Ireland have served up an un-happy meal so far, can we finish with a McFlurry? asks Keego…
So here we are. The end of a maddening 6 Nations tournament is around the corner. To be honest I am over the moon. I have been pulling my hair out for the last 2 months, I now have none left.
We started with an unbelievable game against Wales. The best first half of any Irish team in at least 32 years. The whole of the country lost their minds and was singing about a grand slam. The media then proceeded to put a hex on the team. That second half against Wales cost us a huge amount. Both in terms of the players who survived and the players who fell by the wayside.
We welcomed England to Lansdowne road with hopefulness and still with the rugby pundits saying the dreaded grand slam was on. Then we imploded. It was not good. At the 30 minute mark we lost Sexton which set of a chain reaction that had all of us reaching for a double dose of vitamin G. Simon Zebo followed Sexton to the doctors table with a broken bone in his foot. He had been the flash of inspiration we needed in the Welsh match and if he was able to remain injury free, he may have helped us to finish higher up the table. Our game plan on the day was flat and uninspirational; we lost to an England team we should not have lost to. It was frustrating.
Then the media turned on Declan Kidney. Then twitter turned on Declan Kidney.
So we went over to bonnie wee Scotland to face a bad Scotland team. A team that looked shorn of direction thus far in the tournament. We all know what happened, Jackson, O’Gara, all the possession and all the stats. I really do not want to talk about it anymore, but we lost. A game we should never have lost, a game we put ourselves in a position to win,
But we lost. A gloom covered the Irish rugby fan.
It got to the point where former Irish international player Alan Quinlan got angry at people not being in their seats in time for the match. Which is fair enough. Why spend 90 euro on a ticket and not go to watch the match?
It was the turn of the French to come to Dublin to experience our searing weather and fantastic playing surface. (Which is a disgrace). The penny dropped with the team and the management. Paddy Jackson looked like a veteran and Conor Murray became a man in that game. It was great to watch. Especially for Jackson who has had a baptism of fire in this tournament. He bossed the game very well. The whole team functioned well and learnt the lesson from the last match in Lansdowne against England. It is great to see a team learn and grow. The line out was flawless; the scrum creaked but wasn’t decimated. The defence was insanely good. The lads put their bodies on the line for the jersey and the team. I was screaming at the TV with joy. The crowd in our lucky pub where elated. The night became hazy after that.
So what now? The team has been picked and Sexton is out for the game against Italy. I am not as worried as I was for the Scottish match when Jackson looked awkward and nervous because of the position he was put in by the coach. But it is starting to look like Kidney knew something we didn’t. Jackson is now playing with confidence. Did Kidney know that would happen? The rest of the team looks strong; the bench looks a bit delicate with two new caps and a lack of experience. But with all the injuries this is the best team that could have been picked.
Looking back on the tournament it has been very difficult. I don’t think we were ever as good as we thought we were after the Wales match and we were not as bad as we through we where after the England match. The problem is we are like McDonalds chicken nuggets. When they are fresh they taste fantastic, but sometimes you get a bogey undercooked nugget that ruins your day.
Which leads us to the big question, should Kidney stay?
I will give my opinions next week ;)
Ireland to win by at least a try and finish on a high against the Italians on Paddy’s weekend.
As usual, if you would like to debate/abuse/discuss this post with me, I am on twitter @nkeegan and for more literary masterpieces, feel free to wander over to www.thedailyclothesline.com.
Until next week…..
Keego (@nkeegan): Blogger, former professional wrestler, sometime attempted rugby player (@TheThirsty3rds), professional procrastinator and attempted musician with a fondness for long walks on the bar, tea and the couch. Opinionated Leinster fan and constant gardener.
