No sign of silver lining to Ireland's dark cloud
Ireland 9 England 20
Keith Earls is hauled down by Manu Tuilagi during yesterday?s World Cup warm-up in the Aviva Stadium. Photo: Gareth Copley
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If you read somewhere in the aftermath of this, Ireland's sixth defeat in the last eight Tests, that England wanted it more than we did, then you are reading the comments of someone making an excuse for a team in desperate trouble. And they are in desperate trouble.
Ireland came to Lansdowne Road yesterday not just with those mounting losses in the rearview mirror, but around the corner was the marquee, the big top where all the best performers will be on show in a couple of weeks. And they needed to smarten up their act for that.
Immediately ahead of them was England. Beat them for the second time this year, and there was a decent chance of a morale boost that would lighten the load that's been saddled on us this month. It just got heavier, because that win in March has been confirmed now as paper over a crack.
England had less game-time under their belts for this yet played it like they were a quarter way into their season and finding a nice rhythm. And when it works, it's very rhythmic: you know what note is coming next and when, and who's going to play it, but Ireland weren't able to do a whole lot to break it.
Where they are supposed to look fresh, they look wrecked. Physically, they got knocked about the place by an England team that, after the battering they took here six months ago, really enjoyed the experience. There was a fair bit of stuff off the ball and England were bossing that too.
It probably doesn't matter that it wasn't a very good game of rugby, and after the fantastic contest from Brisbane earlier yesterday expectations were low that it would come anywhere close. The relevance of that was that Australia were outstanding.
Ireland, on the other hand, were abysmal. You felt for the replacements who were asked to chase a game just after the heavens had opened. England had been leading 20-9 from the 46th minute, and with their forwards dominant the rain was just what they wanted.
By then Ireland had lost David Wallace with a World Cup-ending knee injury (Shane Jennings was called in last night to replace him); and Jamie Heaslip who seemed concussed, and at least did the sensible thing and got off the field. That put a huge load on Stephen Ferris who carried it well.
Ireland's scrum was fitful, and the lineout, which had worked well last weekend against France, creaked at vital times. An example? In the second half, Ireland nudged a penalty to touch 30 metres from the England line, their first bit of territory in a long time. Then Rory Best, just on the field for Jerry Flannery who wasn't 100 per cent going off, threw crooked. It felt like it would never end.
Indeed, the first half felt like a game in itself, partly because the whole show started late, and then we had a raft of stoppages for injuries, the most serious of which was for Wallace.
Some of us thought that unlike previous weeks where Ireland passed up kickable points in favour of something else, this would be an exercise in harvesting anything you could while the sun came out. Like in real rugby, the Six Nations stuff -- and what we will be trying to do in the World Cup. Eh, not exactly. Twice in the first quarter Ireland had eminently kickable shots on goal and instead went for lineouts in the corner. If the aim was seven points instead of three then both times the mission failed.
These things happen. In most games there will be a decision to be made about what to do with your kickable penalty and each of those is governed by the circumstances at the time. Ireland needed a win, and at those moments they were trailing by seven points.
That had come about from a try by the strapping 20-year- old Manu Tuilagi. He left Keith Earls for dead in a one on one after just five minutes. Earls recovered and worked really hard but, going forward, never looked like he was going to skin anyone, unlike the brand new model that went to South Africa with the Lions two summers ago. Back then he frightened people.
By half-time Ronan O'Gara and Jonny Wilkinson and shared five penalties between them to leave it 13-9 to England. The second half got off to a great start for the home team, with Chris Ashton binned for a variety of ruck offences at the same time, and what happened?
England went and extended their lead, that's what. A penalty down the line; lineout ball taken up the middle of the field; cut back blind for a grubber through by Mike Tindall and replacement Delon Armitage had a handy try. Wilkinson goaled with a magnificent kick and we had to sit through another 34 minutes. Painful for most of the 48,523 in attendance.
And no sign of relief.
Scorers -- Ireland: R O'Gara 3 pens; England: M Tuilagi, D Armitage try each; J Wilkinson 3 pens, con
Ireland: G Murphy; T Bowe, K Earls, G D'Arcy, A Trimble (F McFadden 71); R O'Gara (J Sexton 62), E Reddan (C Murray 62); C Healy (T Court 70), J Flannery (R Best 51), M Ross, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt), S Ferris, J Heaslip (D Ryan 35), D Wallace (D Leamy 23)
England: B Foden; C Ashton (yc 42-52), M Tuilagi, M Tindall (T Flood 75), M Cueto (D Armitage 22); J Wilkinson, R Wigglesworth; A Sheridan (M Stevens 55), S Thompson (D Hartley 52), D Cole, L Deacon (S Shaw 63), C Lawes, T Croft, J Haskell, H Fourie
Referee: N Owens (Wales)
- BRENDAN FANNING, at the Aviva Stadium
