Allowing for the summer tour to Japan and America, Ireland have bookended their season by ending two record-equalling runs for tier-one countries of 18 test wins in a row. In the process, Ireland have beaten the sides, New Zealand and England, ranked number one and two in the world, and backed the former up with another epic battle against the All Blacks and then recovered from a triple whammy of injuries against Australia to come back and beat the side ranked third in the world.
As a result, not only have Ireland finished in the top half of the Six Nations table for the fourth season running, but have assured themselves, for the first time ever, of a top four ranking and with it a top tier seeding for the 2019 World Cup draw in May.
France, Scotland, Wales and others would happily swap places.
Digging deep
It was also hugely important for this squad and management to end their campaign by digging deep into their strength in depth and reserves of resilience by beating England. It reaffirms the achievements of last autumn, and re-enforces the inner belief that, truly, they can beat any side in the world on a given day. The trick now is performing at, or close to, their best on a more consistent level, especially in the unrelenting heat of a tournament.
“I think we were consistent four weeks in a row,” Joe Schmidt pointed out in the aftermath of Saturday’s 13-9 win over England. “I think we were pretty good against Wales, I know there were some errors and the players said the first 20 minutes it was drier out here tonight than it was in Wales, there was a lot of water on the pitch which we did not anticipate in the Millennium.
“We were clearly disappointed with that first 30 minutes in Murrayfield, and no disrespect to Scotland because I am delighted for them that they did really well in the championship. Obviously their coach is a good friend of mine. I think we were consistent – it is just those fine margins. We won 13-9 tonight, we were down 15-9 when we drove over the line with 12 minutes to go against Wales. They are incredibly fine margins.
‘Back to winter’
“I felt we controlled the game well enough against France, and Italy was 17 degrees and seems like a long time ago because it was back to winter today conditions-wise, and we played in great conditions over there and allowed us to probably express ourselves a little bit more.”
That a good Welsh side ultimately finished fifth says it all really about the 2017 Six Nations. “Ah, yeah, they are a side stocked full of Lions. You look at the Lions backline from the last time,” said Schmidt, before listing their entire backline and back-row. “That is how tough the competition is. And that is how fine the margins are. On any given day, most teams can beat most teams.”
Saturday’s win will assuredly have helped the Lions causes of several Irish players. Eddie Jones ventured that he’d be disappointed with anything less than 15 English players, although needless to say Schmidt was not inclined to put a number on the Irish representation.
‘Proud’
“You would like to see as many as possible. You are proud of your players, you have worked very hard with them and you see how hard they work. You would love to see as many as possible but it is not, I wouldn’t express a number because it is not a decision I get to make. You would probably be better off talking to Faz [Andy Farrell]. He is at least in the realm there.”
Yet the more Warren Gatland delves into the Irish squad, the better, for it will also mean Schmidt and co will themselves have to delve deeper into Ireland’s reserves.
“The coaches are really excited about the tour,” said Schmidt. “South Africa was incredibly important to where we are now. I think it is probably overlooked by a lot of the people now. I think if you look at some of the people who toured in South Africa, they are incredibly important to us now.
“Paddy Jackson, for example, that is where he really got his playing rhythm back in the national side in starting teams, I think from there we have also had a few guys come in in November and a few guys come in during the championship,” said Schmidt, citing Niall Scannell.
“One of the frustrations that I didn’t used to experience coaching week to week with club or provinces is that I don’t see the players for another two or three months, and when we all get together we inevitably start from scratch. But it is a different challenge.”
Production line
This time next year, augmenting the production line from within the four provincial systems, Bundee Aki, Tom McCartney and Tyler Bleyendaal all become eligible. Not that they will walk into the Irish squad, Schmidt stressed, when asked whether Ireland could possibly hope to emulate New Zealand or England in putting together a run akin to their 18 wins in a row.
“Those guys, they have a job to do to displace guys who are already there. I know we did have 10 test matches in a row, all but one were tier one, so we have got to 10 before. We are currently one in a row so we have taken our first step. Certainly be very keen for the boys to add to that.”
The main blight on a febrile, feverish day at the Aviva was the late and high hits on Johnny Sexton. For sure, that Sexton takes the ball to the line like few other out-halves and executes his passes or kicks at the last second contributes to him receiving so many borderline late hits. But World Rugby has a major issue on its hands when one of its showpiece games allows this to happen. Above all else, the game’s governing body, and the match-day officials, have a duty of care to its participants.
