by Brendan Cole
Ireland survived a most astonishing examination of their 'top rugby nation' credentials by the skin of their teeth on Saturday evening, scraping past a splendidly competitive Georgia in their second Pool D match. Although the victory was eventually secured in the most undignified of fashions it ultimately keeps Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the quarter finals alive.
Things got so tight that at one point late in the match, Denis Leamy was the only man between what eventually transpired – a second embarrassing victory in a row – and total disaster: the Ireland number eight got his body between ball and ground in the in the Irish in goal area to force a ‘held up’ call by the Argentine TMO. That was after Georgia had forced their way over the Irish tryline for the second time in the match.
The crisis was begun by their first crossing of it. A loopy Peter Stringer pass intercepted by pacy wing Giorgi Shkinin and run in for a score early in the second half got Ireland into trouble, and it was only thanks to a nicely worked Girvan Dempsery score, which got Ireland in front for the second time after a lineout drive try by Rory Best early in the game had put them ahead for the first time, that they are still two for two in this World Cup.
It seems odd to say it now, but Ireland got off to a reasonably good start. In the first 15 minutes they played nearer to their best than at any time so far in this competition – here and there they were an offload away from completely opening Georgia up. But the clueless play of last week had not been totally excised either.
Second row pair Paul OConnell and Donncha O''Callaghan epitomised the situation: giving a stupid penalty each early on but also fronting up well against the Georgian tight five.
The first try, when it came, looked like it might well cause a drop in the level Georgian resistance.
Best – surely among those under pressure for his place against France after yet another below-par display – got the score, falling over the line from the back of an Ireland lineout maul on one of the few occasions they managed to generate momentum in the close exchanges.
O'Gara knocked over a tough conversion, and the recovery looked to be underway: seven points up after 17 minutes against a Georgian side that did not look like it could score.
Ireland had spurned a shot at goal to set up the lineout that lead to the try, but a change in tack lead to a missed penalty from halfway a minute or two later. The slight uncertainty in terms of approach soon gave way to absolute confusion and mayhem.
Ireland left an opening for Georgia by failing to kick on: the first half played out much as sections of the Namibia match did last week with mistakes abounding and frequent failures to capitalise on good play preventing them from threatening to score; a meandering match which sprung into life in a last five minutes of the half.
In one incident, Georgia got points in the board, got a player advantage and opened up a psychological difficulty for Ireland immediately before half-time. The problem began with a long break which quickly brought Georgia 70 yards downfield, and forced David Wallace to slow the ball down at the ruck.
Wallace was correctly adjudged to have done so illegally and a yellow card and penalty followed. Ireland might have been hoping for a somewhat easy ride; instead they were now in a match. 7-3 up at half-time and set to play the first seven minutes of the first half with 14 men.
The penalty/yellow incident looked a severe setback in its own right but it was quickly followed by an even heavier clout: an intercept try by wing Giorgi Shkinin. As has often been the case with Ireland at this World Cup, their difficulties came soon after they showed signs of beginning a revival. This time Gordon D'Arcy got Ireland going; breaking the line from inside his own half and spreading the Georgian defence thin across the field.
Peter Stringer, sensing that Georgia were stretched, attempted to shift the ball quickly back across the field. Standing at first receiver rather than scrum-half, he misjudged the situation.
Neither he nor Brian O'Driscoll, the intended recipient of a long loopy pass – saw the flying Georgian wing coming and having timed his intervention perfectly, Shkinin had the legs to outsprint Denis Hickie to the Irish line. Out-half Merab Kvirakashvili added the extras, and Ireland were behind. They had time on their side at this point though, and seemed to ride at the storm of the match by getting back in front.
Georgia frustrated Ireland initially, and actually threatened Ireland's line. Unbelievably, they could have established a two-score margin if one or two of their drives close to the Irish line had worked. Instead, another D'Arcy line break set up Dempsey’s try: the centre gliding through and setting up a ruck deep in Georgian territory before quick hands on the left touchline by captain O'Driscoll and substitute hooker Jerry Flannery – on for Best – got him one-on-one with Georgian substitute Irakli Absureridze down the blindside. A well-aimed hand off did the rest and Ireland seemed to be in the clear. A superb kick had got Ireland going after they intercept setback, and Ronan O’Gara followed up by making a tough conversion to get Ireland 14-10 ahead.
Again they could not capitalsieand it was only a combination of desperate defence, poor Georgian decision making - going for five drops at goal, all missed, was costly - and blind luck saw them scrape out of the match with a win – although no bonus point – and onto the French game.
Strong fringe tackling, the best example being Leamy's try-saver which, with 78 minutes on the clock would have surely seen Georgia take the win had it not been made, some good catching by Girvan Dempsey and, on one occasion near the end, Shane Horgan - although he also missed one potentially vital high ball which again had Ireland scrambling in their own '22, were just enough to outweigh the poor scrummaging, creaking maul defence and woeful tactical kicking that threatened to hole Ireland's Rugby World Cup campaign below the waterline.
Looking ahead, the problems being experienced by the half-back pair are pronounced and the now long-standing inability to either hold onto the ball or turn it over once it is lost and a shaky scrum and anaemic maul are among the issues that coach Eddie O'Sullivan must address before next week's match against France. The coach, feted before the World Cup as the man who had cured Ireland of 'Lens syndrome', must somehow turn around this coruscatingly dreadful run of form before Friday.
This time around he strategically failed - by making certain players undroppable - to give his side any reason or excuse - to perform. In doing so ensured that the flaws of last week not only repeated themselves but were at times actually more in evidence than against Namibia. It remains to be seen whether he will keep faith with the same XV again.
The form of Ronan O'Gara, O’Sullivan's out-half and the most obviously underperforming key playmaker in the backs, is of particular concern. Simply put, unless O'Gara and his partner at scrum-half Stringer can rediscover the control and accuracy necessary to manoeuvre a forward pack and spring a backline, Ireland can forget about achieving anything at France 2007.
Click here our match tracker, a blow-by-blow account of the match as it happened.
