RBS 6 Nations: Weekend Review

by Brendan Cole

Ireland could 'only' beat Italy by 18 points? That take on Saturday's match is still not satisfactory.

Granted, Ireland's attacking sequences did not always quite come off but Italy came to Croke Park in focussed and defiant mode and, unlike their Heineken Cup sides, there was no question mark over their motivation. Allied to good coaching and a decent display from Craig Gower at number 10, that was more than enough to give Ireland a difficult afternoon.

Ireland could only really threaten from well supported linebreaks in which several players made the right decisions and executed well and that type of move yielded both tries. They will be more of a force off first phase next week. Ireland also had to fight for field position with Gower and Luke McLean kicking effectively if somewhat unimaginatively throughout.

Chances were limited and there were no easy tries to be had, while Kaine Robertson's opportunistic try tightened the margin and prolonged the match as a contest (of sorts).

Italy will give somebody else an even tougher time of it before this Championship is over. The negative focus on the 'low' scoreline obscures several important positives.

Scrum and lineout among positives

Starting up front, the scrum stood up well and after Munster's Romain Poite experience against Northampton that is excellent news. Ireland will bring huge pride to big matches and that is often just as important as technique. It is still a worry going into next week but the signs are that Ireland will continue to cope.

The awesome performance of the defensive lineout is also an excellent sign. Gert Smal coached South Africa to become the best at this the game has ever seen and the signs are that he is doing a similar job for Ireland. By the end of the Championship, we could be talking about this as Ireland's key platform.

In the backs Ronan O'Gara's superb form at out-half was another big plus. This was arguably a better display from the Irish 10 than anything he managed in last year's tournament. The Munster man took the ball flat and his excellent passing and kicking helped keep Ireland from really getting sucked into a physical battle: he was the difference between an 18 point win and a real dogfight. O'Gara's goal kicking was also assured while alongside, Tomás O'Leary also had a very good day out.

The final lift for Ireland is that there are important players coming back on stream: Declan Kidney has up to five positions (second row, blindside, out-half, first centre, left wing) in which switches could be made. Getting the starting team, the psychology and the chemistry right is a massive challenge in Tuesday's team selection. No better man than Kidney for it.

So: why the unsatisfactory feel after this win?

The problem for those of us looking on is that with no realistic chance of Ireland losing once they went clear, any move that didn't end in a try felt like a failure. Against France, the emotional side of things will feel very different for both supporters and players: more rollercoaster, less frustrating jaunt to suburban shopping centre.

England and Wales - even stronger than expected?

Ireland are in a strong place. The problem is that the other contenders look like being even more dangerous than expected. England and Wales both showed enough to suggest they will present real problems for Ireland in Rounds Three and Four.

England looked very athletically impressive at times - the likes of Danny Care, Delon Armitage and Ugo Monye have a pace and strength that will pose a test to the Irish backline and back row. Alongside Care, Jonny Wilkinson, Nick Easter and Dylan Hartley also played well and England look good down the spine of their team - they have control.

They are still brittle and stilted at times, but are improving fast and were far less hesitant than in November. After an unsatisfactory Autumn, England relished the chance to play a real Test match and that is exactly what Ireland will get against them.

Again looking back to 2009, it may be that Ireland will have play better than at any stage in last year's tournament to beat them.

Wales - have they found Hook's best position

Wales also had plenty of positives and despite England's improved form they probably should have won. Like two years ago, the energy came from the tight five and fed out through the team - they have managed to get their intensity back.

Even more important, Wales look as though may just have found James Hook's best position: outside centre. The Osprey scored a try of the tournament contender with a classic break from the wider channel. He looked to relish the little bit of time on the ball he got and his trademark balanced running really suited the position. Mentally, he seems far more comfortable making the last pass in a move than the first.

France were slightly less impressive. Granted, they won well enough despite Scotland's huge commitment in defence but there was a softness to the midfield defence and linebreaks were yielded throughout. Ireland's top carriers are better than Scotland's and Brian O'Driscoll might just fancy himself to make hay against Matthieu Bastareaud.

It won't be easy, but there was enough there to suggest Ireland can do it in Paris.