What a difference a couple of months can make in the world of sport, and rugby in particular. Just over twelve weeks ago the much discussed ‘resurgence’ of Irish rugby was viewed by many to be dead and buried before it had even begun. The appointment of former Leinster coach Joe Schmidt was supposed to be the first page in another illustrious, successful chapter of Irish rugby. Schmidt’s tactical prowess and attention to detail were heralded by many as the missing piece in the jigsaw, and his appointment was viewed as a signal of intent by the IRFU regarding the shifting emphasis of the game towards technical skill rather than brute force.
Preparations were put in place and the stage was set, but unfortunately for Schmidt, the leading actors failed to deliver and Ireland crumbled to a disappointing 32-15 defeat to Australia on November 16th. It was the first instalment of a high profile double header featuring the Wallabies and their Southern Hemisphere neighbours New Zealand. Tackle after tackle was missed in an error strewn display after which the team and management received heavy criticism, particularly after reports surfaced claiming a number of the Australian panel enjoyed an alcohol fuelled night on the tiles in Dublin only days before the game. The signs were ominous, predictions for the following week’s game against the Kiwi’s concerned only damage limitation, any talk of an upset was essentially non-existent.
The future of the provincial sides was also plunged into doubt. The French and English sides reignited their seemingly annual debate regarding their futures in the Heineken Cup, albeit with their latest threats to pull out of Europe’s premier club competition appearing slightly more credible. The state of the game took a further blow as rumours of an exodus of Irish stars tempted by the riches dangled in front of them by numerous Top 14 teams gathered momentum. Leinster stalwarts Sean O’ Brien and Jamie Heaslip were reported to be following Irish teammate Johnny Sexton to France, with Toulon and Clermont Auvergne waiting with open arms, and wallets. While scrum half Conor Murray was also stalling on over a new deal with the IRFU and Munster amid interest from Toulouse and Bayonne.
The culmination of below par performances, the precarious future of the Heineken cup and the possible departure of the country’s finest talents all contributed to an air of gloom and despair that surrounded Irish rugby. Such an attitude is, at any time, unwelcome, but on the eve of a clash with the powerhouse of world rugby bidding to become the first national side to go a calendar year unbeaten, timing could not have been worse. Surely a drubbing was the only potential outcome…
….We all know how that went….
That monumental effort against the All Blacks proved to be the springboard that has launched Irish rugby on an upward quest of redemption, and transformed them from the ‘nearly guys’ back to genuine silverware contenders. That performance seemed to instil a self-belief into the Irish players that they were indeed good enough to rub shoulders with the best, and come out on top. Almost immediately memories of previous sloppy displays were erased, Schmidt breathed a deep sigh of relief and Irish rugby was suddenly re-energised.
Two weeks later and round three of the Heineken Cup proved to be one of the most successful in recent memory for the four Irish provinces as all four produced scintillating displays. Munster, Leinster and Ulster all registered bonus point victories, and all had 30+ points to spare, against French, English and Italian opposition respectively. However, it was Connacht who stole the show as the Westerners recorded their finest hour in the South of France, toppling four time tournament winners Toulouse in their own backyard. The resurgence of the provinces continued to gather momentum and the best was saved for last. In a week which saw Munster and Ulster clinch home quarter final spots, and Leinster an away one, news broke that O’ Brien and Heaslip had not succumbed to the temptation of the Mediterranean and resigned with Leinster and the IRFU, while Murray committed his future to Munster. The perfect tonic in the lead up to the Six Nations.
The opening encounter with Scotland was as expected, gritty. Encouraging individual displays prevailed as Ireland slowly found their feet and pulled away from our Celtic neighbours. They did what was expected of them with minimal fuss and dispatched the Scots with relative ease, 1/1. While the performance did not hit the heights of the New Zealand game there was ample evidence of improvement and another was rung scaled in the ladder to perfection. Expectations were rising ahead of the encounter with Wales.
And what an encounter it was. Described by pundits as the best eighty minutes of Irish rugby in recent memory it represented a remarkable transformation and turnaround for Schmidt and his coaching team from the lacklustre display against game Australia. Ireland’s ‘Achilles heels’ of recent years, the scrum and lineout, were suddenly the platforms from which we generated numerous penetrative attacks. Indeed it was the maul that laid the foundation for both Chris Henry and Paddy Jackson’s touchdowns. The Welsh were simply choked and seemed to be devoid of ideas after a quarter of the game. The intensity the Irish brought to the breakdown was second to none as Wales struggled to retain possession on numerous occasions. A comprehensive win that not even the most fanatical Irish rugby fan could have predicted.
The circle is almost complete, just shy of three months to the day when ‘that game’ lifted the spirits of a whole nation.
Before that All Blacks game nobody had dared imagine we would be here today, a couple of hours before kick-off in Twickenham, two from two in the Six Nations, on the cusp of claiming Irelands first Triple Crown since 2009. The past three months have certainly seemed like somewhat of a rollercoaster but one thing is for certain; when this crop of Irish warriors appear to have run out of steam, when they find themselves in the face of adversity they somehow always manage to turn that adversity into opportunity and rise to the fore once again. Win lose or draw today the turnaround of the past three months is still an incredible achievement for Schmidt, his backroom team and obviously the players. But of course, it would be all the more sweeter to see Brian O’ Driscoll and Paul O’ Connell raise the Triple Crown high above their heads in the centre of Twickenham pitch this evening, after eighty blood, sweat and tear filled minutes of adrenaline and emotion we have become so accustomed to see this team display over the past decade. And maybe, just maybe, we can then start to dream about a Grand Slam
