How to frame Ireland’s bonus point win? Yes, a bonus point is what we had hoped for, a result which would lead to a happy camp. But for so much of the second half there were precious few smiles as frustrations grew.
Why does it look like hard work with Ireland struggling to adapt and conquer beyond the first quarter?
The answer is a complex one. Are we genuinely a top four team? A top 10 team? Or have we slipped further down the pecking order?
If we believe we belong in the top four, then I wonder how much fun New Zealand, England, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Wales would have had in Kobe yesterday.
What Ireland served up was a brilliant first half followed by a second period of mounting errors with poor game management as they struggled to banish memories of last week’s defeat to Japan.
Is that who we are now?
In his pre-match comments Joe Schmidt stated that "if we can replicate that 20 minutes four times over, I think we'd have been in a really good position".
In any field sport the intent is to create and exploit space and for those opening salvos that's exactly what Ireland did. What a joy to see Tadhg Beirne taking the ball at flat out pace, circling off his scrumhalf Luke McGrath while carrying into the Russian fringe defence.
The lineout leading to this play wasn't perfect, the attitude seemed to be: 'Who cares, we'll dominate either way'. That was certainly the one Rob Kearney adopted and the fullback was so determined when arriving onto the ball that neither man nor beast would have prized it off him. It set the tone perfectly, made a statement and Ireland led 7-0 after two minutes.
Ireland's opening tries were built on play that dominated the Russians, leading to opportunities that were ruthlessly taken while Johnny Sexton was at the tiller. His understanding of field position, the opposition's emotional energy, structures and weaknesses was crucial in exploiting the space created by the Irish pack.
Against a markedly inferior Russian side I began to wonder if Ireland could live up to Schmidt’s opening remarks and replicate that opening 20 minute performance four times over? Contrasting the 35-minute mark between this win and the defeat to Japan provides an interesting benchmark.
Whereas last week we witnessed that infamous Japanese turnover penalty scrum that sucked the life out of Ireland on 35 minutes, yesterday we saw Rhys Ruddock’s monster try, Ireland’s third. Game over in both cases but Schmidt’s remarks only started to carry validity in both games from 35 minutes on. So did Ireland adapt and conquer yesterday?
The second 40 minutes brought with it an infuriating error count, one that makes life so much more difficult for the half backs charged with managing the game. Iain Henderson came on, carried several times and was turned over on three occasions. CJ Stander looked for contact with scoring players outside him.
Fabulous player
Bundee Aki dropped a Russian clearing kick. As the errors mounted, and Ireland’s game management deteriorated, Russia grew into the game.
Jack Carty came on for Sexton at the start of the second half, bringing with him the obvious juxtaposition between his role as a player and as a controller. Several times, as he did against Japan, he carried into contact. Too often it was off crap ball. Why does he do this to himself and the team? As the crap ball is being presented he should bully the scrumhalf not to pass it to him and arrange a fatty to carry.
This would afford him time and space to plan his team's next phases. He can't do this at the bottom of a ruck. He is a fabulous player but must develop a steeliness to boss his team the way he wants it. Then, and only then, can he replicate the brilliance of spotting the onrushing Russians with no sweeper before chipping a beauty over the top for Keith Earls and Conway to pounce and score.
How often I have found myself shouting bravo at Garry Ringrose as he forages for opportunities. Against Japan it was off rucks and breakdowns. But why is our modern day Brendan Mullin buried in breakdowns hunting for the ball?
Why is he not out wide in space powering around flat footed defenders? In the second half, as the errors built and we lost the gainline, the Irish began to shovel the ball laterally in the hope of a miracle. To be fair to Jordan Larmour, at least he trusted his pace and fast feet, testing the Russian defensive width before the interplay between himself, Earls and Ringrose led to our final try.
What assets we have out wide, yet how seldom our play gifts them opportunities – especially when we are struggling on the gainline.
Adapting to the ever-changing scenarios, the ability to play heads up rugby has become a struggle for Ireland. Errors clearly don’t help but without a second pivot to exploit opportunity and without Sexton on the pitch there appears no replacement capable of adapting the game plan in order to succeed.
The root of the problem is difficult to pinpoint. Off field management, on field communications, on field culture, poor broken field preparation with overreliance on set piece gainline wins.
But the effect is obvious; we're being pulled into dog fights and not managing our way out. With a maximum of four games left, yesterday opened the door to a shift in selection. Based on form, Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Luke McGrath, Andrew Conway are all now contenders. Rhys Ruddock even more so. International pedigree is crucial but so too are those currently best able to adapt and conquer the challenges ahead.
liamtoland@yahoo.com
