We tried out the nickname for a season and it didn’t really catch on – maybe it’s time to bring it back.
I’m in the lucky position of being 100% partisan unlike the real Irish journalists covering this tour, so I can come out and say it – the Leinster contingent are definitely the stars so far, while our countrymen to the south and north are experiencing a combination of poor form and even worse luck.
First, my commiserations to poor Stephen Ferris. He was having a stellar tour to date, and as George Hook pointed out, his injury in training shows just how much effort he was putting into every aspect of the tour.
This match in Durban was a chance for Paul O’Connell to assert his authority on the pitch with his charges, and he tried to do so Munster-style from the kick-off, and, well, not to put too fine a point on it, he failed.
Stu Barnes even suggested POC’s own place on the Test XV may be in jeopardy, but I think that’s going too far.
Even though the Sharks were missing 9 internationals, making this halfway between their first and second XVs, as determined as this pack (which at kickoff seemed very close to the Test starting one) played, it just could not break down the home defences for love nor money, coming short at least five times by my count.
If we can’t force our way over in the first twenty minutes against a depleted Super14 squad, just how will we fare over 80 minutes against the might of the World Cup winning pack?
I can only report what I see, and it really doesn’t look like POC has the will of this team behind him. And what’s more, there are only two more warm-up matches left, and surely he’ll be rested for one of them.
It’s a different story in the backline. Hopefully Roberts’ shoulder injury will heal quickly, since he and Drico make a dream centre combo.
And as for Luke Fitzgerald…I was delighted he got a start on the wing, and he didn’t let me down, as he absolutely outplayed his team-mate on the far side of the line, who if memory serves me right was once World Player of the Year?
The two Leinster boys combined for the evening’s best score, outlined in the above snap – BOD showed every inch of his experience releasing his offload at just the right time for Luke to cross…if I had to find a criticism I’d say the winger could have easily scampered under the posts from there, but that’s being picky.
Then there’s ROG. Ah, poor aul’ Ronan.
His placekicking was impressive, but alas, he tried too hard in open play. I think he was a bit too aware of his shortcomings (ie tackling & line breaking) and on the most part compensated by either attempting to prove detractors wrong or resorting to elaborate through kicks which weren’t really on.
What a Test-level out-half SHOULD do, in my book anyway, is make the right play according to a given situation, and forget the critics. This is why I feel O’Gara is now third in the squad’s pecking order. Of course it doesn’t help his cause that both the other Number10’s are the same nationality as the shoo-in starter at scrum-half Mike Phillips, who had another good showing.
I suggested in a previous post that Messrs Fitzgerald and Heaslip may be overlooked on account of their youth, but after last night I’m starting to feel differently. Jamie was a powerhouse at 8, so much so that I’d wonder just how genuine are Powell’s claims of an injured hand.
So here’s my revised Test XV…I demoted Jenkins despite Jonathan Kaplan’s inability to determine the sinned against from the sinning between he and du Plessis, and in case you think I have it in for all Munstermen, I feel Wallace played himself last night into a tie with Williams in the running for the 7 jumper.
- Sheridan (Jenkins)
- MEARS
- Murray (Vickery)
- SHAW
- O’CONNELL
- CROFT
- M Williams /Wallace
- HEASLIP
- PHILLIPS
- S Jones (Hook)
- Fitzgerald (S Williams)
- ROBERTS
- O’DRISCOLL
- BOWE
- BYRNE
