Tighthead making gains as a loose player

RUGBY: GAVIN CUMMISKEY, at Murrayfield, talks to a satisfied Ireland prop Mike Ross who believes that the Irish scrum 'achieved what we set out to achieve' yesterday

SEVERAL PROBLEMS must be dealt with before the Wales game in Cardiff on Saturday week but one salient positive has arisen from this close shave at Murrayfield yesterday. Ireland can now manufacture scores off their scrum.

Eoin Reddan’s try being the primary example.

Despite the magnificent service by John Hayes in every other department for the past 11 years, opponents have not seen the Irish scrum as an attacking threat since Paul Wallace packed down at tighthead prop in the late 1990s.

Mike Ross may be 31 but he remains very new to all of this. Being a scrummager by trade, it is no surprise to hear him adopt a no-nonsense attitude to a very encouraging 70-minute shift.

“I’m quite pleased with how we scrummaged today. We achieved what we set out to achieve. A couple of decisions we weren’t too happy about. We can definitely do better than that.”

Yesterday was only his sixth cap. Ross was overlooked in the last year of the Michael Cheika residency at Leinster and the Irish coaches did not require his services, in a starting capacity that is, despite four Test matches during November.

In reality, it was the snapping of Stan Wright’s Achilles tendon in the early weeks of this season that provided him with the exposure of Heineken Cup action, where he proved his worth against world-class scrummagers like Thomas Domingo.

Scotland’s Allan Jacobsen does not fall into that category but neither is he a cheap prop. The sight of the loosehead being sin-binned after 44 minutes is all that can be asked of the Irish tighthead.

It was confirmation of the destruction Ross inflicted in what has been a tumultuous few weeks off the pitch.

After the November chill, finally, he became the starting Irish tighthead in the Six Nations. In a World Cup year. Nine days ago his wife, Kimberley, gave birth to their son, Kevin James Ross, in what was good timing in a rugby context.

“Yeah, he was born on Saturday the 19th,” said Ross last night. “My poor wife had a tough time of it. She had a C section. She is still recovering.”

It must have been tough to leave their side? “Big time but she is very understanding. She more or less kicked me out of there. He’s good. He is being well looked after by his grandparents.”

After all, this is why they moved to Dublin in the first place. To wear the green jersey.

“Every cap you get you just want to get the next one. It’s a tough place to play but it is a great place to play. It is the ultimate. It is what every guy who picks up the ball wants to do so I’m relishing it while I have the opportunity.”

Last November scrum guru Roly Meates was asked about Ross in this newspaper: “The criticism of Ross is he doesn’t get around the field. But it is harder to coach a fella who gets around the field to scrummage than the other way around.

“As far as I’m concerned you have to have a tighthead who can do the job.

“The better he is as a loose player is just profit.”

The coaching appears to be working. There was one busting run through the middle yesterday so that seems to be profit enough for now.