A dour, depressing deja vu
Ireland 16 Italy 11
Girvan Dempsey is tackled by Italian duo Leonardo Ghiraldini and Mauro Bergamasco (right) during Saturday's Six Nations clash
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Monday February 04 2008
Here's a thought. If Paddy Wallace, the only Irish substitute not to feature at Croke Park on Saturday, had played for Italy, they would have won.
Or Ramiro Pez -- the experienced out-half deemed surplus to requirements by Italy coach Nick Mallett. Indeed, if you threw an accomplished AIL kicker such as Andrew Thompson or Barry Keeshan into this Italian team, they would have won.
Mallet picked centre Andrea Masi in the pivotal playmaker's role and, while he was able to shovel the ball along the line to good effect, and make the odd, bruising break himself, when it came to the key component of control, he was comfortably outshone by his opposite number Ronan O'Gara.
When Italy began to smother the home side in the second half, they were screaming out for a specialist out-half who could put them into scoring positions and then avail of them through drop-kicks and penalties. Masi did not pass muster.
So, following a victory that did not so much banish our World Cup nightmare as re-enact it, the good ship Ireland lurches on towards Paris with its sails tattered and riddled with gun-shot, a large hole in the side taking in water, and a listless crew who have patently lost confidence in Captain O'Sullivan, their directionless leader.
Despite repeated warnings, he selected Rory Best and Simon Easterby and the decision backfired. Best, playing only his second game since injury, was clearly not up to speed, with his normally efficient lineout throwing as wobbly as a jellyfish with Parkinson's disease.
Easterby is a battler but is going through a period where he is bereft of form and confidence and could make no impression on proceedings (beyond the concession of needless penalties) before he was sin-binned shortly after half-time and then not asked to return.
But this is not an individual problem. The Irish players are actually not playing that badly; nobody had an absolute shocker. Eoin Reddan was man of the match while O'Gara (in particular) Denis Leamy, David Wallace and Donncha O'Callaghan were all noticeably improved from the last outings in green at the World Cup.
Even the scrum, identified beforehand as an Achilles heel, held up reasonably well, which reflected well on the efforts of props Marcus Horan and John Hayes.
But there is a collective malaise which can be traced back to the announcement of Eddie O'Sullivan's four-year contract extension last August. Coincidence? With each sub-par performance, that seems less and less likely.
Croke Park on Saturday felt like it did towards the end of Steve Staunton's reign as Ireland soccer manager. The home fans were pancake flat, not breaking into song or chant until the 62nd minute -- limp rendition of "Ireland, Ireland, Ireland" which faded out into embarrassed silence before the Italians showed us how to sing properly.
Then, towards the end of this dispiriting contest, O'Sullivan's image came up on the big screen. What followed could not be truthfully be described as a chorus of boos (rugby fans are far to genteel for that), it was more like a rumble of discontent, which had increased in volume by the time the final whistle put the Ireland team and fans out of their misery.
We had been positive in the build-up, focusing on the experience and quality that resides in this team, and stating that a victory of substance would set us on the road to redemption. And, at one point in the first half, when Ireland went 10-0 up after a period of vibrant, attacking rugby and Italy lost lock Santiago Dellape to the bin, it looked as though we could settle back and enjoy an off-loading exhibition that would blow the visitors away.
Instead, the Italians gradually gained confidence and, inspired by their captain Sergio Parisse and his henchman Mauro Bergamasco, began to dominate possession and territory, with Parisse's try coming after a maul where the Irish were comprehensively out-muscled. The breakdown was a big problem for Ireland, with Bergamasco and co consistently slowing down Irish possession. This reduced O'Gara's options as the Italian defence, superb all afternoon, had time to line up their men and Brian O'Driscoll had no room to breathe. Hence O'Gara's repeated use of the cross-kick, which worked brilliantly for Ireland's only try.
Andrew Trimble, who, despite a couple of handling jitters, had a decent outing, fielded the ball extremely well and his off-load to Demspey was sweetly weighted.
There were other opportunities created but not exploited, notably another kick and catch which should have ended in Geordan Murphy putting Dempsey over, but the full-back was too flat and Murphy's pass did Dempsey no favours.
Eoin Reddan's breaks could also have been converted into scores with greater composure and support play.
Beyond that, it was back to the World Cup story of huff, puff and post-match guff.
"In the context of the Six Nations, I'm happy enough to take that performance because you have to accept it's the first game of the championship," said O'Sullivan, using the "a win is a win is a win" defence.
It is not enough. We needed a performance full of vigour, verve and vindication for the current regime; we got more of the same.
Unfortunate
So what next? Well, as was said in the run-up to the opening fixture, Tommy Bowe, Jackman and Heaslip should be in the starting 15 (although Rob Kearney did particularly well when he was introduced for the unfortunate D'Arcy) and the captaincy issue must also be addressed.
O'Driscoll's form may be holding up but he is failing to provide the on-field direction required while the designated pack leader, Easterby, is battling his own demons. Anthony Foley would be an excellent solution but an international recall is unlikely at this juncture. Which leaves Leo Cullen, in form with a proven leadership record and the organisational qualities to ease Jackman's lineout nerves.
However, at this point, any changes in the playing personnel carry a "moving deck chairs on the Titanic" quality.
It may require another hammering in Paris for the most meaningful move to be made.
IRELAND - G Dempsey; A Trimble, B O'Driscoll (capt), G D'Arcy (R Kearney 26), G Murphy (Leicester); R O'Gara (Munster), E Reddan (P Stringer 74); M Horan, R Best (B Jackman 62), J Hayes (T Buckley 72); D O'Callaghan, M O'Kelly (M O'Driscoll 68), S Easterby (J Heaslip 62), D Wallace, D Leamy. Yellow card: Easterby 48
ITALY -- D Bortolussi (A Marcato 72); K Robertson, G Canale, Mirco Bergamasco, P Canavosio (E Galon 24); A Masi, P Travagli; A Lo Cicero (S Perugini 55), L Ghiraldini (C Festuccia 55), M Castrogiovanni (Cittadini 78), S Dellape, C Del Fava (T Reato 73), J Sole (A Zanni h-t), Mauro Bergamasco, S Parisse (capt). Yellow card: Dellape 30
REF -- J Kaplan (S Africa)
