Monday’s world rankings told Ireland what they already knew: that two wins from four matches in the Autumn Nations Series doesn’t cut it at the sharp end of Test rugby.
Dropping from third in the world to fourth with England going in the opposite direction – their four wins squeezing Andy Farrell’s side out of third place – points to a mixed bag for the November series.
Winning against two teams Ireland should have beaten – Japan and Australia – but losing to New Zealand and South Africa, two teams they had hoped to beat, was a frustrating, uneven four weeks for Farrell and his players.
It was not all bad, however, with some players rising to the different challenges and having impact in matches, even against South Africa, the 13-24 defeat from which most will draw their conclusions.
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None more than Ryan Baird, perhaps Ireland’s player of the series but who is now in doubt for the Six Nations. Baird came off against the Springboks with 20 minutes remaining and walked uncomfortably to the dugout.
His injured leg is believed to be a broken tibia, which would keep him out for three months until the end of February.
Baird was not just effective in the Irish lineouts – both in attack and in defence – but also around the park his athletic ability showed more than it has in previous matches.
The change from doing good work to being eye-catching was the difference and he looks to have become the long-term replacement for Peter O’Mahony at blindside flanker, where he has started Ireland’s last six matches.
Mack Hansen was also one of the upticks on his return from injury. Three tries against the Wallabies was just reward for smart reading of the game, looking dangerous with the ball in hand and his comfort in contesting for possession in the air.
Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey, who featured against the All Blacks but was confined to just 27 minutes against Australia, was one of Ireland’s better carriers, especially over the hard yards.
McCloskey had to leave the pitch with a recurrence of a groin injury, unfortunate timing for a player finding form.
All three players, Baird, Hansen and McCloskey, finished the series injured, with McCloskey not making it to the starting line for the final game against South Africa.
Jamie Osborne also showed he was growing into the role at fullback before a shoulder injury ended his involvement. And on the right wing Tommy O’Brien was lively and competitive in all four matches and he will be hopeful of runs in the Six Nations.
Ireland captain Caelan Doris also showed what a force he can be – and in the final game in the face of a Springbok pounding was back to playing his naturally forceful game.
When trench warfare was what the team needed, Doris came up with it on the day. Not entirely error free, the Ireland captain nonetheless led by example, especially in the clutch moments under heavy Springbok fire.
It is also hard to look past 22-year-old Paddy McCarthy. With a first Irish start against Australia, the loosehead prop came off the bench against New Zealand, Japan (where he grabbed a try) and South Africa.
True, he was part of a scrum that was ground down, and he shipped a yellow card in the face of huge South African pressure, but the four games will add hugely to his growing experience.
Missing Hugo Keenan and Joe McCarthy for the series was significant, especially against the Springboks.
McCarthy’s natural physicality and aggression would have been an asset as he enters the final stages of rehabilitation from a foot injury.
Collectively, the scrum will need a serious review. As Ireland rightly measure themselves against the best in the world, it is pointless to pick out the games against Japan and Australia, where it was fine, but gloss over South Africa.
Boan Venter, world player of the year Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit destroyed the Irish set piece.
There were 16 scrums, with South Africa winning two yellow cards and eight penalties. Farrell was asked specifically about it after the match.
“He [the referee] saw a dominant scrum,” he said. “And whether there’s illegalities within all that, we’ve got to see past that and be better than that.”
Indeed. Discipline also became an issue, which Farrell will surely address.
On the upside, the Irish lineout that had been poor in the opening games with unheard calls and atypical chaos was patched up, as the players said it would be, and it functioned well.
Farrell, after almost a year away with the Lions, has been unable to find the consistency or performance levels Ireland reached at the last World Cup.
A 50 per cent win rate is not where he wants to be. He has just over two months to work it out before facing France on a Thursday night in Paris in early February.
