'We've just got to get back to basics'

LAMENTING THE handling errors, lamenting their execution and the points that got away, lamenting the failure to obtain a bonus point and deliver the kind of performance they wanted to banish their August blues and travel on to Auckland with, the Ireland players could scarcely hide their disappointment. They still can’t find what they’re looking for.

“Yeah, exactly,” said O’Gara who, typically, was the least inclined to gloss over the failings. “There is no denying that. When you lose the games in the summer and then we had a chance tonight, we were probably looking for a big performance and when we woke up this morning the weather wasn’t great.

“But you have to get over these things and play what’s in front of you and play the conditions, and I suppose at times when we kept the ball we made it look easy but then we didn’t do it with any frequency whatsoever, so that’s disappointing, yeah.”

In leaving behind the bonus point, O’Gara said: “That’s the big difference between European and Test rugby: we were probably looking for a miracle pass here and there; I said to Paul inside there, you get flashes of genius in international rugby in one of three games.

“You just have to keep wearing teams down, keep holding on to the ball and going through it and then putting over a fella with just simple hands at the end of 15 or 16 phases, or else a penalty results. We’re probably looking to come up with big plays too frequently and we’ve just got to get back to basics and hold on to the ball and keep our error-rate down.”

On foot of Argentina’s return of three from 10 place kicks, the problems of Jonny Wilkinson (four from eight) and others, Jonathan Sexton’s two from six, it would appear the Gilbert World Cup ball could be an issue.

“Mike Ross asked me the same inside, and no, there isn’t, like. I suppose it’s pressure. I’ve watched Jonny Wilkinson for 13 years and haven’t seen that ever before. I was talking to Jonny (Sexton) inside and we go all through it.”

“Some days it’s very easy and other days it’s so difficult, that’s the beauty of being a goal-kicker. You don’t know what’s involved and there are very few of us understand what it takes. He’s just got to wipe the slate clean form his point of view and move on. I’ve been there before and that’s exactly what you need to do, just don’t read too much into it.

“These things happen at strange times in World Cups, because World Cups come once every four years and they are the biggest and pressure gets to people in different ways. It can happen to any of us.”

Ahead of Australia, O’Gara admitted Ireland had work to do.

“We’re massive underdogs going into the game, we have a lot to prove and I think we have a lot to prove to ourselves. The big key for us this week is to get it right and we’re aware we have great support. The fans were unbelievable tonight, it was fantastic and we need to reward them. Next weekend is a key game. I think we’re looking for performance first of all and then the result will be further on in the game.

“It’s completely, completely different. We nearly lost that game. There’s a completely different mood in the camp. Guys are quite happy. Obviously they’re disappointed about not putting up a big score tonight. But they’re quite happy to put that behind us and move on. Obviously we’ve a huge game next week. The mood in the camp is completely different. I didn’t feel under any pressure out there. We gifted them a try when we were chasing a bonus but before that they didn’t look like scoring a try at any stage. On a dry day, I think you’d put 50 or 60 on those guys.”

Jamie Heaslip laughed when reflecting that the breakdown “was a bit mental, all right. Off the top of my head, it was probably a combination of, at times, maybe us lacking just one extra person at the breakdown and their bringing a serious physical presence to it as well.

“We played to a better shape, we probably got a lot of cobwebs out of us,” he added. “I know myself, I’ve only had a game and a half coming into this and a two-week break so it was great to get in a shift and I know a lot of the lads will be the same as well.

“I think we’re in good shape,” maintained Heaslip. “I haven’t looked at them (Australia), I know probably the management have. We’ll assess our game tomorrow and park that and move on to Australia and see what they’re all about.”