RWC 2007: Ireland Forwards and Coach
Tournament Rating

by Brendan Cole

Ireland's forwards were outmuscled in the loose, out-jumped in the lineout and out-thought in most departments. We rate their performances, and that of team coach Eddie O'Sullivan, across the whole of RWC 2007.

Eddie O'Sullivan (coach)

Performance brings to mind Einstein's famous definition of insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

O'Sullivan struggled to cope once a game plan he is clearly fixated on started to unravel, failing to make even one selection that could realistically have been expected to turn his team's form around. Whatever about the fitness and conditioning and other failures, he put together a poorly configured squad initially and then compounded his error by repeatedly picking a fundamentally flawed XV.

Inability to see problems based on the obvious evidence before his eyes, and lack of even the slightest creative impulse in terms of formulating a solution were the hallmarks of a tournament in which he, along with his team, struggled to respond to events in anything approaching real time.  

John Hayes (prop)

Hayes was one of Ireland's best players against France and is hard to fault in terms of effort, effectiveness or success at scrummaging. Main problems with this team were elsewhere.

Marcus Horan (prop)

Like Hayes, Horan scrummaged extremely well, but it was a different story in the loose where he appeared all too often in wide positions and, several times, dropped the ball in good attacking positions. Has always played this way, and it sometimes works, but it was the wrong idea when Ireland were figthing a constant losing battle up front at RWC 2007.

Simon Best (prop)

Terribly sad end to the tournament for a hard working and honest player, and he will hopefully recover from the health problems that led to his withdrawal from the squad. In playing terms, he got little time on field and when he did struggled to match the scrummaging achievements of Hayes and Horan.

Jerry Flannery (hooker)

Excellent interventions in the minnow games but was physically dominated against France, when rather than putting him in position to pass his upright ball carrying style made him an easy target for the likes of Serge Betsen. Throwing standard also dropped when lineout came under pressure.  

Rory Best (hooker)

Was singled out, along with Peter Stringer, as a problem player after the minnow flops but with Flannery experiencing difficulties he emerges from the tournament as arguably Ireland's leading hooker.

Frankie Sheahan (hooker)

Over eager when brought on against France and gave away penalties that cost Ireland, albeit in a game they had little chance of winning.

Donncha O'Callaghan (second row)

Inappropriate 'thumbs up' photographs and ill chosen advertisement tag lines aside, this was a poor tournament for O'Callaghan. Failed to impose himself.

Paul O'Connell (second row)

Showed what he could do against Argentina, where his athleticism and power finally came to the fore. Aside from that, 'too many unforced errors' was the mantra from management, and in O'Connell's case it was all too true.

Malcolm O'Kelly (second row)

Brought on too late in games, after the lineout battle pattern had already been settled. Would have been interesting to see if he could have done better in the air than either of the Munster pair against France.

Simon Easterby (wing forward)

Excellent effort against France in one of his best games for Ireland but otherwise struggled to make much impression. Unusually for Easterby, he sometimes handled badly when attempting to deliver ball from the top of the lineout.

David Wallace (wing forward)

Carried well a few times but with Ireland struggling badly for quick ball and not capable of putting the opposition out-half under pressure in either of the big games, Wallace was the wrong player for the job in a key position.

Denis Leamy (number eight)

Mighty against the minnows - when he was Ireland's best forward - but was firmly kept under wraps by Argentina and France, who found him remarkably easy to tackle.

Neil Best (wing forward)

Made an impression off the bench when he at least looked energetic but also gave away a key ball against France. Not the solution to Ireland's openside/backrow problem.

Alan Quinlan (back row/second row)

Baffling and incredibly frustrating that he was never used, despite, or perhaps because, of his becoming a cause celebre with pundits and fans. Omitting him against Georgia looked a mistake before the match and it still looks a mistake now. Suspicion that he could have been a big player in the key games also remains. Grrrrr.

Stephen Ferris (wing forward)

Another who might well have preferred to spend time with his province than at RWC 2007.

Bryan Young (prop)

No chance to make an impression.

Click here to rate Ireland's backs.