Forget styles, tactics or rankings, the special ingredient on Saturday was ferocity of impact in every area and brains, writes LIAM TOLAND

BEN HOGAN was right: “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.”

On Saturday we smelt the roses and Quade Cooper was introduced to the crazy Shamrock! In an ideal world Australia scrumhalf Will Genia would have scored with just minutes remaining and so too would have Tommy Bowe. Neither made it so my Fantasy League was scuppered but what harm! It’s Monday, two days after the event and I’m drawn between the emotion of Saturday and the reality. What a victory, but why?

I loved Donegal’s march into the All-Ireland football championship semi-final for one simple reason. They imposed their game on the opposition and whatever hot air comes from the analysts back in studio the opposition were unable to cope.

Likewise, England imposed on us some weeks back and the Wallabies in winning the Tri-Nations over the All Blacks in Brisbane. Thankfully field sport will forever be thus. Those who impose will win out, regardless of ranking or technical ability.

I awoke very giddy on Saturday morning, not unlike when I went to watch Ireland v France in Paris in RWC 2007. The question long stands, which French side will turn up? Ireland were hammered! On Friday it was obvious one thing jumped out; ingredients. What was the missing ingredient that Ireland lacked over the previous months? And in finding it could we overcome our technical deficiencies; counter-attack, etc.

That ingredient was absent from the Wallabies, who were lethargic in much of what they did. Yes they impressed in many facets and at times when Ireland tired or when their concentration waned the Wallabies started to rumble, especially coming up to half-time (championship minutes) but then the second half rolled on and immediately the Irish got back to work. Refreshed enormously by the energy and the culture in the group not to mention those hovering above, such as David Wallace and Jerry Flannery, or the many more who’ve retired these past few years.

The big difference and area of encouragement is the performance went beyond a ferocious confrontation. The scrum was superb (helped especially by the Australian backrow not scrummaging – is that not a penalty Bryce Lawrence?) as too the lineout, and Rory Best deserves the plaudits for whispering into the ears of those closest to the success, Cian Healy and Mike Ross. I ask Conor Murray has he any idea how fatiguing it is to allow the ball sit at the number eight’s feet for a wee while?

As each five seconds rolls over the frontrow, especially the tighthead (Ross) goes further into oxygen debt. It’s lovely to witness the scrumhalf encouraging the Irish scrum 60 metres from the Wallaby goal line, but this is exhausting and as a tool should be used at key moments to establish mental superiority or penalty opportunities in kicking range. That frontrow will take some time to recover and simply can’t play against the Russians.

Many examples of a ferocious but thinking-man’s performance come to mind. The obvious was on 57 minutes with Ireland seriously questioning the Wallabies in all areas. This time, way over in the far corner from another scrum, Heaslip breaks with yet another massive front-five clear-out with the ball winging its way across the Irish goal line to Tommy Bowe; very measured, very assured and very smart, even in the terrible conditions.

Another moment was the “Cooper counter” from a Jonny Sexton clearance kick on 44 minutes. This time Cooper dinked it over the back. Did he truly believe Ireland had no skill at all! Heaslip, our number eight, caught it in traffic. Eoin Reddan found our number six Ferris who, on sucking in two Wallabies popped to our number seven, Seán O’Brien, who powered through defenders to allow front-foot ball which Brian O’Driscoll whipped deep into the Wallaby 22 – beautiful. From Heaslip’s ball placement both Ferris and O’Brien (two players) sucked in nine Wallabies; force multipliers!

However my moment of the match came on 52 minutes, not when Ferris carried Genia in his pocket from the scrum with the crazy Irish pack piling in behind (very nice though). It was when Sexton hit the post with his 52nd-minute penalty. O’Gara was barely on the pitch when he skimmed the ball into touch from his 22.

The resulting Wallaby lineout, with Healy busying himself at the tail, was again crooked – scrum time. As Reddan put the ball in Healy totally dominated his man Ben Alexander – penalty. Sexton hit the post and the ball bounced. O’Driscoll, carrying an injury and in his 13th international season and fourth RWC was first up, unreal! Beside him was Bowe.

Australia rallied around the ball as Best and Paul O’Connell sprinted in with Donncha O’Callaghan and Ross in hot pursuit. Australia had options as Healy arrived directly behind the breakdown. Amazingly, after all he’d been through, he spotted it and both he and O’Connell raced out into the defensive line where Genia found Cooper flanked by James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Radike Samo.

This is a horrible environment for a loosehead to find himself on 52 minutes surrounded by speedsters! Healy’s eyes never dropped and stayed on the threat where he (with O’Connell) traded space for time before he smashed Cooper. Beale picked up the poor offload and chipped. Who was there to compete and intercept but Healy jumping into the air for Best to get the bobbling ball. What Healy achieved in that four minutes was extraordinary, laced with physique, technique, ruthless ambition and most importantly brains; O’Driscoll, likewise.

Can Ireland progress in this competition? Absolutely. But we must be mindful of how the success was achieved on Saturday, much like why Australia beat New Zealand in August. Forget styles, tactics or world rankings the special ingredient is always ferocity of impact in every area of the pitch followed by brains.

Ireland summoned up huge resources allied to a scrum and lineout to impose upon the Wallabies for 80 minutes. That Rob Kearney managed 74 of them was truly heroic. So too Healy, Ross and their bosom buddy Best. We were fortunate to have lost Stephen Moore but in losing David Pocock we were blessed as Ben McCalman simply didn’t play as with many of his young team-mates.

Ireland sustained a level of intensity – that is their key ingredient to success. To maintain this allied with brains over the coming weeks, peeking for Italy, Wales, England/France and finally South Africa/Australia or New Zealand is another thing.

Is this a dampener on the greatest win in our RWC history? No, but as Australia proved in Brisbane when the blood’s up they can beat anybody. Taking into account Ireland’s small playing numbers, potential injuries to key players and lack of a counter-attack, the blood has to be up for every one of the 320 minutes of those final four matches to stand a chance.

The brainy crazy Shamrock is back . . . long may it last!