Fixing things when they ain't broke

When Ireland met Scotland last Saturday in the refixed Six Nations Championship match, the Irish side had the best possible incentive to end the dismal losing sequence at Murrayfield which dates back to 1987.

Ireland went into that match on the back of a 100 per cent record in the championship after wins against Italy and France, and with the prospect of playing England in the third of the deferred matches from last season at Lansdowne Road and a championship the prize.

Yet again Murrayfield, where once Ireland had such a good record, proved to be the scene of a performance of abject failure. It was a dreadful display, embracing so many of the old failings, Lens and Twickenham 2000 revisited.

No variation on the all-too-familiar theme for Ireland at Murrayfield. It was a display that ranks with the worst I have seen Ireland give at this venue.

There were times a few years ago when one wanted to look away during some of Ireland's matches, hoping time would somehow race by, and would long for the half-time and full-time whistles to save further embarrassment. Last Saturday, as Ireland trailed by 17 points with some minutes still to go to the interval, one felt exactly the same way: just get us to half-time and maybe the team could regroup, offer the Scots' pack some real opposition, and not the freedom of the park.

For a few minutes after the interval, hope rose slightly that maybe Ireland would make a match of it when Ronan O'Gara kicked a penalty to make it 17-3. Then, two minutes later, Scotland get a third try and conversion, 24-3, and the match is over.

Where did it all go wrong? Why did Ireland desert the tactics that had proved so profitable over recent matches? Was there complacency, over-confidence? I know that Irish teams traditionally feel more comfortable in the role of the underdogs, but if we are to get anywhere we must get rid of that complex. Nothing induces greater confidence than success.

We have had all sorts of reasons put forward for Ireland's display and the poor standard of play. From across the Irish Sea we are being told that the Celtic League matches mean nothing and that Welsh and Scottish teams are not taking this competition seriously and that was why the Irish teams did so well in it. And that our players should be playing in the English Premiership.

Well, we have been down that road before, we all know the results. I have reservations about aspects of the Celtic League that have been stated before, but likewise also see value in it in some respects. Furthermore, Irish provinces have not fared badly in the European Cup. It was Munster's achievements in that two years ago which lifted Irish rugby at international level out of the rut in which it was stuck.

I have seen six Celtic League matches this season, and you could have fooled me that opposing teams and players were not taking it seriously against the Irish provinces. I have seen Leinster give some excellent displays, and Munster played some great rugby too, most notably against a very strong Cardiff team. Ulster and Connacht have given good, effective and telling performances.

I would make the point, too, that the Irish provinces have played with far greater fluency and tactical awareness than what we saw from Ireland last Saturday. Six of that Scotland team last Saturday played for a Glasgow side torn apart by Leinster 39-11.

Maybe the Irish provinces have been better prepared than the Irish side was.

It is utter rubbish to suggest that the Celtic League had anything to do with Ireland's pathetic display last Saturday. On the contrary, the success of the Irish provinces should have helped lift Ireland's confidence. One would want to look much deeper than that for reasons why Ireland could not give a display of even moderate competence against a Scotland team that one could say, without wishing to take from the merit of their win, is not exactly a team of all the talents.

Ireland's problems started in the pack. The lineout was a shambles, the rucking without any semblance of authority. And Ian McGeechan and his players can hardly have believed their luck at Ireland's tactics of isolated individuals rushing head down, totally unable to make any ground and then lose possession. It played into the hands of a team such as Scotland and the game they like to play.

Gone were all the speed, authority and fluency that had characterised Ireland of late and which proved so effective and successful. Peter Stringer has been a central figure in Ireland's successes, but he was dropped. Good old Ireland yet again: mend what does not need to be fixed. Three players who had been out of the game for a protracted period were chosen. Guy Easterby was selected allegedly because he played a more varied game than Stringer and would put more pressure on the Scottish back row. The Scottish back row had a field day.

Yet it would be wrong to apportion blame to a few players for last Saturday's display; it was a collective and spiritual failure embracing tactical ineptitude.

The coach, Warren Gatland, has said that Ireland must take a good hard look at themselves before the match against Wales. That is an absolute necessity. The management must also give deep consideration to the team they selected against Scotland, and must now select for the match in Cardiff players capable of playing the type of game that has proved so beneficial in recent times.

From the moment the Scots went 10 points in front last Saturday with 32 minutes gone, one felt that this was going to be another Murrayfield day as the Irish were being mauled up front, could make no inroads behind the scrum and the midfield defence had been torn apart three times.

What is especially frustrating, too, is that 12 of the Ireland team last Saturday played on the side that hammered Scotland 44-22 when the countries last met in March 2000, and scored five tries. Remember, too, that side was 10 points down after 10 minutes but produced a telling response. Who were the three players players missing last Saturday from that win? Mike Mullins, Peter Stringer and Mick Galwey.

Now there is a thought.