RWC 10 Questions: Conor O'Shea
Conor O'Shea played full back for Ireland, winning thirty five caps. He is Director of the RFU's National Academy.
1) Did the best team win? Yes, they did. You can't fluke a world cup although on the other hand, the luck South Africa had, I don't think they will ever have again. No team will ever win a world cup without having to beat France, Australia or New Zealand. Given the number of quality teams that get to the semi-final, the fact that they only had to beat England of the top nations on the way to winning is remarkable. Having said that, they were run pretty close by Fiji.
But all in all, given that this was a cup competition and therefore different to a Super 14 or a normal international match, the best team won. Is it disappointing? Not really, because the other teams all beat each other. France beat New Zealand, England beat France, and England beat Australia and then South Africa beat England. But it is remarkable that South Africa had only to beat England of the major nations.
2) How many teams should play at the RWC in New Zealand in 2011? Before RWC 2007, I would have been one of the people saying that the numbers should be cut, and that some of these teams would get completely pasted. We did see the odd big win but overall I thought the minnows really did themselves justice and have probably succeeded in changing the mindset of most people. The more exposure the teams like Georgia get, the better they will become. However that will be done - a world cup or through other expanded tournaments - I don't know. But they certainly deserve the exposure and they will get better and better. Who would have said beforehand that Ireland could have lost to Georgia?
3) Who was the player of the tournament? The player that had the most influence in the winning team was Victor Matfield. He decimated the Argentine lineout, and then, in the crucial phase of the final - when England had some possession and territory - he disrupted the English lineout as well. They also had guys like Percy Montgomery and Fourie du Preez who were outstanding throughout, but Matfield was the main difference between them winning and losing the tournament. Elsewhere - I agree with Brent - I thought Juan Martin Hernandez was absolutely sensational. Maybe it's best to say that Matfield was the best forward, and Hernandez the best back. From the minnows, the Fijian winger Vilimoni Delasau - apart from a terrible first game - was out of this world, and the Georgian second row Mamuka Gorgodze was a man mountain for them.
4) What changes should Ireland make? Ireland will have learned a lot from this Rugby World Cup. I wouldn't agree that you have to get rid of players and the bulk of the squad, if they retain motivation, could easily go to the next world cup. Players are often discarded when they are too young and these guys are only going to be 32 or 33. If you have guys like O'Connell, O'Callaghan, Leamy, O'Gara, O'Driscoll, O'Gara and D'Arcy and then add in the likes of Fitzgerald, Kearney, Heaslip, Ferris there is potentially a very strong squad there. They will take some criticism over the next year or two but they need to be stubborn and singleminded and then prove people wrong. They can pull out of it, and I don't think the future is all that glum.
5) What was the best match of the tournament? In one sense, the third/fourth play-off was the best match, but there was nothing competitive to it - it was about bragging rights. But aside from that, I'd agree with Brent: I though the two Fiji games (Fiji v South Africa and Fiji v Wales) were unbelievable. England v Australia and England v France were good games to watch in the sense that they had a more confrontational and traditional style. But for pure theatre and spectacle, the two Fiji games take some beating.
6) What, if any law changes, should be made? I think Eddie Jones hit the nail on the head: he said that there were games for all types within this world cup. From the Fiji games to New Zealand v France and France v Argentina. As it progressed it became knockout rugby, and the a final where the teams were evenly matched. Naturally, things became more constricted as the tournament went on. But there was something for everyone. I wouldn't just focus on the final, and if you take the tournament as a whole then I would say that there is no need for anything too drastic, but there may be a need for some tinkering to allow more attack minded rugby to be played.
7) How will RWC 2007 affect New Zealand? The effect will in one sense be dictated by how much they listen to the press. The press are the people who will talk about New Zealand in terms of them being chokers. It won't be the New Zealanders themselves. But when it comes to 2011, New Zealand will be very hard to beat on home soil. They have players coming out their ears and they will be an unbelievably strong force. Richie McCaw and Dan Carter will still be there, neither of them are near 30. They will be firm favourites, but it's a question of how they cope will all the pressure. No matter what they do, people will accuse them of peaking in between the world cup, and no matter what happens between now and then, people will talk about them as chokers. They will have questions mentally to answer.
8) Who was the best coach? Marcelo Loffreda. By a street. It is nothing short of phenomenal what he has done with that group of players. There are some outstanding rugby players in it. They understand how to play the game. They had a tactical appreciation. They knew their strengths, and they stuck to their gameplan, played for eachother and had great skill levels when they needed to. You couldn't ask for more from a team. Loffreda has done an unbelievable job over a number of years. He is going to Leicester now and I think he is the type of character that will fit in perfectly there.
9) What are the Heineken Cup prospects for the Irish provinces? They have tough draws. But when the provinces come together, they have the potential to be strong. It's hard to know how fresh they will be. With the draw the way it, you can't see more than one team coming out of the Irish provinces pools. It will be interesting to see if the old stalwarts are rejuvenated by being back at their provinces, and how the youngsters do.
10) What about Ireland's Call? The whole issue is complete and utter rubbish. Everyone knows the reasons why when Ireland aren't at Lansdowne Road the national anthem isn't played, and Ireland's Call was brought in for those reasons. It has been sung with a lot of gusto at matches over the years, and with a bit of feeling. People understand why it's there. When you start losing people start looking for scapegoats and excuses, instead of looking at the facts.
