Has last Saturday’s performance addressed those whose capabilities and limitations we have yet to become acquainted with?
Pendulums swing on little things but brilliant coaches and players are required to spot the little things. One such little thing was the “forward pass” or, indeed, the subsequent kick leading to Henry Slade’s first try, but rewind the video five seconds to that scrum, not a little thing, that requires deep attention. Is it a capability or a limitation? Only a quality opposition scrum can answer.
To set the scene. Until Devin Toner’s exit the front five were the starting front row, with Toner behind the loose head and James Ryan behind the tight head.
Two passes and one kick was all it took. The conversion was missed, but it was now a nine-point game
This column has oft times noted the mammoth effort Ryan manages from the highly exhausting tight head role before rampaging around all backrowesque. This is no mean feat and worthy of note.
But then Toner went off injured in the 57th minute so on came the highly rated srummager Quinn Roux. Ryan slipped into the "lighter" role of loose head second row, with Roux behind the Irish tighthead. Remember that for all the pressure there were just eight scrums in the entire match.
That next scrum after Toner departed had the England starting front row and back row as selected, but Courtney Lawes was in the second row tight head slot and Nathan Hughes, a number eight, was in the second row loose head slot.
England were vulnerable but it was an Irish put in; so solidity is what Ireland wanted. So solid, in fact, that CJ Stander could lift off the scrum, pass left-handed to Johnny Sexton as Conor Murray peeled right.
No pressure on the ball; that Ireland's backline slickness afforded Slade a smash on Robbie Henshaw is relevant to this point but irrelevant for now.
The next scrum, this time an English put-in, was solid for England, who launched blind side winger Jack Nowell.
Crucial event
But it was a right-hand scrum, with little opportunity to disrupt. That was to change for the scrum on 65 minutes, which was possibly the most crucial event for many reasons, chief among them the score which, despite all England’s power and preparation, stood at 13 points to 17.
A four-point game with 15 minutes to go. The Irish scrummaging changes came on 61st minute with an Irish put-in on 62nd minute. The scrum dropped on the Irish tight head side, but the ball was released.
So, to the 65th-minute scrum.
Ireland had two fresh props on, a monster scrummager in Roux behind Andrew Porter, and it was an English scrum with a large blindside for Ireland to protect.
England, on the other hand, had an exhausted (at the very least fatigued) Mako Vunipola at loose head, a questionable tight head in Harry Williams, and, most importantly, a second row partnership of a sub number eight behind Vunipola and the very long athlete of Lawes behind Williams.
This was a scrum Ireland could and should have attacked, disrupted and negated any English backline threat.
There was an all-too-clean strike from Jamie George, clean to Billy Vunipola’s feet. The front row collapsed before any form of disruption could be delivered. Scrum-half Ben Youngs went left, hit Slade, who found Jonny May. He chipped and Slade scored.
Two passes and one kick was all it took.
The conversion was missed, but it was now a nine-point game, and all England had required was a vulnerable scrum to function, two passes and a kick. Simple?
The little things
If the world recognises and vilifies the performance of the various backs, positioning, crispness of pass and general attacking threat, well then that 65th-minute Irish scrum is worthy of the same examination – the little things.
That English scrum was vulnerable and was not disrupted; George’s life should have been miserable. For instance, the Munster tight head John Ryan is worthy of mention here.
Flip this scrum logic on to the value that Chris Farrell can bring to Saturday's fixture
He’s that quality tight head that arrived late into that third test against Australia, where his immense role in those closing scrums was an example of brilliantly intelligent scrummaging and hugely significant to the outcome.
Most scoff at the idea of scrumming and in fact poo poo the entire process, but the value of a scrum that performs and at crucial times prevents the opposition to perform is monstrously important.
That 65th-minute scrum did not deliver.
The bounce of the ball, the referee’s interpretation, the weather are but a few variables expected in Edinburgh on Saturday.
The Irish scrum is but one of the many key factors that should suffocate Scottish comfort around the ball. It requires a level of intelligence and opportunism that was missing in the Aviva in those closing key minutes last Saturday.
Yes, Ireland will be sharper and more clinical, but never confuse an athlete for an intelligent and dominant scrummager, where, for instance, Ryan proved his worth in that third test in the Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
Determination
Flip this scrum logic on to the value that Chris Farrell can bring to Saturday’s fixture. His is an extraordinary story of grit and determination in the face of so many setbacks.
His full return this season to Munster was in Cork for the visit of a poor Edinburgh, where he was man of the match not for his tries (alone) but for the manner in which he created for others to reap rewards.
Off a quality closing scrum in Edinburgh on Saturday, this phenomenal athlete can be devastating – and so too can Ireland.
