and Seán O’Brien who carried into contact as they were guaranteed yards and a safe return of the ball. Others carried but rarely into traffic, electing to target space. David Wallace was extraordinary.

On 42 minutes England box-kicked again, not unlike Mike Phillips’ effort to Keith Earls in Cardiff. Ireland reacted very differently. Tommy Bowe, on catching, spun away from contact towards the touch line – interesting. He hammered on the gas and made 25 metres before being brought down. On the very quick ruck (thanks again secondrows), the ball is moved into the midfield, finding Earls. With a slight move left Earls pops to O’Driscoll on a hard line to fix Banahan and co before popping back to Earls at full flight. He circled into the space out wide and with English shirts arriving in numbers he drilled the ball into the far corner.

It sounds simple, but Ireland used a real strength in Bowe through contact before using pace and subtlety in avoiding England’s strength in midfield. In doing so they gained enormous advantage. It looked like great fun, an ingredient that has been missing.

Wallace’s defence off the scrum was beautiful. It is a lonely place waiting on the edge of the scrum knowing a speed-merchant like Youngs is gagging to go. He did, but there’s no one better than Wallace to track a speedster and hunt him down. In doing so he dislodged the ball and jumped to his feet. But along came Tom Wood to flatten him, beautiful.

Of course it wasn’t all perfect. The scrum was an immediate success, solid and stable. Why Mike Ross was substituted remains a mystery. I fully understand the logic in launching Ronan O’Gara on the 69th minute. The rain was teeming down, the score was 24-8 and Ireland had stopped playing. O’Gara was magnificent in guiding “his” team home. Seve Ballesteros couldn’t conjure up the array of chips, draws and fades O’Gara displayed.

His role is crucial to Ireland’s journey, but Jonny Sexton was immense in that he just played what was in front of him. Sometimes that was a free corner to kick to, other times it was Banahan to exploit and, when the mood took him, it was a tap penalty that would lead to a crucial score.

As O’Connell and O’Callaghan “fonged” the ball down the pitch it struck me that for the opening 60 minutes (Ireland’s best period) neither showed as first receiver, electing to hunt and scavenge like lunatics. On one defensive phase O’Callaghan made five tackles. His statistics show 10 in the match – it must have been in the high 20s?

But as the game drifted beyond the hour mark O’Connell began to show for the ball. When Ireland were at their best the front five were brilliant in providing space and oomph for the real ball carriers, sealing off the breakdown, making massive hits and providing decoy runs. Leading to O’Driscoll’s forward-pass try both secondrows were brilliant at the breakdown. They were extreme “facilitators”.

As for England, I give Martin Johnson one major credit. He treated each difficult question afterwards with respect, giving a real insight into the challenges his team faced against the Irish. His team faced many, but for a Johnson team they were far too meek. Weaknesses highlighted on Friday came true. Banahan was exposed. Dylan Hartley’s over-throw to Cian Healy and premature exit after 50 minutes was another acknowledgement of weakness.

There is no telling how England would have fared with Mike Tindall in harness or if Youngs wasn’t binned or if Tom Palmer managed a full game, but they lacked real leadership and, in Nick Easter, they lacked a number eight.

As the months speed towards the World Cup I’m left wondering can Ireland continue playing as they did on Saturday? On Friday night the Irish Under-20s were beaten up by the English. This lesson should not be lost on the Irish senior management.

Last Friday wasn’t the only example of English might, as at Donnybrook the English Legends beat their Irish counterparts for the Stuart Mangan Memorial Trophy. In less than 24 hours three generations of Irish and English players battled. Over the weeks, I look forward to exploring the many lessons contained therein.

liamtoland@yahoo.com