IRELAND v FRANCE AT THE WORLD CUP:
I’ll start with a prediction: Ireland to hammer France at the World Cup. Although there is plenty of water to flow under the bridge between now and then, and a serious banana skin to be negotiated beforehand in the shape of the Argentina game, the psychology of the game plays right into Ireland’s hands. I say this because the way both teams have performed since France nicked the victory at Croke Park has confirmed, if there was ever any doubt, that Ireland are the better quality team. France’s strength in depth might just about turn things in their favour between now and then, but if Ireland’s key men arrive at RWC 2007 injury free then I suspect I won’t be alone in having a sizeable chunk of cash on them not just to win, but to do so by a bit of a score.
Two factors convince me of their superiority. First, Eddie O’Sullivan’s men have a touch of the Munster factor about them now. Amongst themselves they have endured a number of years of incredibly tough training and conditioning work without winning the trophies they deserve. Added to that, I think that this year, for the first time, they have built a new and better relationship between themselves and the sporting public. Looking at the psychology of RWC 2007, not winning the Grand Slam is probably the best thing that could have happened to them.
Second, the way they played against Italy (although the misfiring lineout of the first half probably cost them the tournament) and England should prove once and for all to this Ireland team that the level of rugby they are capable of is a class above what anyone else in Europe can do. Against every team bar New Zealand, if Ireland produce their best form, they win.
‘WE HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT IT, HONEST!’
Players and coaches are never happier than when denying to the media that the likes of points difference, the weakness of the opposition or the possibility of winning a first ever 6 Nations has ever crossed their mind. Ireland dutifully played the role of ‘haven’t thought about it’ neophytes in the run-up to Saturday’s match before going out and playing with the calculated abandon of seasoned poker pros. The gunslinger attitude made what might have been a dull affair into an exhilarating game to watch: 6 Nations rugby at its best. They didn’t win the tournament, but the whole day was a brilliant advertisement for the sport, nail biting finish and all.
A related issue is that old chestnut of bonus points. Dreamt up to enliven the dull ‘garbage time’ that can mar certain types of game below international level, they are just not needed in this competition (they work brilliantly in the Heineken Cup). Note how hard Scotland and Italy tried in the dying minutes against France and Ireland respectively. There is simply no need to try to artificially jazz up the end game in this tournament: its tradition and history already ensure that no team ever quits. These are test matches, after all.
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
Besides that, there’s an even more compelling reason for banning talk of bonus points within 500 yards of the 6 Nations! Imagine if, under a hypothetical bonus point system, France won all their games bar one. Then imagine that they scored a bonus point in all four victories and two in the single defeat (one for staying within seven and one for scoring four tries). If France’s ‘defeat’ was to Ireland in the last game and this victory meant Ireland had completed a Grand Slam Ireland would, if they failed to score any bonus points, lose the tournament. This is exactly what would happen under the bonus point system used to construct the ‘false’ table that placed Ireland on top in this year’s tournament (see various newspapers). Ireland would score 20 (four points per win), and France would score 21 (at four per win plus five bonus points).
People have talked about how the bonus point system is used in other, more ‘modern’ competitions. But points difference is used in what is often acknowledged as being the best tournament in the world. Maybe the likes of the Super 14 and the Tri-Nations should look at how the 6 Nations people do things rather than the other way round? After all, the guys who dreamt up bonus points are the same people who think tries should be met by a quick blast of Queen music.
Any system should be checked for absurd consequences before being put into use. Bonus points fail the test. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
FINALLY, A TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT:
15 Girvan Dempsey 14 David Strettle 13 Brian O’Driscoll 12 
Gordon D’Arcy 11 Denis Hickie 10 Ronan O’Gara 9 Pierre Mignoni
1 Olivier Milloud 2 Raphael Ibanez 3 John Hayes 4 Marco Bortolami 5 Paul O’Connell 6 Serge Betsen 7 David Wallace 8 Sergio Parisse.
[Ireland 8, France, 4, Italy 2, England 1, Wales 0, Scotland 0]
Girvan Dempsey was absolutely brilliant, a contender for Ireland’s player of the tournament (along with Leamy, Hickie, D’Arcy and Hayes). If it weren’t for the low-key way he goes about things we’d be hailing him as a top flair player. Yannick Jauzion was anonymous at times, brilliant at others which means the consistently excellent Irish pair both get in at centre. On the wing, the French guys (or Jason Robinson) didn’t manage to play the all round games or excite nearly as much in general play as the selections. Hickie’s try saver against Scotland was a particular highlight. Shane Horgan was class at times but, partly due to an ill-judged shift to centre in mid-tournament, is just behind David Strettle and Denis Hickie.
At out-half James Hook probably had the highest rating for a single performance (against England) but Ronan O’Gara did the business at a very high level for most of his five matches. Pierre Mignoni gets in for playing closer to his best form than any of the others over the course of the competition and being a key man in getting results for his team. Scrum-half play is about linking first and foremost, and he’s a classic straight out of the old school.
Olivier Milloud probably scrummaged best of all, although judging that one is obviously a bit of a stab in the dark, while John Hayes had a couple of immense games. Certainly, he was my man of the match against England. Paul O’Connell got the gong on the day and for two matches out of five he was top drawer. Marco Bortolami was possibly even better over the entire tournament.
Back row is the toughest selection of all. Denis Leamy (I can’t quite believe it myself) doesn’t make it. Together he and Sergio Parisse were the tournament’s top number eights but, the young Italian handled better in one or two situations and possibly supplied one or two more marquee moments, so he gets the nod. David Wallace was head and shoulders above anyone else at seven. When he got his hands on the ball, Ireland got tries. At six, Simon Easterby was, along with Hayes, among the tournament’s best at winning rucks on his own: check out his body position at the breakdown for a clue as to why Eddie O’Sullivan loves him. But Serge Betsen was a key factor in France’s frustrating other teams and was probably the single biggest reason they won the tournament.
