Ireland must pause for serious thought

World Cup countdown:Ireland are going to have to research their referees as much as their opponents for the first four pool matches of the World Cup next month in France. Following their misreading of how referee Nigel Owens was going to whistle the scrum, greater attention to detail regarding the referee's interpretation promises to be a bigger priority for the Irish forwards from here on.

In Ireland's flawed win over the Italians at Ravenhill last Friday night, the set-piece only began to function against the visitors in the second half of the match.

Despite the fact Welshman Owens, who is not scheduled to referee any of Ireland's matches in the pool stages next month, came to the team's changing rooms before the match to explain his views, Ireland continued to badly misfire in that area.

"It does change with referees," says loosehead prop, Marcus Horan. "Some guys put a lot of emphasis on the pause. Sometimes that pause can be quick and sometimes there is a huge pause. Other guys keep it the same every time. We'll have Nigel now and again and we'll know how he'll work next time. It's no fault of his. It is up to the players to get that right."

Critics would have said the Irish team ought to have gotten it right much quicker in Belfast, given that it was largely the first-choice Irish team. Owens had also explained the way he expected the scrum to engage and Ireland's naivety was cruelly and surprisingly exposed.

"It's all very well a referee coming in and telling you how he is going to play when you are in the dressingroom before the match. The proof of the pudding is going out there and doing it in the heat of battle. But it did take us too long to get it right and wise up to it.

"His (Owens) calling was slightly different to what we are used to and the Italians were jumping the gun a bit on the call. To he honest, they just interpreted it a bit better than us and I think we got the hang of it in the second half and put them under pressure in one or two scrums. But it is disappointing from our aspect that it took us that long to get it right and to get used to the call."

The pause-touch-engage sequence has been an important part of the scrum engagement now for some time. Eddie O'Sullivan voiced his concern about it during this year's Six Nations, when he claimed that the engagement process is now a battle of collisions between the two packs.

In that respect, timing, momentum and balance are as key elements in dominating as strength and collective weight.

But Horan is not disconsolate and, as like many of the other Irish players, he looks to better moments for confidence-building. Georgia will have some big units in the pack while France and Argentina will represent more seriously physical challenges than the Azzuri.

"We did get one or two against the head," says the Irish prop.

"And we acquitted ourselves well in the Six Nations against France in the second half of the game in Croke Park. It's just a fraction of a per cent but it goes a long way. Those things have to be worked out."

Denis Leamy will take part in full training this week, despite his shoulder hurting following last Friday's warm-up match against the Italians.

The Irish and Munster backrow has a bruised nerve, an injury which he has had several times before.

However, he yesterday expressed satisfaction with the progress and hopes that he will be fully fit by the time Ireland travel over to their base in Bordeaux, France.

The Ireland squad continued their training preparations in St Gerard's School in Bray, where captain Brian O'Driscoll stepped up his training through a rugby fitness session. The centre, however, stayed out of contact as he recovers from his fractured sinus he received 12 days ago.

Flanker David Wallace was also on the field as the Ireland medical staff continue to oversee his recovery from the chronic ankle problem that has limited his training, but again he undertook a tough fitness session.

Ulster's Paddy Wallace did sit out the session as he rested a bruised hip he received in training on Monday. The utility back was kept away from all contact yesterday.

Meanwhile, Leinster have arranged a pre-season friendly against Italian team Padova on Saturday, 15th September in UCD Bowl, Belfield (kick-off 1pm). Leinster defeated the Super 10 side 22-12 in a friendly in the run-up to the victory in Toulouse the season before last.