Ireland’s “to-do” list from Twickenham focused on improved discipline, powering up the maul, addressing the scrum issues and fine-tuning individual responsibilities within the team parameters. There was nothing highfalutin about any of it but like all sport it is the simple things done well that elevates the collective.
The initial auguries were positive. The home side won a scrum penalty, got into a lovely attack shape, caused Wales all manner of problems, and their accuracy and speed guaranteed breakdown ball of the express variety on the occasions when a green-shirted ball carrier did not look to offload out of the tackle.
Ireland beat a dogged Wales side under the lights at the Aviva
Jacob Stockdale’s 20th try for his country on seven minutes was a fitting reward, Rob Baloucoune, Stu McCloskey and Nick Timoney prominent in creating the opportunity. The home side’s effervescence in possession threatened greater returns, Ireland denied a second try, when Jack Conan dotted down, for a knock-on in the build-up by Tom O’Toole. The game was just eight minutes old.
Earning the right to go wide is a dog-eared truism in rugby, a fact that Ireland ignored, in their desire to get to the edges, especially when Wales shut them down with some thunderous tackling. The home side were guilty of pushing the ball out the back, lateral and obvious in orientation.
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Misplaced passes cost Ireland possession and momentum and chinks in the discipline resurfaced. Two free kicks at scrums, one for not striking, another for an “early engage”. Wales were emboldened by their defensive resilience, and it didn’t matter that they had missed 14 of 54 tackles in the first quarter. They made the ones that mattered.
Alex Mann picked off Jamison Gibson-Park’s pass on the try-line and although the scrumhalf would atone with a more accurate cut-out pass for Jack Crowley’s try, the home side conceded a very soft try, brilliantly taken by Rhys Carre just before half-time. The 12-10 scoreline was scarcely credulous in one respect but it didn’t reflect the home side’s ropy game management.
Ireland overplayed, not so much in the wrong areas but inopportunely, and what compounded that fragility was a failure to change the picture meant that Wales to be aggressive in their line speed, and hammer into Irish ball carriers.
Wales made 110 tackles but eight were dominant, a huge number in that metric: that they missed 19 in that opening 40 minutes was less relevant. It cried out for Ireland to change the picture, make their opponents think or hesitate. The most obvious avenue was to employ a kicking game to find another way to the space in the Welsh backfield.
Farrell’s side were perhaps distracted or beguiled by the fact that when they were direct through the brilliant Jack Conan, McCloskey, Garry Ringrose, or Stockdale, and accurate in their clearouts, they won the gain-line and were able to play with tempo that all unlocked Wales: three tries worth. The problem was it was too fitful.
A recurring theme was Ireland’s need for patience and composure, to stay in shape, while avoiding a one-dimensional carrying approach. O’Toole won two scrum penalties, but Ireland conceded three free-kicks and a penalty. Ill-discipline in a general sense was a bugbear, a conduit to Wales two tries.
Stockdale’s brilliant catch aside, Ireland’s aerial work was again unproductive, losing the scraps, a touch of deja vu from Paris. There were eerily similar flaws from earlier in the tournament.
And yet when Ireland did get into their rhythm, they were irresistible at times as was the case in the build-up to Osborne’s try. Stockdale again prominent. Baloucoune, Conan brilliant. All the while Wales were wonderfully spirited and kept playing, kept squeezing.
Ireland’s fragility in the scrum provided Wales with access to Ireland’s 22: 15 scrum penalties in four matches and more than half a dozen free kicks doesn’t require any elaboration. Victory is always a salve but the inconsistencies in performance terms will again make for an uncomfortable review.
Extending the squad depth and the way Stockdale and O’Toole responded to the challenge are peripherally positive. Conan was a deserved man of the match, one try scored, one unfortunately chalked off. In terms of the works-on from Twickenham, it was a case of can-do better, and they will have to because Scotland will be another step up if Ireland are to chase down that Triple Crown.
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