Ireland hammered England. Almost 24 hours after the match that shook at least two nations, it’s still a pleasure to type the words. Ireland. Hammered. England.
‘Ireland v England, Six Nations 2007’ is a shockwave the like of which this country has never created before in its rugby history. We have beaten England plenty of times recently but it is the manner of Saturday’s victory that will reverberate around Europe and even send a tremor through the foundations of the rugby strongholds of the Southern Hemisphere.
Rugby’s great powers had taken heed of Ireland’s revival but this result is something new; a break with the past that inaugurates a new paradigm.
Even in terms of Ireland and England alone, a decades-old dynamic between two of rugby’s traditional nations has been shattered. There has at last been a ‘passing of the old order’ (to use a memorable phrase from the great historian of medieval Ireland, Daniel Binchy).
Against France it seemed as though Irish rugby would forever remain mired in the swamp of its ancient inferiority complexes; a good, almost great team, vulnerable to traditional failings.
It appeared as though Ireland would continue in the usual way, prospering or languishing in the context of a general Six Nations paradigm that fluctuates but the general terms of which are set in stone.
Always and forever, it seemed, Wales win through verve and dash, Scotland by wile and cunning, France with arrogant élan, England by exertion of strength and power and Ireland, in the famous victories, by dint of a unique, helter skelter passion - the ‘underdog’ way.
But Saturday was something entirely new. Ireland, as a host of players and pundits have confirmed, outplayed England in every department. Next year, barring a remarkable turnaround, they will be favourites to win at Twickenham and the year after, they will most likely be favourites to win once more at Croke Park. A seismic shift.
What has changed on the macro level is, of course, Ireland’s conditioning. Formerly a ’60-minute team’, they now become stronger through their matches; hence the illusion of slow starts. (Even in sprints, racehorses are quicker at the start than at the end. Class takes time to show, and the poorish starts such as Ireland have endured of late are partly a consequence of failing to fully allow for this circumstance.)
Raw power subordinates, and enables the skill of your own team to flourish. Without a power advantage, the variety of ways in which a team can score is tremendously limited. This was Ireland’s problem of old. On Saturday, it became England’s.
Timing, and a clever move by the organisers
Saturday was, of course, a special day on the micro level as well. Ireland must, for the sake of her rugby playing future, refuse to ever again play a Sunday afternoon Six Nations fixture against a big gun.
For too long, limp and lifeless fixtures on what is quite clearly the wrong day have blighted Ireland’s sporting calendar. If the French can kick up a fuss over the Heineken Cup, perhaps the IRFU could stimulate some re-consideration of dim and untraditional Sunday matches on behalf of the Irish supporter?
In any case, where the fixture against France was off key at every turn, Saturday’s atmosphere stayed at a delicious level - just below all-out delirium for virtually the entire match and subsiding only when it became clear that this special match was not destined to be adorned by a grandstand finale.
Unlike two weeks ago, where a terrific sense of potential somehow escaped into the ether, things were right from the very start this time. Kudos to whichever IRFU organiser realised that the hesitant encouragement which accompanied Ireland’s post warm-up walk-off against France could use a musical boost.
Playing the ‘Fields of Athenry’ as Ireland broke from their huddle in the Hill 16 end ’22 converted hesitant cheering to lusty singing and established a palpable bond between the team and its supporters, bringing the emotional pitch to an awesome level. (Aside from the anthems, impeccably observed and a credit to all involved, another special pre-match moment was the warm applause and standing ovation that greeted the England team as they entered the field; an apposite echo of 1973’s remarkable welcome at Lansdowne Road.)
Can England beat France?
England were blown away by Ireland but it is key to any assessment of their chances for the rest of the championship to recognise that France were within an ace of falling victim to the same sort of massacre.
If Brian O’Driscoll or Peter Stringer had lined out, or indeed, had a different team selection from the available players been tried, Ireland would be on the cusp of a Grand Slam. If both had played, Ireland might, although we will never know, have achieved a thumping result like Saturday’s. As against England, Ireland matched or exceeded France in the physical stakes.
Unfortunately, the back play was off kilter and, shorn of the best pass to first receiver in world rugby and the best attacking player, they couldn’t convert strength and effort into scores.
France are better than England, but with a re-jig of selection and an awareness that the level must be stepped up considerably, England will be dangerous.
France, as Wales showed, concede tries or penalties after a few pacy phases. Although there are clear deficiencies in Brian Ashton’s squad, an ‘underdog’ type victory at home is not beyond them.
