RBS 6 Nations: Conor O'Shea's Expert Analysis
Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:16
by Conor O'Shea
Ireland are set to earn their fifth Triple Crown in seven years but in some circles we are almost denigrating what is potentially an incredible achievement.
To get some perspective, we need to think back to when Wales were in their pomp in the 1970s or the English domination of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those teams were winning regularly against what were then uncompetitive Irish sides and we did not say they were having it easy because they never did.
But that accusation is being levelled at Ireland.
As I have said before, we are now in a position where when we play to our best against our Triple Crown opponents, we win. But that does not mean that the players can approach matches at anything other than full tilt. That is why what this team is currently achieving is so special. They are there to be shot at and everyone raises their game against them but they just keep on displaying the skill and character to overcome. Ireland didn't even play their best last week against Wales and won comfortably.
They will not and should not underestimate the Scots. Andy Robinson, despite the results, has made definite strides with this team. They have one of the best back rows around and Beattie, Brown and Barclay will take the game to Ireland. The clash with our trio should see some bone shuddering hits and it will be really worth following.
Scotland still unable to score points
The key to the game is that Scotland have had the same problem for a number of years now: they cannot turn possession into points. The loss of Chris Paterson and Thom Evans against Wales weakened them and cost them victory in that match and maybe subsequently against Italy. But they fought hard and showed more structure to their game against England.
I don't think their results reflect the progress they have made and they are only a couple of players short of making a real breakthrough. I know the much maligned Dan Parks has played well this season but in my opinion until we see Ruairidh Jackson, his young understudy at Glasgow, playing regularly in a Scottish jersey, they will not be able to make that next step.
From the Irish side, it is about sticking to the Kidney mantra: treat the opposition with the respect they deserve and concentrate on bringing our A game to the party, then everything will look after itself.
Other areas of interest have arisen over the past week and the biggest talking point revolves around the tackle area and the refereeing interpretations.
I don't want to go into huge detail here and will be doing some analysis of this with Brent and George this weekend but what I will say is that I cannot understand what the IRB is trying to achieve by changing anything in the midst of a Championship.
There is, in my opinion, nothing wrong with the game and they are focusing on the wrong things. If they got the referee and his assistant to referee to the letter of the law the offside line, offside in front of the kicker, crooked feeds to scrums and other small things then they would free up the space we all crave.
France deserve their Slam success
That would let coaches allow their teams to play with more ambition and would give us the game we want. No one thought you could get quick ball against Italy but France proved with ambition, physicality and proper ball presentation that you can do anything and it was glorious to watch. For that alone we should all want France to win the Grand Slam: I think they will and they deserve it.
This weekend we will also depart Croke Park and to many it will be a sad farewell. In many ways the return to Lansdowne Road (The Aviva) will be great for the traditionalists and there is no doubt that it will be a magnificent stadium to play in.
But Croke Park has an even greater place in Irish history and the GAA deserve all our thanks and gratitude for what they have given us these past few years. To an outsider it will be even stranger that when we play in the Six Nations in the coming years it will be in front of a crowd of 30,000 less people.
I know in a recent newspaper interview that Phillip Browne, Chief Executive Officer of the IRFU, said that if he knew then what he knew now then something different may have happened. But whatever happens, the IRFU has helped deliver one heck of a stadium in the Aviva and hindsight is an exact science.
For now I am just looking forward to one last special day at Croker and hopefully the delivery of another Triple Crown.
