Just in case you were unfortunate enough to watch RTE’s coverage, allow me to tell you what really happened at Croke Park.
While the boys were Montrose were glowing about what a wonderful game of rugby this was for the neutral, the rest of us were on the edge of our seats hoping we’d be able to hold on and fair play to Declan Kidney’s men, we did it.
And as for George Hook suggesting this result was Munster-driven…eh, the tries were scored by who? Man-of-the-match Heaslip, O’Driscoll and d’Arcy with Rob Kearney playing a virtually flawless no 15? Do me a favour, mate!
Of course it is natural to compare this performance with what we would have expected from a team led by Eddie O’Sullivan. That’s simple – the fifteen men in green yesterday were able to adapt to the team they were playing, whereas in recent Six Nations campaigns we’ve never been able to deviate from our plan at kickoff.
Having said that, I had serious reservations about our plan at the kickoff of this match. I counted four times in the first twenty minutes that Tomas O’Leary kicked the ball away from the base of the ruck – I couldn’t see the reasoning behind putting the ball in the hands of any French side no matter how experimental.
So although nobody at our state-run broadcaster seemed to think the final pass to Harinordoquy was forward for the visitor’s first try, the score seemed to justify my confusion at the wisdom of surrendering the ball so easily.
But where in the past the kicks would have more than likely continued, we managed to adapt, and for the first time in I don’t know how long we looked like scoring every time we won possession in their 22, which it has to be said is the hallmark of a side capable of winning it all.
And what stunning tries they were, each and every one of them. Perhaps the French may question their own tackling, but you only have to watch the determination of the scorers crossing the line to see that it would have taken quite an effort to stop them from anyone.
Add to this my assertion that BOTH French tries were fortunate (although the final execution of their second try was exquisite, the move began with the ball yet again falling kindly for Harinordoquy) PLUS the fact that O’Gara wasn’t exactly 100% with his kicking, I’d argue that we could have won by more on the day.
I mean – the signs are all good; this French team will only get better so this was the best time to play them, and if we can produce four more displays like this one and avoid injuries, we have as much a chance in this tournament as anyone else, even the Welsh.
So what if Tom McGuirk and his merry men would be happy to see us lose all five once the overall rugby was entertaining? Hopefully Kidney’s army will appreciate the real fans are fully behind them to succeed whatever the cost.
