| AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS - Encouraging
signs despite defeats
 Although Ireland suffered a heavy defeat to
New Zealand in their opening autumn international, there was some
grounds for optimism after their narrow defeat by Australia. It was a
game Ireland should have won had they taken some of their first-half
scoring opportunities.
However despite winning comfortably against Romania, the game will
perhaps be best remembered for the number of errors committed by both
sides rather than scoring opportunities created.
Ireland’s error-count is sure to remain a real concern for manager Eddie
O’Sullivan.
Execution, in terms of basic skills and option-taking, is still well
short of what is required at the top level and sadly that fact was very
evident even against an inferior side like Romania.
Experienced players like David Humphreys were also guilty of some very
basic handling errors in that game. There was also a number of examples
in their last game when the side also appeared to lack elementary team
work when players in possession found themselves lacking support and
being isolated. Replacement scrum-half Kieran Campbell, who attempted to
instil some welcome creativity to the Irish play found his teammates
well out of step on a number of occasions.
The French and Southern Hemisphere teams all appear to have no such
problem supporting players in line breaks. They instinctively support
the player, flanking left and right and ensuring that they commit
themselves wholly to the player who has intuitively created the space.
On the evidence of the recent autumn internationals therefore it would
appear that the French, the English and the Welsh in that order look
best positioned ahead of the Six Nations with even the rock-bottom Scots
putting up a decent second half performance of substance against the
Grand Slam winning All Blacks.
The recent return to action of captain Brian O’Driscoll and Paul
O’Connell has therefore not only been a welcome boost to their
respective provinces but also Ireland’s hopes in the forthcoming Six
Nations campaign. O’Driscoll’s recent commitment to Leinster until 2007
is also a tremendous boost for the international game in Ireland. |
